Summer in Lapland and the Midnight Sun

Have you ever heard about the Midnight Sun? It's a phenomenon  that occurs in the proximity of the Arctic and Antarctic circle  where the sun does not set at night.  Is the contrast to the polar nights, where the sun keeps hidden below the horizon.  Sounds like magic? It feels like it.

Source: St.Lapland's Facebook

Lapland is situated on the Arctic circle and enjoys both periods. The Midnight Sun happens during the summer months,  while the Polar Nights take place during winter.

The Midnight sun allows you to enjoy incredibly long sunsets observing the sun coming down until the horizon but staying there during the night. This gives Lapland endless days and light to enjoy the nature, or summer festivals as the Midnight Sun Film Festival.

In Ruka-Kuusamo we celebrate the beginning of the summer period as well! In the Ruka and Kuusamo Midsummer fest you can enjoy traditional Finnish music or dance all night long!

But for those who prefer the relaxation of our landscapes and the wildlife, there is plenty to do as well. The Midnight Sun period is perfect for wildlife watching. The constant light helps to spot the Moose or the Bear, and the nature is just so alive that you will feel like in the middle of nowhere : just the nature and you.

Source: Karhukuusamo.com

If you would like to experience we have a large catalogue for summer holidays in Lapland, just visit our website!

The Midnight Sun is coming, are you going to miss it?

St. Lapland Team.

Äitienpäivä or Mother's Day in Finland

Next Sunday will be a special day for many women in Finland. The second Sunday of May is celebrated in Finland the Mother's Day, or in Finnish, Äitienpäivä. It was in the late 1920's when the day was declared official.
To celebrate this day mothers receive normally flowers and lovely hand-made cards from their children. It is also common that the mother gets breakfast in bed, with coffee and fresh pulla pastries, o even home-made cake.

Source:The Fresh Loaf

This day is as well, since 1947, official flag day. In Finland there is some holidays when Finnish flags are displayed at least in the public buildings. It is common that many individuals raise the flags too in many of these days. Some known days when the flags are raised are Mother's Day, the day of the Kalevala (also celebrated as the day of the Finnish Culture) and the Labour day, Vappu.
There is some unofficial flag days as well that because of popular tradition display the flag, such as the father's day.

Would you like to celebrate the Mother's day with us? Give your mother an unforgeattable experience in Lapland!

St. Lapland Team

St. Lapland is on Twitter now!

Picture source: Twitter.com

We in St.Lapland do not only offer unforgettable experiences in Kuusamo, we also like to share them!
Because of it St.Lapland has increase its influence in the web by joining Twitter.
Connect with us in Twitter to share your experiences during your holidays in Lapland, your pictures with the huskyes in winter or with the midnight sun in summer! Don't be shy and ask us for any doubts you may have, we're here to respond.
Don't forget we also have a Facebook where we share unique pictures and try to bring Kuusamo and Lapland closer to you.

Would you like to share anything with us?

Follow us in Twitter and become fan in Facebook!

And don't forget that Lapland will always welcome you with a smile :)


St. Lapland Team

The Finnish Sauna

When people ask me what do I love the most in Finland, I have three words to say: “Revontulet” (or Northern lights), “Pulla” (typical Finnish pastries) and “Sauna”. Of course I definitely love the stunning beauty of Lapland´s different seasons, mostly winter, plenty, plenty of snow, and many other things, but those 3 small details always make my day.

People, especially Finnish, are very shocked when I say I love sauna, because I come from a very warm place (Barcelona!) where the last thing you would think about is to get into a closed hot room. If you want to sweat, you just have to wait for summer and you will sweat every minute of the day and night. But sauna is different. Sauna is not about sweating, is a place to rest your body and your spirit. It is a tradition in Finland, every home has a sauna and from children to grandparents, everybody uses it.

It is important, nonetheless, always to take some precautions: you need fresh water close to don’t dehydrate yourself; if you feel it’s starting to become hard for you to stay on the sauna, go out and refresh a bit if you will stay longer; and don’t do any efforts inside, just relax.

To be honest, the first sauna is often overwhelming. It is hard to stay in such a hot and small place, especially for not very open minded people. But you should not give up, no way! Because when you get used to it, it becomes the best part of the day, you feel how your muscles relax and your skin is cleaned and you just let your mind fly away somewhere. Be careful, because sometimes it flies so away you can fall sleep! But, afterwards, you really feel like heaven.

