The night of the ancient lights

Märket lighthouse

The morning was a misty, but warm and sun started to shine very early. It was beautiful morning when we were driving from Mariehamn towards Postbryggan and Mats' boat. There should have been four radioamateurs from Netherlands waiting us, but unfortunately one of them had injured and therefore all of them cancelled the trip to Märket lighthouse. Instead of them we saw couple of ornithologists, who were joining us and getting a ride from Mats to Signillskär island.

Windy Märket

Three other people from Åland were coming to visit Märket as well. Alltogether 12 people were packed to the boat and finally at 8:30 AM we headed from Eckerö towards west and southernly wind and waves.

Two of us are first-timers at Märket and there were excitement in the air when they saw first time Märket lighthouse getting closer and closer. The wind was blowing from south nearly 10 m/s and Mats steered his boat to the northern harbor, from where we were able to enter the island and meet the previous shift.

It was amazing to see how this place has changed in a year! There were new stairs, new windmill station, new sauna and renovated rooms at the first floor of the lighthouse, but at the same time we were feeling nostalgic, when the place was still good old Märket with howling wind, breaking waves and fierce sunshine on a bold surface of smooth rocks.

Waves breaking at southern cliffs

Roughly 25 years ago citizenship of community of Parainen invented the night of ancient lights. The idea was to have burning flames from Stockholm all the way to Tallinn in the darkening autumn evening. You can check the planned locations of burning bonfires from following link : http://www.ancientlights.eu/fireplaces. So we decided to do our share and set a bonfire at Märket southern cliffs.

Ancient lights bonfire