Frozen Sea Walk at Nallikari

The day started with food, which is always a good beginning. On February 14, three of my friends and I decided to try Chinese cuisine in Oulu, so we went to Beijing Chinese Restaurant in the city and had their buffet. It was warm, busy, and exactly the kind of meal you want before stepping back into a Finnish winter. After lunch, we made a simple plan to continue the day at Nallikari Beach.

In winter, Nallikari becomes something completely different from the summer beach people usually imagine. The sea can freeze into a wide white surface, and the whole place feels open, quiet, and almost unreal. That day it was around minus 18 degrees with a little wind, the kind of cold that makes every breath feel sharp. We walked about 500 metres onto the frozen sea, slowly and carefully, with the shoreline getting smaller behind us.

The best part came near sunset. The sky turned red over the frozen sea, and for a few minutes everyone stopped talking and just looked at it. There was something strange and beautiful about standing where water should have been, surrounded by cold air and soft light. It felt like one of those small Oulu moments that is hard to explain unless you have stood there yourself.

After the walk, we went to the Nallikari cafe for coffee and warmed ourselves up before heading home. The day had started with a buffet and ended on a frozen sea under a red winter sky. Simple plans sometimes become the ones you remember most.