Traditionally Finns have some branches of young birch tied together in a whisk they call “vasta” that use to hit gently on the skin. It helps the skin to “open” and be better cleaned. Personally I have never used one of those, but what I love to do while saunabathing is something most people think is crazy: I just LOVE to run to the snow and jump on it and then return fast to the sauna. Believe me when I say it feels great!


There is something more which is traditional for Finns and that most of the foreigners can’t really do. Finnish people go to the sauna naked, because it is place to clean your body and spirit, where nothing else matters. I’ve been living quite a long time on a dormitory where there was only international students, and most of them could not “deal with it”, and keep going with swimsuit and feel embarrassed to look at the rest of the people. In that cases I use a Spanish idiom that says “Allá dónde fueres, haz lo que vieres”, what means you have to embrace the culture of the places you visit, so in that case, don’t feel any shame!

Ester

Pictures are from Isokenkäisten Klubi, a place with five saunas, one of them a smoke sauna and one a lake side sauna, the rest electric saunas.

Sauna – The Essence of Finland

This is not only a title of a book by Keijo Taskinen (published Kirjakaari, 2011), it is the truth about Finnish sauna. Us Finns have a very special relationship to the sauna. It is a weekly routine, but also a place to retreat to and find peace of mind and physical relaxation and wellbeing. For us the sauna just needs to be hot, we know just how to enjoy the heat and the silence. A wood heated sauna has the sound of burning fire and that is very relaxing…

The book “Sauna – The Essence of Finland” presents the Finnish Sauna with its meanings and traditions and makes it understandable to foreigners. Sauna is Finnish Wellbeing, but it is by no means a spa experience. In the book our strange and very strong connection to the sauna is well described, in words and with pictures. There are for sure many surprising things you will learn about Finnish Sauna, e.g. that even dogs love it, there are concerts held in a sauna and that the sauna tradition includes also the things you do after the sauna.

Another fascinating thing is that a sauna is not a fixed, defined space, there are many, many different saunas in Finland. The mother of all saunas is the smoke sauna, the most traditional one, these exist since “the beginning of times”. Finns living abroad miss the sauna and I have heard about a tent sauna being put up on a beach in Thailand as well as in a suburb in South Africa. We are also very good at reinventing the sauna, time and again. The ice saunas have become quite popular and it is a surreal experience to have a hot bath in a building made of cold crystal clear ice.

Picture is from Isokenkäisten Klubi Seven Stars Smoke Sauna
The Finnish Sauna is a way too wide and important thing to write only one entry about. Therefore we will share a series of sauna experiences with you, reflecting on how Finns and foreigners feel about the sauna. You are most welcome to share your sauna experiences and thoughts, comment and ask questions!

Feeling like a queen in the middle of the forest

There is a place in Ruka where luxury and traditional Finnish nature collide. Chalets with all the facilities you can ask for and more but only a few steps from the unspoiled forest. And this place has a name, of course: Rukan Salonki.

First time I was there I was guiding a group of tourist, so I didn’t really have the time to enjoy the surrounding. That’s why I convinced some friends and we went there to spend a few days in those chalets.

When I told them about the chalets, they were very suspicious, and it was understandable! What would you think if I tell you to spend some days in a chalet with sauna, many bathrooms, kitchen, TV, living room, Internet connection… and especially after seeing pictures of the place, where everything is wooden and the decoration makes it cozy but still impressive? For sure you would think it would be too expensive, so my friends did! But high-quality doesn’t mean exorbitant prices. If it was like that, how a group of young people and students as my friends could enjoy those facilities?


I prepared a program where we could always have time on the evening to relax and enjoy the chalet and the surrounding, because they are worth it. The first impression my friends had when arriving to the chalets was a homogeneous “woow”. They started looking around amazed; they could believe that chalet was ours for a few days. “Look, there is a fire-place! And look at the TV! Have you seen the rooms? And there is even sauna! This is awesome!” – they were saying all the time.


That first night, when everyone was more exited and had plenty of energy, we took some kick sledges that were next to the chalet and started exploring around. Of course we had the hope to see northern lights, because the resort is far enough to spot them without light-pollution interruption, but we weren’t lucky that night. Anyway, we had lots of fun with the kick-sledges and the feeling of freedom the place gave us, like if we were really far from any civilization.
After that, we had to warm ourselves, so what’s better than our own sauna in the chalet? Afterwards we were so relaxed that fall sleep immediately until the next morning.


