paddling with a camera

Sea kayaking the Aland Archipelago
another set of pictures at essingen.comby Björn Olin from his paddling trip in summer this year

When I lived in Poland I dreamt about visiting Aland Islands by kayak or by sailboat. Unfortunately, it had never happened. When sailing I had an occasion to see some other islands of the Baltic Sea including Gotland, Oland, Bornholm and Christianso. Since these were "domestic" trips between Polish harbors we were not allowed to stop anywhere. Time is changing for Poland and Europe. Nowadays, sea kayakers from Poland are paddling everywhere in the Baltic area.

The Aland islands (Åland in Swedish, Ahvenanmaa in Finnish) are positioned between eastern Sweden and southwestern Finland, about 65 miles east of Stockholm, Sweden. The islands were originally settled by Nordic peoples, today called Alanders. The Aland people developed a specific genealogy, different from other Scandinavians, being both isolated and connected by sea. Still, Alanders are considered to be Swedes.
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Related posts:

• Kayak Racing and Paddling Photography by Björn Olin
• 2007 KiM (Kazik i My) Kayaking Calendar from Poland