Forget Girona. Ride Finland’s Secret Gravel Cycling Capital – Ruka, Kuusamo

Find out more: gravel.ruka.fi/en

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🎥 FILM MAKING GEAR:
• Canon EOS R6 Mark II (https://www.canon.co.uk/cameras/eos-r6-mark-ii/)

🚲 MY BIKE:
• Giant Revolt X (https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/revolt-x-advanced-pro-0)

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[Music] the healers, they needed the, you know, help from from these uh natural spirits. So that’s that’s why there’s a there’s a long long long history in Finland that when you move to a new place, sauna first. Feel like this part of Finland is really good for just being outside. It’s freezing. [Music] Found some gravel. Looks really nice, actually. We’re dressed for a downpour, but I think we’re going to be okay. I think we’re lucky with the weather. [Music] Marty and I have traveled 10 hours north in Finland and we’re now in Ruka [Music] trying some of the gravel. Oh, it’s a very small. It’s very nice. [Music] What are we looking for, Maddie? We’re looking for a bakery. Well, it’s a cafe. We are looking for a cafe for a coffee and a baked good, but I couldn’t plot to it on Hanky Bari. It’s open. [Music] Old milk say oat milk [Music] time. I think this is a sauna with a view, but it is a bit cloudy. [Applause] It’s day two of Marut’s Rooker training camp to whip Josh into shape for his off season. I think there’s just endless gravel here. The jackets are off, the sun’s out, and the leaves are pinging. It is gorgeous. [Music] Woohoo! [Music] I was advised to go for a Finnish topping, but having had Finnish food for several days now, I needed some Italian home comforts, even though I’m not Italian. So, I got the Italian mortaza rather than getting like a reindeer pizza. For dessert, we’re going for blueberry. Don’t hide the middle course that you had. You didn’t just have peasy. You came back and you made a bowl of pasta. For dessert, we’re going for blueberry yogurt topped with blueberries served with a side of served with a side. We love the blubs, but I think of these blubes, the best blubs, the real blubes, because the juice tastes a bit like water, doesn’t it? The one on the flight was amazing. Oh, the one on the flight was really good. I reckon this one’s got no added sugar, you know. And the one on the flight was probably just sugar. There’s nothing in this, Josh. But 100 g is 8 calories. It’s 7% blabbard, which I assume means blueberry. Blab. Oh, and no. Then it’s 3% Blab’s juice, which is blueberry juice. Do you think these blueberries are going to be better than like the forest ones? Probably not. She said they’re not. They’re not bad blueberries. Blueberries from Berry Hub. Blueberries. Quite a subtle fruit. I don’t know whether the ones we have are like jacked up in the UK, but these are quite subtle. Like it might be just out of season. Yeah, maybe. Well, we’re only just after blueberry season. Good morning, Maddie. Good morning. We are riding to an activity. Um, which means we’re carrying all the stuff. You mean Josh is carrying all the stuff? Josh is carrying most of the stuff. He’s got both pairs of Birkenstocks. One upon the frame top tube and one on his backpack. Um, and we’re going to what is it? A day in the life of a fin. We’ve got everything on there. We’ve got some um Birkenstocks and a and a coat. Fun fact of the day, there are 5.6 million inhabitants in Finland and 3 million sauners. Do you like my fun fact? Yeah. There are also 1,911 lakes in the Kusama region. Samis inhabited nor northern Finland and also they were they were in the early days also uh living in the south of Finland. Um Kama was also inhabited by them. there was a population of about 3 400 um uh sis here uh in the end of the 1600s and that’s then when the first Finnish newcomers came here from South Finland and um for thousands of years uh this was also Sami land and the name of the village Wonki actually has to do with hunting so this was the local Sami’s hunting area a hunting area and many places in Kosamo We don’t have the Sami culture and the local you know language or dialect has been lost but the names of places have been given given by the Samis who lived here for thousands of years and they have a few holy places also here in Kusama like sacrificial places that that they used they they believe that the first building you built to that you know virgin pristine nature area with no other buildings that will lure the most powerful spirit of the region to