The next morning we had breakfast in the restaurant that is the centre of the resort, Kultala, and we enjoyed a buffet with homemade bread, jam, coffee, tea, chocolate, cookies, cornflakes, ham… whatever we needed for a new day. Later that day, when we came back in the evening after a day outdoors I had prepared a surprise for my friends. When we arrive into the chalet again I told them “take your towels and follow me! No questions allowed!”. They were surprised, but they know me well enough to trust I would bring them something nice. But this time they didn’t even imagined what I was going to show them. An ice sauna! Sounds strange, I know, but it is true. A sauna built of the ice.


We had that amazing experience together and then we decided to have dinner on Kultala, since I told them the food was good and they could see that at breakfast. The menu was some reindeer rolled with vegetables, salad, soup, homemade bread and a sweet dessert with berries. Everything was great!

The last evening we decided to take some snowshoes and walk around hunting for northern lights, enjoying the nature and the beautiful Lappish sky (for me is always awesome with so many millions of stars). Since it was our last night there, after a sauna (it is always very pleasant after a day outdoors), we watched a film on the big screen we had on the chalet while some of my friends connected to the Internet to share those days we spent.

The next morning we had again a delicious breakfast at the cozy restaurant Kultala and spend some time playing with the snow and the sledges on the ice slope they had next to the lake until our transportation came. A friend of mine who loves photography took incredible pictures of the area with the day light and then, once home, we compared with the ones she was taking at night time, and they looked so different it didn’t seemed the same place. At the end, after all the experiences they told me “You were right, that place definitely worth it”.

Ester

Fisherman’s Friends & Fisherman's Delicacy Buffet

On one of my trips while guiding was to a fisherman’s village. Even if you don’t like fishing, you would like this programme.

We step out from the bus and were by a huge completely frozen lake. A cozy “kota” was nearby and the fishermen were already waiting for us. They all were very excited and smiling, what surprised me, how can someone love so much fishing? After introducing themselves, we put our way out to the lake. Most of the people were quite worried, maybe even a bit scared, because they had never seen such a big frozen lake, and they were not sure about stepping on the ice. Then Tuomo, the owner of the place, standing on the frozen lake asked the children “who wants to go on a snowmobile?”. The children of course ran to him, into the middle of the lake, while all the parents held their breath... I thought it was a very good strategy, because then everybody saw it was completely safe to go on the ice.


We walked some meters, leaving the “kota” behind, and we stopped next to a kind of stick standing on the middle of the lake. Tuomo explained us it was an important part of the ice-fishing, because it points you where you made the hole, and so also prevents anyone to fall in there by accident. Then he started explaining how the ice-fishing is done, asking always volunteers to help him. At the beginning the people were not sure to be so close to the hole, but later everybody wanted to help. We had some nice catch with the net, and then it was time to try the individual ice-fishing.

We could make a hole on the ice and then sit by it and try to catch something with a rod. He said the most important thing was the patience, that sometimes you could stay there for hours and get nothing, but that was what Finns love: the calm and the silence, where they could just relax and think. And be happy even when not catching any fish for hours… We were very lucky with that, because one of the children was very excited about it and following every single word Tuomo said during all the activity, and so he sat by a hole and waited there completely quiet and doing exactly as Tuomo said. And this gave him a prize! He caught a fish, but he was so surprised when it pulled the rod that he let it go. Nevertheless, Tuomo was not angry and we all laughed at the situation.


After the fishing experience, we came back to the kota and it came out it was the restaurant Tuomo and her wife run. It was a very traditional Lappish kota, with the fireplace on the middle and the tables around. Everybody whispered “hmmm!” once we felt the smell of the food and the warm of the kota after our fishing time. Tuomo explained his wife is in charge of the restaurant, cooking with her own traditional receipts, and always served the fish that lake gave. It was really surprising they could get so much fish from the lake, especially because all the fishing was done in a very traditional way. How many hours they would spend fishing? Definitely, they had to love it.

The lunch was a very diverse buffet with all kind of fish prepared in many different ways, different kind of potatoes, salads, vegetables, house-made bread, berry juice and delicious sweet desserts. I’ve never liked fish very much (my mother was always complaining I only liked one kind of and always cooked the same way) but I tried everything in the buffet because everything looked delicious, and I’ll never regret tasting all of it! Everything tasted so nice taste I had to take more!

