Liepnitzsee swim

Liepnitzsee is a lake in Wandlitz, Germany, roughly 30 km from Berlin city center. It is a nice swimming spot with most non-prepared beaches. Recommended!

There's pretty good, clean water and a green environment, also green water :-) Note that since the beaches are not really prepared, you have to be a bit careful when entering, you can encounter old trees etc. on the bottom. Definitely don't jump in, just swim.

Can get busy though if it is good weather and a weekend. There's parking areas few hundred meters from the lake, around the lake, they too can be quite crowded.

The lake is here: N 52.747286 E 13.494341.

Pictures:

Nearby is Wandlitzsee as well, but the swimming there seemed a bit dangerous, due to beach having some unexploded munitions. Wonder if that was cleared up and it is now possible to swim. Does anyone know? (Update: seems so.)

For more sauna and swimming stories, check out planetswimmer.com and saunablogger.cool websites! And of course the Planetcaver, and Planetskier blogs for other stories in Blogspot and TGR! The photos and text (c) 2019 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved. I never take recognisable photos of other saunagoers or swimmers, and the facility was only booked for me.

Mini-caves in Madonna di Campiglio

While skiing down the 'Grotte' ski slope in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, we spotted some caves. Shitty caves... literally... apparently if you are overdue for a bathroom break it becomes an appealing alternative to sneak into a cave by the ski slope to do your business. Sigh. Otherwise nice, small caves, probably carved by the water running in the river bed that this ski slope is on.

The Grotte is a short ski run, running from the bottom of the Groste 1 Express lift in Fortini down to the Madonna di Campiglio village and on to the bottom of the Spinale Express lift. More info about the slope here.

There were three caves, one a bit bigger than the others but all small:

• The first one with approximately in the coordinates N 46.234693 E 10.833724 (please do not rely too much on these coordinates, they really are very rough - but you will find the caves if you ski through the slope/river bed).

Photos of the first cave: 

 

• The second one is a tiny one, roughly in coordinates N 46.234655 E 10.833650.

Photos of the second cave:

 

• The third and the biggest one, complete with the excrement and toilet paper in it. Roughly in the coordinates N 46.234634 E 10.833583.

Photos of the third cave: 

 

And then the skiing! Quite nice!

Skiing photos and mountain views:

Night skiing:

Food on the slopes, Goulash index 9€ (in 2019):

We also visited the sauna in our hotel, see the other blog article.

Read the full Planetskier series at planetskier.net, urban exploration stories from theurbanexplorer.net, and other underground stories from planetcaver.net, or all blog articles from Blogspot, TGR. Photos and text (c) 2019 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved. 

Tire change

Oopsie, this will take some time. Apparently the front tire had to be replaced on my plane. On the gate!

Interesting that it can be done at the gate. Delayed the flight by about two hours.

While waiting, I was tired, it was too early, and they tagged my hand luggage without me realizing what this meant. Since I was transferring at the next airport, I would have to go out and pick up the luggage. Sigh. Should have said something, they should have realized this was the case with me, etc. Oh well. Need to look after myself better the next time.

For more flying stories, check out the planetflier.com website! And of course the Planetcaver, and Planetskier blogs for other stories in Blogspot and TGR! The photos and text (c) 2025 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved. 

Hattivattis heading for the exit

I just love the Moomins. Visited the Moomin World countless times (including going skiing there). This is why I am always delighted when I pass by the Moomin shop at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport. Although this time, the Hattavattis (Hattifatteners) seemed to be on their way to the exit ...

Here are some of the yet again views of the Finnair's new Schengen Platinum lounge. A snowy weather outside:

And a snowy plane to enter:

For more flying stories, check out the planetflier.com website! And of course the Planetcaver, and Planetskier blogs for other stories in Blogspot and TGR! The photos and text (c) 2025 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved. 

Hörnerbahn gelbe Kugeln

We were going to ski in Oberstdorf. Seven kilometers outside Oberstdorf we had spotted a medium-size ski area, Hörnerbahn. It seemed inviting, so before heading to Oberstdorf slopes, we wanted to try it as well for an hour or two. Their main lift cabins looked like yellow eggs, quite striking :-)

Hörnerbahn is at the coordinates N 47.463061 E 10.227812. Their official home page is here, and the skiresort.info page is here.

This was in 2022, so masking rules were still in effect:

Slopes:

Ski route water crossing:

Read the full Planetskier series at planetskier.net, or all blog articles from Blogspot, TGR. Photos, videos, and text (c) 2022 by Jari Arkko.

Porvoo swimming hall

Today I wanted to try a new swimming hall, and ended up driving all the way to Porvoo, an hour away from where I live. Porvoo is of course a wonderful historic city with wooden houses alongside the river banks. Their swimming hall was constructed in the 1970s probably, but then more recently expanded.

The hall as two different sides, the new (lower level dressing rooms) and old (2nd floor dressing rooms). Both sides have saunas, in the new there's a Finnish sauna and a steam sauna, and in the old one there's two smaller Finnish saunas and a steam sauna.

Their main pool is a 25-meter one, but there's also:

• A jumping pool
• Two kiddie pools
• A fun pool with a wave machine, water slide, and a swimming channel
• A large Jacuzzi on top of the fun pool
• A cold pool

The official home page of the swimming hall is here.

Much recommended!

I just have outside pictures:

Then the entrance (at the top of this article, and below):

For more sauna and swimming stories, check out planetswimmer.com and saunablogger.cool websites! And of course the Planetcaver, and Planetskier blogs for other stories in Blogspot and TGR! The photos and text (c) 2024 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved. I never take recognisable photos of other saunagoers or swimmers, and the facility was only booked for me.

Kivikko

First turns of the year in Greenla… I mean Kivikko, in eastern Helsinki. Nice powdery stuff with a firm rock and grass base underneath. Good day.

I don't understand how I've not been here before! A wonderful place. They had a snow gun running as well, so this isn't just natural snow.

The area is fenced off, but at least today the gates were open. If they are not open.. maybe you shouldn't enter? But there are also broken off fence part a bit higher up from where the gate is, and you may be able to enter underneath the gates, e.g., from the other gate at the top. In any case, be safe. There is no guarantee that there aren't under-snow dangers, people have reported high drops, always check out what you will ski or slide down on first!

Such a great scenery:

Video:

The slope is here N 60.241013 E 25.059824. The entrance gate is in coordinates N 60.241195 E 25.05802. And the parking spot that I found easy to use (200m from the gate) is in coordinates N 60.242133 E 25.058244.

Pictures, starting from the halfpipe:

There was a snow gun running (by the city?):

And the fence and gate:

In the summer, the hill is a frisbee golf track:

Read the full Planetskier series at planetskier.net, or all blog articles from Blogspot, TGR. Photos, videos, and text (c) 2022 by Jari Arkko.