A friend invited me to his cabin to sauna last weekend. The sauna is an old smoke sauna, and that means that the stove has no chimney. All the smoke stays in until it's warm and ready. Smoke saunas aren't for the hasty. It took us 4 hours to warm up, and after that it's essential to wait another 1-2 hours before going in. I think it's because of carbon monoxide. One could get headache or even die. Plenty of time to make fire and some food, take some pictures etc.
My friend's cabin is about a hundred years old fisher's hut with some interesting history. When he was only 2 months old, his father drowned only few hundred meters away. Urho Kekkonen, who was somewhat controversial president of Finland from 1956 to 1981, and who loved wilderness very much, has been in that sauna many times. And sauna of course is very deeply rooted in Finnish culture. It was essential when first settlers came here about 10 000 years ago, and it was used not only because of hygiene and warmth, but as a kind of multi-purpose building to the early 20th century. Smoked preserves meat, fish and crops so it's much easier to survive the cold months of winter. Stories and thoughts like this are quite interesting when told in dark, black-walled sauna in cold starlit night.
I'm a citizen now, but I was born in a small town, and sometimes feel the need to get to this kind of places. Though I like living in city, places like these are my favourites, and I felt very good and relaxed after the weekend.