Many people was asking about the decoration inside of the kota, from wooden sculptures to reindeer and elk horns, and Tuomo was kindly explaining the story behind all of them, always smiling. I really felt like home at that restaurant.

But it is not possible to stay there forever, so when it was time to leave and we step into the bus again, Tuomo and all the rest of the workers went out to say goodbye while the bus was driving away.

Ester

You can find Fisherman's Friends in our Winter Fun! programs and Fisherman's Delicacy Buffet in our Countryside Restaruants selection.

Northern Lights - the heavenly fire

Northern Lights are the highlight for most Lapland visitors – and us locals we are mezmerized by them every time. They are the source of many myths and legends and brighten up a dark winter sky quite often… and touch a very soft spot in you.

Ester has been out hunting Northern Lights a few nights, here her story:


There is one thing in Lapland that makes everyone fall in love with it. It is a magic phenomenom only happening in special places in a special time. I’m talking about the Northern Lights.
The sight of the Auroras Borealis (another name for the Northern Lights) is one of the most beautiful natural phenomenoms you can imagine. The lighting colors on the ski, moving as if they were waves, making you feel part of something mystical.

But there is a small problem: the Northern lights are whimsical. There are three things you have to follow if you want to see them. First, you need a dark place. City lights and other light polution can trick your eyes and hide the Northern Lights. Second, a clear sky. Clouds will interfere your vision. And third, and maybe the most important, luck. To be at the right place at the right time. Nevertheless, this winter they are being really active, so it’s a good chance to try!

The better way to try to see the Auroras Borealis is by a night safari. There are several activities around the Northern Lights hunting and all of them are prepared to have the ideal conditions. For example, a great safari which allowed me to see the Northern Lights was a visit to a reindeer farm at night. It started when we reached the farm, were the owners welcomed us warmly. We took part in a Lappish ceremony based on traditional Sámi-people Shaman’s myths and stories. The Sámi are the Lappish natives who traditionally started working with reindeers. They also explained a lot of interesting thing about reindeers and how the herdering is a way of life of many inhabitants in Lapland. After all this information while warming up, was time to start the safari.


We step into a one-reindeer pulled sleigh in couples. It is a perfect place to be with someone special :) The safari starts going deeply into the middle of the nature. You enjoy the special sound of the forests at night while looking at the sky exited to see the Auroras. Meanwhile I was thinking about all the people that used to travel on reindeer sleigh always, when it was the only way of moving through Lapland in winter time. Then suddenly, I saw them: the Northern Lights. It was a breathtaking sight: a huge wave of green and blue colors, brigthening on the open sky, moving as if the blowing breeze affected them. Those were ones of the longest and stunning Auroras I’ve ever seen. When the safari was finnished, we got into a Kota and had some hot drinks while explaining many stories about the Northern Lights, making the night unforgettable.

Another safari that gave me the opportunity of enjoying the phenomenom was in a kick-sled. It was a very funny night, because it was my first time using one of them. It started in a small resort in the middle wilderness, far from any city lights. After some information about the Auroras and a movie, was time to go hunting for them! The nature surrounding the place was as stunning as always and the sky was clear (hoorray!). We started our small adventure by the kick-sledges, having a lot of fun with it, until we reach a special place to stop. Once there, we drinked some hot chocolate (it tastes even better after some exercise and with the coldness around you) while getting through some nice stories. When we were starting to come back, with the feeling to had a good night even if we didn’t saw the Northern Lights, someone called out loud to look at the sky and, can you guess? Green waves of brighten colors were dancing above our heads. “A perfect night”, I thought.


The last, but not least, experience I want to share with you was a night in a snowmobile safari were, even if I couldn’t spot the Auroras, I had a great time.
This special snowmobile safari is a drive through the night in one of those amazing engines. Can be that I’m influenced by my love to motorbikes, but even the most scared people always enjoys the ride from the beginning to the end. We got into the forest, driving away from the city, to have a break by a campfire. I already told you I didn’t saw the Northern Lights that day, but the Lappish sky, when you’re in the middle of nowhere, is just amazing. You can’t figure out how many millions of stars are shinning just above you. I was born in a big city, where spoting one star on the sky is impossible, but even going to the mountains I couldn’t see as many stars as I see in my nights in Lapland. Moreover, that night there was fullmoon, big, round and bright, leading the sky.


