Last day of our road trip took us back home to Kuopio with a pit stop at the Ranua zoo. It is a great place to visit even if you don't have kids. It's a huge wild life park with lots of space for the animals to roam. You really feel like you are just walking in the wilderness and these animals are right there with you. There's no reason to be afraid to be eaten by a bear though. They have easy to walk wooden paths that you walk on through the whole area. A definite must if you are traveling in the Northern Finland. Since it is a pretty long drive from Ranua to Kuopio, we also stretched our legs at the Kajaani castle ruins. It is also a great place to visit because it is the northernmost stone castle in the world! I didn't know that until now.
Anyway I hope you have liked my pictures. We certainly had a good time!
Bye bye Haparanda and Sweden! Hello Finland!
Map of the Ranua zoo. As you can see the park is open all year round.
I wanted to see the polar bears because they are one of my favorite animals.
Otter was sleepy and not in the mood to play in the water.
Easy to walk trails as well as wheel chair accessible.
This owl was posing so nicely.
Wild hogs just laying around.
Monday morning and all the animals were feeling lazy. Even the mom and baby polar bear.
Eventually the mom went for a swim. The baby bear thought that the water was too cold and stayed on the dry land.
Aarne wasn't as convinced about the polar bears being super cute as I was.
And then it was lunch time! What was on the menu? Salmon of course.
Mama bear was asking for dessert. She was served a couple of apples. Poor bear! Little does she know that chocolate cake is so much better dessert than apples (*wink*).
Baby bear posing for me.
Brown bear getting out of his cave.
Baby deer.
I have never seen a wolf before.
Playful dhole.
I have never seen dhole before but these guys were fun to watch.
Mr. Lynx didn't want to look at us.
He had his sight on something else in the woods.
Wolverine was sleeping in his den but decided to pose for a bit.
Our trip is coming near to an end. Time to dream of an even bigger&better trip...
Views along the way in the Northern Finland.
Kajaani castle ruins.
I love castles!
It would be so neat to know more about the history of this castle and its' occupants.
Steep stairs going to the second floor.
There is a road that goes right over the ruins.
One happy traveler.
I just love all the details.
Little windows for shooting the enemies.
The Kajaani castle was built on the Ämmäkoski island of the Kajaani river in the centre of Kajaani in the17th century.
You must be really carefully when walking around the ruins. You could easily slip and fall.
Battle of the sun and the clouds along the way to Kuopio.
How do you know you have arrived home? You see the Puijo tower in the distance.
That's a wrap!
