The Prästö island is situated south of Bromarv, Raseborg. Karl-Mikael and Camilla live there with their two sons, Anton and Andreas. In the winter it's quiet on the island, but during the summer the population of the island multiplies as the summer dwellers arrive. The family lives in Karl-Mikael's father's childhood home. Now the father lives next door.

Karl-Mikael is already an eighth-generation professional fisherman. Camilla works as a practical nurse in sheltered housing complex for the elderly in Bromarv. The boys go to school also on the mainland, Anton to lower secondary school in Tenhola and Andreas to primary school in Bromarv.

Living on the island is the main determinator of the family's life. The nature is omnipresent on the island and the change of the seasons can be seen and felt – also at work. During the summer it's work almost around the clock, but wintertime is quiet. The nature is also at rest.

The family is used to the fact that services are far away and you can't just stop by at the shops. That's why the family is a very self-sufficient: they fish, hunt and make a lot of things themselves. Yet the family does not feel it's living in isolation. It's not far between the island and the mainland, only one kilometre. In the winter when the sea is frozen, they can cross it by an ATV, a snowmobile or by foot, or when there's no ice, by boat. On the mainland they'll continue by car.

"You need more than one boat in different places, one where you go over to the mainland, and then we keep one on the seafront, where we go fishing.”

Wednesday 2 February 2011

A dense darkness covered the Prästö island, but there was already light at the windows of Karl-Mikael and Camilla's house. Karl-Mikael had got up early and was getting his things together for the day's fishing trip. Camilla made some sandwiches for her husband. The boys had had their breakfasts and they would soon be off for school.

Father and sons got on the snowmobile and began their journey over the ice. Once on the mainland the school taxi would pick up the boys and take Andreas to the village and Anton to the crossroads where he would catch his bus to Tenhola.

When he had seen the boys off, Karl-Mikael returned. He had picked up the morning papers from the mailbox on the mainland and now took a part of them to his father next door. At home Karl-Mikael had a cup of coffee. He poured the remaining coffee into a thermos. With his lunch in his backpack he rode to the shore. Behind the snowmobile he had a sled in which he had all the necessary fishing equipment. From the shore shed he picked up a plastic bucket for the catch. Now he could set out to his nets.

Camilla was on evening shift today so she was able to do the chores in peace and quiet. She took in some fire wood from the shed, took some food for the birds outside and began to prepare sausage soup for the family. At midday, when the soup was ready, it was time for her to go to work. Camilla walked over the ice to the mainland where the family car was parked. She drove towards Bromarv village from there.

Is it a big difference between the seasons, fishing-wise? "Beautiful in the winter and hot in the summer." "We're completely on our own in the winter, from Independence Day to Easter there's no one at all."

“At Easter the summer birds return, that means that the people come and that affects our life. – Things get more stressful, because they might come in to buy some fish, then they need help with different things, the phone may ring late even at 11 p.m. because they have for example got lost in the fog, the engine doesn't start, they're somewhere in the sea, or then they've run over their boat and the engine is full of water and they need help. It used to be just about getting lost in the fog. You become like the general help line."

The winter has been very cold and therefore today's catching session was only the third for Karl-Mikael during this winter catch season. Today he had nets to tend at four hauls. He was working at a good pace. At times he would have a coffee break. A white-tailed eagle soared the sky and watched the fisherman work.

While their father was tending the nets, the boys' school days had begun. Andreas drew bullfinches on his first lesson and then he had a mathematics exam. After lunch the class went to the gym where Andreas and his friends played table tennis. There were 22 pupils at school, eight on Andreas's class.

Anton's school day began with an English lesson. Then they had Religious education, Music and Mathematics. Finally they had a double lesson of Finnish. Then it was time to get on the buses home: they were already waiting on the school yard.

Karl-Mikael was also finishing his chores for the day. Today's catch was fairly good: 50 or so zanders, 12 whitefish and 17 burbots. On Saturday Karl-Mikael would once again go to Karjaa market to sell fish. On his way home he picked up Andreas from the taxi stop, took the day's mail and then drove to their home shore. Anton would be picked up a little later.

Camilla had also made it to work despite minor obstacles. She had had to stop for a moment because of a load of logs that was blocking the road. Luckily the worker who was slowly loading the logs on the narrow road dodged so Camilla could continue her journey.

At work Camilla put on her working clothes and then checked the notice board for the day's programme and who was working today. Today, before the afternoon coffee break, the residents would have bingo.

The evening at the complex was calm. The residents had their evening meals, after which the nurses began to make their beds for the night. To finish off the day Camilla had a few home calls in the village. The elderly who live at home were given their medicines, helped with their evening routines and seen to that all is well. Camilla's day ended at 9 p.m. and it was once again pitch black outside.

The evening was calming down at home too… father and sons were already waiting for mother to come home.

Thoughts about everyday life

How do you feel about living on Prästö, what is it like living out on the islands? "It's calm and free" "It's hard work though but you have to make a living don't you. Mostly when you need to get out and it's a bad weather or complicated somehow. That's when it sometimes feels tough. There's no village around where you could ask the people to help you, so if you need anything you have to go out and look for it in the town. The nearest neighbour is at least 5 km away." –Karl-Mikael

What's it like living in the middle of the nature? Well we are ecological people, that's it – we never buy meat, beef or pork, all we eat is game. – In the summer we grow all we can. – We pick berries, it depends on the year. Mushrooms and apples, black currant bushes, I make juice myself." – Camilla