When people tell me I’m just crazy to live here I just have to remind all these magical moments to smile and remember why I love Lapland.

And for those who have not yet seen the amazing video by Visit Finland, you find it HERE!
Enjoy! And it is even more spectacular live

A day with huskies

Our spanish guide and work trainee Ester got inspired to write about A day with huskies.

I love it everytime and it is not something hard to understand, because not everyday you can be a musher!

A couple of days ago I was at a Husky Farm. It wasn´t my very first time, but it always feels like it is. When you’re approaching the centre of the farm you see dozens of dogs, jumping and barking excited to see some visitors. It is comprehensible, because they know it means they’re going to run, and that’s what they are living for: they love running on the snow, as if they were wolfs.


It is hard to stay calm while the guides are explaining the safety instructions, because you hear nonstop barking around you and above all - you are as excited as the dogs to get started! I remember when I was there for my first time and how some people was whispering “I can’t do it, seems too difficult! I’m gonna fall, sure!”. If you want and advice: don’t even think about it. Everyone who has followed the given safety instructions can do it (ok, maybe you can’t take part in a 500km race, but you can ride the sleigh without any problems on a guided Safari).


After that, the time starts to run fast because the adventure is beginning! You step into a six dogs sleigh, while they are already jumping trying to run, and when everybody is ready, the magic begins. The sleigh is untied and at the wink of an eye, you’re on the middle of a snow path driving the dog’s team.

It is unbelivable how in a second the nonstoping barking has become silence. If the dogs don’t hypnotize you completely, you should take a look around. The landscapes and scenery will definitely transport you into another world, where everything seems to be still in a time gone by. Untouched nature without any sight of human placements, snow and trees surrounding you, and the only sound you can hear is the the sleigh on the snow.


And it is then, in the middle of your trance, when you stop at an idyllic location in the forest. When the smell of food arrives to you, you realize how hungry you are! It’s time to relax and let the dogs rest, it is time to have lunch. Maybe I love food too much, but the meal was delicious! A very typical Finnish dish of elk meatballs and potatos with a creamy sauce, and at the end, a sweet dessert of berries picked from the surrounding forests. The fireplace in the middle of the room, as on the Lappish Kotas, makes the atmosphere warm and friendly, the perfect place to relax.


After this relaxing break is time to come back to your musher mode. I always share some minutes with my dogs before starting again, I want them to know me and to be sure they’re ready for the next ride. They are always up for some pats and cuddles! Then, once more, you’re in the middle of the stunning Lappish nature with only your dogs and the silence as only company.

When the safari is over you can’t believe you have been driving for hours! You really want to stay on the sleigh and run through the nature until your body says “stop”. But for animal lovers as me, this is maybe the best part: you can stroke and hug every single dog now! On this farm they were about 200 dogs, what of course made impossible the mission of stroking all of them, but I still could play and hug many,many dogs, including a couple of lovely playful puppies!




















When is time to go back home I always feel in the hurry to beg to the owner to let me live there, with the dogs, still if it sounds ridiculous (maybe that’s why at the end I never ask). But even if I can’t stay there forever, I’m always sure about one thing: I’ll be back, soon or later, and I’ll enjoy again the adventure as if it was the first time.

Ester

Travel - a source of inspiration

It is once again that time of the year when thousands of Finns are eagerly planning a holiday abroad to espace the dark, long Finnish winter. They are inspired by the mere thoughts of sandy beaches, swimming pools and hot, sun-filled days as far from the North as possible...

Embrace the winter I say! Instead of escape, just appreciate the Norhern nature and all it has to offer during the winter months. Why travel far, when all you need is so near? I love the Finnish winter – especially in Lapland where the magic is just about to happen again. When the first snow falls, everything changes overnight. Nature – it seems – is suddenly covered in millions of snowy crystals glistening under the stars. Northern Lights dance in the sky with colours of green, blue and red, creating a visual feast for the senses. Temperatures start to drop and the air is crisp and clear. After enjoying a refreshing walk outside it is time to retreat to a comfy couch under a blanket, with a cup of hot tea and candles lit. In the mornings the subtle darkness wraps around you like a comforting hug until the daylight appears uncovering yet another kind of beauty. Forests and fells are covered in white and trees seem to sway under the weight of the powdery snow. You can see impressions in the snow... was it maybe a hare or a fox who made their way into the wilderness.

