Back in Danske

Today we caught a bus, then another bus, then a plane, then a bus, then a train, then a bus, and finally got home.
'twas an early start. So early in fact, that I put my apple juice in a mug and my coffee in a glass...

Doh! I can't remember what I ate either. We had to race to get the bus to the airport and the plane to Billund was somewhere out on the tarmac so we had to get another bus to the plane.

Goodbye Helsinki

One of these days we will have to actually go into Helsinki. So far we have only seen the airport in the four times we have been there.

We landed in a sunny Billund which was nice. Not so nice having to lug our broken luggage onto a bus to Vejle, then a train to Horsens then a bus to the university.

We lost a wheel going to London, then another going to Helsinki. Considering I also paid for an extra bag that never showed up on the booking, I now have enough evidence for a formal complaint so maybe I can get a new bag from the airline! Watch this space!

So sunny Dansk. Once we unpacked and so on, we went for a walk to get some food. Spring has been busy while we have been waking to -12 degrees in Lapland...

Just another morning in Lapland!

T-Shirts!!!!!!

Lapland was a FANTASTIC experience made especially so by the generosity, and wonderful company of Tiina and Seppo. They had asked their family members for equipment so we didn't have to hire it, they brought enough food to feed an army and Tiina treated us to some delicious dinners, and they wouldn't hear of us paying towards the accommodation.
And they were such good fun! We had loads of laughs throughout the week and loved every minute with them. I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful penfriend-turned BFF!

So now its back to work. I had thought I might do some while I was away but didn't factor in the full on experiences that Lapland (and Tiina and Seppo) have to offer. The only thing we didn't catch were the Northern lights which are totally unpredictable apparently. Oh, and a reindeer sleigh ride to meet Santa. Maybe next time. In the meantime I have brought home a bruise to be proud of, a head full of warm fuzzy memories, and about a million and a half photos and videos to look back on. As always I think that one day I will sort through and cull them down to the best of the best. But I never do. And in years to come I can relive this week again and again. 

From my fall on day 1

Biker chicks!

Shopping, Santa, sausage sizzle, sunset, and sauna

Friday was our last full day in Lapland with Tiina and Seppo.

The night before, we had our final sausage sizzle in the 'Kota' around the cosy fire while outside it was snowing. Toto loved it and kept watch, barking at anything that might threaten us.

This morning we woke to a beautiful white winter wonderland.

Seppo spent the morning on the cross-country ski lanes, and Barry was feeling a bit under the weather so Tiina and I went shopping!

It is true that it is always Christmas in Lapland. I found enough Christmas decorations to put my sister Bernie to shame.

  

  

 

 

 

We stopped for a coffee at a really cute café, and spent the afternoon watching a Finnish movie; ‘Mystery of the Wolf’. We met the adult Wolf at the Husky park who was featured in the film as a wee pup.

  

 

'Mystery of the wolf'

We finished the day with a lovely walk in the late afternoon sun and then a Sauna.

Snow shoes and nakedness

Two new experiences for me today. This morning Tiina and I went for a walk on the snow in snowshoes. Occasionally these sunk into the snow showing just how deep it was and how impossible it would be to walk without the shoes. These shoes allowed us to take a path over the snow instead of having to stay on the road or established pathways.

Walking on top of deep snow

Tiina leads the way

Miles and miles of snow

Toto lets Tiina join him on his mountain

We then went to see 'Samiland', an exhibition of the Sami people. Very interesting. There were many correlations between the Sami people and the Maori of New Zealand and the Aboriginies of Australia, especially in how they were treated by the new people of the country. Now there is a UNESCO world heritage programme designed to preserved the culture (as well as Maori, Aboriginal, red Indian, etc....). The exhibition included an outdoor display of Sami huts, and some live deer.
A bit of trivia; J.R.R. Tolkien, author of 'The Hobbit', and 'The Lord of the Rings' based some of his writings (legendarium) and languages on the Sami people and the Finnish language.

Nomad Sami people around 1880

Deer

Coffee in the cafe afterwards with a panoramic view

So of course I had to play - this is a 'miniature' effect - camera setting. Cool huh!

We had pizza for lunch at a very authentic Italian restaurant

The naked bit

We went to a spa. This was a fairly new experience for Barry and I as we soon found out that this meant we had to strip naked and shower ourselves in a communal shower, then sit in a very hot communal sauna, and shower again before putting our togs on and entering the pool area. When I say communal, I mean among our own sex, so it was woman only in our area. This is the usual way in Finland. Not so for us in New Zealand unless you belong to a nudist club, so I was a bit unnerved at first. Funny though, before long I felt quite comfortable.

The pools were something else. They were a mixture of varying temperatures and included automatic jets that literally pummeled you. Talk about massage! There was also a fun slide, and a freezing dip pool next to a very hot pool. We all used this. Barry lasted about 0001% of a second before leaping out and refusing to go back in. Tiina, Seppo, and I all dipped in and out three times and stayed in for the recommended 20 seconds the last time. It was so cold it physically hurt but felt amazing when going back into the hot water. Every part of the body tingled.

By the time we had another naked shower, Sauna, and final shower I was the cleanest I had ever been and completely relaxed and rejuvenated. It was excellent.

We are back at the little place we are staying in. Perhaps we won't have a sauna tonight but we are about to have sausages roasted around the fire-pit for supper. And its snowing outside. 

Toto enjoying the snow. The little hut in the background is where we roast our sausages.

Levi ski resort

Another spectacular day in Lapland. Today was a pristine, windless, blue sky, sunny day and Tiina and Seppo suggested we do our 'downhill' skiing today. They were doing different things. Seppo went out and covered around 35km of cross-country skiiing and Tiina walked Toto, and cooked up a magnificent feast of traditional Lappish food for us all.
Tiina dropped us off to the Levi ski resort, and Barry and I had an absolutely magical day on the slopes. Well at least we did when we finally found the 'easy' slopes. Before that we were freaked out by what looked like near on vertical cliff faces that people seemed to face without the slightest hesitation.
I was on beginner skis but it still took us half the day to remember everything from the last one-day-a-year skiing trip we did, so that we could actually make it down this easy 2km slope in one piece (and trying to ignore the toddlers on skis whizzing past us).
So it was up down up down all day. The views were spectacular and it being a week day, end of the season, and not a holiday, there were no queues and barely any wait time. Magnificent day.

Taking the gondola to the top

The view looking back

Top of the mountain

Half way down

Mountain huts

Toto - he's a Finnish Lapphund and loves the snow. He is absolutely beautiful. I wish we could take him home but Tiina says NO!

Barry having a Sauna. We have one every night. Check out the temperature gauge on the window sill. This house is rented and Tiina assures me, she and Seppo have nothing to do with the decor!