move into that building and because sauna was a place where you not only bathe it, you did transitional rituals, uh annual rituals, uh babies were born in a sauna, dead were washed in the sauna and illnesses were cured in the sauna. So the healers they needed the you know help from these uh natural spirits. So that’s that’s why there’s a there’s a long long long history in Finland that when you move to a new place sauna first. Yeah. so that you get the most powerful spirit to to work there. And then when this belief kind of died but still it it was a custom those days when um the early comers were already Christians but they still do you know the sauna first. Of course it’s like it’s a good building to build first because especially summertime you can you can use the benches for sleeping and you can use the stove for cooking and then you have you can wash you know you have you have the means to to heat up water and and wash there wash yourself there. So that’s why the that’s why the salona sauna first versions of the of the of it has sugar uh a little bit of salt and then cardamom in in Finland we call it bulla p u l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l a and in Sweden it’s called bulla with a b so so this this pastry was was a gift from the sweet and if you ever been to Sweden they have many fasc so so they always you The coffee. The coffee. Coffee and the pastry. Yeah, coffee and a pastry. Let me see. So, maybe you can. And then, of course, you you shouldn’t like roll it too thin. Luckily, I’ve actually done this before, so I’m not a newbie to cinnamon roll making. I’m so excited to see these. Roll with this as well. Maybe like that. Press it in the middle. And then then flip it. And then you have to add like more more flour to it. If it’s if it if it’s not moving, if you don’t make holes, then it’s going to be like um you know, just a big pocket full of hot air with a with a very thin bottom crust and a very thin upper crust. The oven has been heated to near 300°, sometimes a little bit over, but the but the bread the bread cooks really quickly. Bakes really quickly when it’s about uh 280 to 300°. I’m close. Do I need to go faster? Yeah, you need to go actually you go you put you you put this like under the bread. Yeah. A little bit under the one hand. And then a lower angle. And then you have to do like a quick move. Yeah. Nearly there. Be careful. Be careful. Oh, be careful. Be careful. Oh my gosh. No. It was so good. There you go. Okay. Okay. A bit of excitement. No worries. And now what do I do? I release it. Yeah, you you put it left side. That was really hard. So, your turn. I hope that that we we’ve covered the bottom with the maybe a little bit, you know. Yes. Wow, that was too good. If you worked in a pizzeria, I had an Italian. You need this sound. So then you know that the the bread is ready. Never tried mousse before, strangely. And I think you’ve got mushrooms. Chanterels. Shanterels. It feels quite soft. Okay. It’s going to be quite hot. How do you like moose? It tastes like beef with like a bit more tender. That’s actually really nice. But I think it’s cuz it’s in a really nice red wine sauce. Just having a moment getting first. How How’s this trip in Finland been? It’s been pretty good to be honest. A lot of nature and I like nature. Feel like this part of Finland’s really good for just being outside. It’s a good way to end the trip. I think maybe a roller coaster though. Oh, the child. Do you have like a full seat belt on? Yeah, I’ve only got one around my waist. It’s not enough. You’re on the child seat. I am on the child seat, but we’re under 150 kilos. So, when she said, “Are you under 150 kilos?” I was like, “Yes, of course we’re under.” And then I obviously realized accumulatively, but also, yes, definitely. Oh my god. Slow down. Oh my god. Amazing. Thanks. So sonvatar is a is a overall sauna goddess from pre-Christian times and um you are asking if she’s living in the sauna you are asking her to come to sauna to to bring into the sauna the different like um like uh sauna remedies the different trees and leaves and and things like this and then you are asking her to prepare the you know to to kind of like prepare the sauna remedies and uh then to help you bathe uh with these remedies. ies in order to to uh cut down your problems, your worries, to kill any illnesses, to help you um win your battles. And you know, because sauna is not only it’s only it’s not only physical well-being, it’s only for it’s also for mental well-being.