The sun appears slowly, colouring the horizon in shades of pinks and blues. This is the perfect time to try some of the fun outdoor activities; cross-country skiing, snowmobiling or an exhilirating sledge ride with huskies and reindeer. The key to enjoy the activities is to dress warmly... in Lapland it’s not about looking good but feeling warm.

And after a day of fun activities, it’s time to relax your body and soul. Sauna has been warming up and awaits to soothen your tired muscles. The gentle steam and scent of wood nourish the soul. Clear your mind and you’ll emerge from the sauna as a new person. Afterwards, a plentiful serving of local delicacies and drinks is the way to go. As the temperature drops even lower with the moon and stars filling the nothern sky, it’s time to sleep. There is nothing quite like climbing into the bed and under warm covers with the blissful darkness guarding your sleep. Let the winds and snow blow outside. Maybe in the silence of the night you hear the distant cries of a wolf.

It is these small, unhurried moments which make you appreciate the simple things in life. I, as a Finn, love those moments and can only imagine what they would feel like for a first-timer - a traveler who comes from a busy, hectic environment and is in need of a slower way of life...

Have I painted a picture to your liking? Why not plan your own northern winter holiday right away. Experience the magic of winter firsthand and fall in love with the North. Visit us at www.stlapland.fi to get ideas and to create your own wish list for a holiday of a lifetime. Come and visit us in Lapland - we’ll surely make a new friend in you!

Henna

Pyhä Unplugged, sweet tones swirling towards the August sky

Here in the north we make sure to enjoy the summer months in as many ways as possible. We enjoy the great outdoors so much, that we bring life outdoors, do everything outdoors – eat, play and sleep. Culture is brought outdoors too.

This summer I was invited to Pyhä Unplugged, it is a half-acoustic music festival held in the great landscapes of Pyhätunturi fell. The event is organized by Pyhä Ski Resort and every year a great selection of best Finnish artists to Pyhä is gathered. So I was truly looking forward to a fun and relaxing weekend with good music!

The main attraction is the concerts in Aittakuru gorge, an open-air amphitheathre amidst magnificent nature. The second day of my stay in Pyhä I went to the afternoon concert which was started by Johanna Rusanen, a Finnish Opera singer. She entertained us with a potpourri of movie music. Her first song was a tender, tender love song “Sua vain yli kaiken mä rakastan” (I love you above everything). The acoustics in Aitakuru is incredible. As Johanna’s magnificent voice filled the gorge I got the chills and was totally absorbed by the moment. The setting in the midst of nature that is as tender as the song, yet rough and rocky as love and life can be. The fresh air, the sunshine of an August afternoon, the beautiful music – words are not enough to describe this experience. Tears, smiles, you truly stop to listen, to see and understand the beauty of nature, love and life.

Johanna continued taking us through the decades of movie music, mostly domestic, but some international tones too. In the middle of the concert, as I was sitting there gazing up towards the ridge of the gorge I saw some reindeer strolling up there. Wonder if they were there for the music too…

Applause brought on an encore and there could not have been a more perfect encore. The beautiful tones of the Titanic swirled up towards the August sky, dissolving into the grand nature, spreading emotions and pleasure on their way. How will I manage one whole year until the next time in Aittakuru? Luckily, I learnt that there is a Pyhä Unplugged Winter too.

Berries, berries everywhere I look!

I look at my watch before taking off from home on my bike. It is 8:47 on a Tuesday morning. Sunny, lovely and summerlike. I bike away to the local market place; it is only a few minutes ride away from my home. I can already feel the sweet, fresh taste, the lovely smell… of fresh strawberries, picked this morning. This is the best thing with summer – fresh strawberries. Here, in the land of the midnight sun the growth period is short but intense. When the berries grow, they grow 24 hours per day. I cannot seem to get enough of strawberries in the summer, I have at least one liter per day. Most certainly I buy as many liters as my co-citizens who freeze a lot of berries to last until next berry season. Mine never make it to the freezer.

We are spoilt with the clean and pure nature and environment here in the north. I think sometimes we do not realize how lucky we are, it is totally OK to eat blueberries from the forest, to pick wild mushrooms and berries. There are a lot of superfoods in our forests and luckily Finns are quite good in taking care of it. Probably the long winter has taught us to preserve the flavours and vitamins of the summer sun to be enjoyed during the cold winter months.

