(From the webmaster: Here starts Jari´s (the writer) and Hans´shift. The photos are in the end, and there will be more of them later.)

Here are my first thoughts when arriving to Märket.

After apartying ferry from Turku settling down to Märket is very relaxing. A casual gulls scream. A quiet roar of small wave. Three good humoured locals setting up bults and fenders in two landing places. A calm fellow, Hans, to be a partner for the following week. My dog sleeping in the shadow of the lighthouse. What a shiny start for time in Märket!

So on Saturday me and Hans arrived at Märket. Some persons from lighthouse society and local press visited Märket with the same boat that brought us here. Three locals were here to fix place to land. Soot was removed from the chimmey by a specialist. The day was full of sunlight and small wind died totally thowards evening.

A modern person could think that it is a experience of the lifetime to spent a week in lighthouse, and definitely it is. But thinking previous times ... In the old days they spent years and years example here. Like KEE Eriksson, the former lighthouse keeper of Märket who visited the island yesterday.

It have been a great opportunity for many persons to get a job at a lighthouse. Firstly, to have a work. Secondly: live in beatiful house (I wonder is there nowadays enough money to built anything so beatiful) in an own nice room, have food and heating system. My thought of the historical life in lighthouses have settled in new light when starting to understand more about the item. Thanks to Kee and Hans of opening my eyes.


Sunday saw a large group of visitors who came with the first ever scheluded tourist trip to newly opened Märket with Bengt Granbergs boat. Beside tourists there were two lighthouse keepers, Jasri and Hans and the former lighthouse keeper on Märket, KEE Eriksson, with his wife.


KEE Eriksson guided the whole group through the building where he lived and worked more than 30 years go.


By another boat arrived the man who brushes the chimneys and owens. After his work the owens can be now used again!


Mr. Humell from Åland installed new hooks and bumber tires for boat to land on Märket! This is a really big thing for the boat traffic! The bumbers are on the north side. The boat owners are asked to leave a minum of 10 euros to the lighthouse for their visit to restore the buildings.