Day 7 - Oulu
We spent the night in a sleeper cabin on the overnight train from Helsinki to Oulu which was a great experience even if we didnt get a good nights sleep. We had a small sink in the cabin but had to go to the end of the corridor for the toilet. It was difficult to sleep and I know I was still awake at 2am. The train kept stopping for long periods of time in some stations and when it was moving I could feel it tilting and thought I was rolling out of bed. One long stop was to pick up a car wagon and others thought that freight wagons had also been added. One of the others said the train stopped 19 times in all. We got up about 7 and I got changed into my parkrun clothes. We all disembarked at Oulu at 8.15 (on schedule) where it was noticibly colder. While waiting to get off I realised that Helen Clare Pope was next to me in the corridor so we talked a bit about music (she also plays clarinet but not very much now). We walked to the hotel which was about 20 minutes away. The line of parkrunners going through the town centre must have looked like a line of ants. Anyone living along the route who wasnt already awake would have been woken up by the clatter of luggage wheels along the pavements. We were abe to check in straight away rather than waiting till 3pm, which was a very useful negotiation by Andy.
173 finished the parkrun which was a very scenic route almost continually alongside water channels leading into the Gulf of Bothnia. We ran over 13 bridges in total. Paul met me at the finish line with my phone and a jumper and I then helped to barcode scan but was very cold by the time the tail walker arrived back.
Link to parkrun video taken by first finisher. Pokinnen parkrun
We then went to the Radisson Hotel for breakfast which they extended until midday for us. After a shower Paul and I walked into town as it was a beautiful sunny day. We saw much of the town centre. There was a big group of people in one of the squares with Irish Wolfhound dogs. Considering we havent seen many dogs at all in Estonia or Finland (and no dogs mess in either country yet), this was a bit of a surprise. We later found out that there is an Irish culture festival going on this weekend run by residents with Irish backgrounds. Most of the buildings around Oulu seem modern and fairly new but some stood out. Here are a few photos taken around the town
We walked around the more scenic parts just outside the town where the autumn colours make it look really spectacular. Every local we have spoken to say that winter is amazing with so much snow and the lakes are frozen over. Aparently Oulu is to be the European City of Culture in 2026 so they are preparing for this. Here are some photos of the rivers and water features in the area which are all part of the coast line
We then came back to our room for a rest before meeting those of the group staying for dinner at 6.30. Some were going back to Helsinki either on the overnight sleeper or flying back.
The evening meal was a very extensive Finnish style buffet and we were both absolutely stuffed at the end. The Mayor of Oulu came along and gave a speech telling us a little more about Oulu and how it is considered to be the capital of the north. I was able to catch up with my former colleague from RS, Ken, who is flying home tomorrow. I also met another guy from Glasgow who is also doing the Half Marathon next weekend.
We are here for 2 nights so will explore more of Oulu and its surroundings tomorrow.
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