This brings my thoughts back to the first time I was served Crème Brûlé with berries at Restaurant Ukonkivi. There were some blueberries and some raspberries on top of the picture perfect and well known desert. They seemed fresh, but it was in the middle of winter and imported or cultivated berries do not have this kind of flavor. Later I asked the restaurant keeper, Heikki, what is the secret with the berries. He told me they are wild raspberries, they grow at the back of his garden and he handpicks them, freezes gently and takes up just the right amount for desert. Amazing, I thought. A restaurant owner who picks all the berries served in his restaurant. What a job, it is a lot of berries! No, but it is a hobby, so it does not even feel like work, Heikki explains.

Another berry-story is hidden in the desert of Forest Restaurant Huilinki. The berries are marinated in a light syrup, just the right amount of sugar to take off the sourness of the lingonberries and cranberries. Handpicked by the restaurant owners Hannu and Tellervo. “Well, they grow just there outside our home”; Tellervo laughed. Last fall I stayed in one of the cabins of LomaLopotti, that is on the premises of Forest Restaurant Huilinki and learnt mushrooms really grow in plentiful around the cabins. It was a dream to pick mushrooms, go indoors and prepare a delicious soup.

But it is not yet mushroom time, it is time to enjoy some tastes of summer. Back home with my daily portion of sunshine and vitamins, I sit down in my hammock and tuck in. There is not a better flavor than a sunwarm strawberry, picked this morning.

On the roads of Lapland

I was driving home one late one summer night, listening to the radio, happy that it was not as hot as during the day anymore, as my old car does not have air conditioning. I was driving a route that I quite often drive, so was not paying much attention to the surroundings, rather keeping my eyes on the road and trying not to speed too much. It is hard to keep to the limits on an empty road.

On this route there is a place where the road crosses a lake on its narrowest point; the large lake opens up on both sides of the road. Here I normally throw a glance on the landscape, as it is a very beautiful place. This particular night I had to stop. The sun was kind of setting the way it does late July, it hangs there just by the horizon and throws amazing golden and pastel colors on the landscape. This night there were some dark clouds that added some drama to the view – breathtaking. I got out of the car and took in this scenery with all senses. It was so silent and still, the lake was like a mirror and the night air fresh and smelled of pine forest. You could feel it had been a warm day and also that tomorrow would be warm. The cooler nights are a blessing on a hot summer like this one.

I was so taken by the scenery, that I did not even take a photo. But it looked very much like our main picture, which is taken on another shore of the same lake (Lake Kitka); just use your imagination to add the few dark clouds and some dramatic light effects.

I continued driving. On moments like this I can fully understand why travelers prefer to do Finland on fly & drive basis in the summer. Drive from town to town or cottage to cottage. Plan everything in advance or do a real road trip and take it as it comes. Traffic is non-existent compared to Central Europe and the roads are fine throughout the country. And like just stated; the landscapes are beautiful!

There are hazards on our roads too - the wildlife. Mostly reindeer come up on the roads and they can move around in herds, so this is what you are up against (picture taken by a friend of mine who drives the same route as I do just as often as I do):

I find the mighty elk scary when sighted from a car. Last summer I was driving late at night on this same route I had an encounter with an elk. It was by a large swamp, it was a bit foggy from the ground, as it gets when the air cools down at night and the moist swamp is warmer and evaporates. There he was, standing tall and mighty in the fog. Luckily he stayed there, as that is a huge animal and I am happy as long as they are not on the same roads as I am. That would also have been a photo-perfect moment; I have to start making photo stops to capture these moments when driving on the roads here in Lapland.

Among others, these European tour operators organize fly & drive tours to Lapland:

Voigt Travel, The Netherlands

fintouring, Germany

Kontiki Saga Reisen, Switzerland

Catai, Spain

A Finnish Summer Dream: Mökki

I turn my car up the gravel road, there are the familiar sounds of the wheels when accelerating a little – not too much as there are some bumps on the road. I am just leaving my “mökki” and returning back home. Mökki is cottage in Finnish, often us Finns automatically understand lakeside cottage under mökki. I would have loved to stay longer. Days at the mökki are spent sunbathing on the jetty, rowing on the lake, heating the sauna, bathing and swimming in the lake. Morning joga-stretching on the verandah. Enjoying the stunning summer nights from the verandah and the peace and quiet that surrounds you. Here, at my mökki, my soul truly rests and even though it is sad to leave, I leave with reloaded batteries.

Urbanization is a fairly recent feature in Finland. Only fifty years ago, most Finns lived in the countryside. Today, most Finns live in cities and towns, and very many have a cottage in the countryside. There are half a million cottages to where Finns escape city life every weekend and for a longer time in the summer. At the cottage, life is always good. Sauna, freshly caught fish grilled by the camp fire and peace and quiet is pretty much all Finns need at the cottage. We dress in “cottage clothes” that are old and faded, very but comfortable. I have to smile when thinking back of the outfits I have been wearing the past days… Well, soon holidays are over and it is power suits and high heels again. I bet I will be thinking back at the very comfortable combination of woolen socks and Crocs after walking a day in heels. Or my all time favourite, a faded and stretched out giant t-shirt right from the 80’s.

As I get further and further away from my cottage I ask myself can anyone understand the importance of a mökki for a Finn? Can non-Finns relax as well as us in a simple cottage in a stunning location? Do others also appreciate the peace and quiet and most importantly: do they share our strange love for old and faded cottage clothes? The drive home will take a while and I have my phone equipped with headset, so I might just as well find out.

I call my German friend. He is a Finland fan and I know he has been renting a cottage in Finland once. It is to be stated, that he enjoys exactly the same things as I do at the cottage. Except for the clothes-thing, which he cannot understand. And the sauna is not heated daily, but several times in a week, however. In my thoughts I also go back in time to the years I lived in Switzerland and worked in the travel industry. Several Swiss tour operators offered rental cottages and as far as I know, the demand has been increasing through the years. As I have time, I call a friend in London. She is a true city-girl, but says she dream of a retreat to a place where beautiful nature surrounds her and she can “just be”. I do not even ask her about the clothes, as I know she would look chic in the midst of a forest…

The fact that there are no close neighbours, that the cottage is directly by a pure-watered lake and the beauty and tranquility of nature are the desired things on a cottage holiday. You need a car to get to the cottages and Finland is easy to travel in thanks to the lack of traffic and still we enjoy a safe country with low rates in crime. Perfect setting and circumstances for a cottage retreat!

Luckily there are numerous rental cottages in Finland, this makes the Finnish Summer Dream into reality for many and many Finns and non-Finns every year.

Have a look at some rental cottages:

Ollilan Lomamajat

LomaLopotti

Rukan Salonki

Isokenkäisten Klubi

Oivangin Lomakartano

One of the largest selection of cottages in the whole country is found on the website of Wild North.

Santa has been spotted in Kuusamo!

You can believe I was amazed when I saw Santa sitting by the shores of Lake Vuotunki as I was out rowing on a sunny summer afternoon. There he was, the great man himself. Just enjoying the beautiful summer’s day, bathing his feet in the lake. I just had to row a shore to have a chat with him. How do you address such an important person, is he for real?

Well, as soon as Santa sighted me, he started chatting. Saying he came out here to relax a while. His cottage is here and we all know cottages are perfect places to relax at. Santa was holding a fishing pole

- Any catch today, Santa? I asked

- It is not the catch that is important, it is the excuse to sit here and enjoy the afternoon. Santa replied, lifting the line out of the water… there was no bait on the hook, so fishing was not really on his mind.

I sat down close to Santa and asked him how he is enjoying the summer, must be lovely to have some holidays after the busy Christmas season?

- We are quite busy in the summer time, the toy workshops run on full speed. Some elves have been sent out to the world to research on what kind of toys and gifts the children will want this year. We also do a lot of planning, how to make it to all the homes in time. So a moment here by the lake is just perfect to relax…

We sat there chatting for a while, the great man and me. One thing that Santa does not miss in the summer is making the sauna “vastas”, the small bunches of birch twigs that are used in the sauna throughout the year. In the summer when the leaves are new and soft, we make the “vastas” for the coming winter. They are dried; some people prefer to freeze them. In the coldest time of winter we can have a breeze of summer when a dried or frozen vasta is softened in hot water in the sauna.

Then I continued my rowing over the lake and left Santa to enjoy the beauty of the northern summer.

Arctic Flavours

When travelling, one way to experience a destination and a culture is through food and culinary experiences. Often we do it kind of without noticing, one must eat everyday and when travelling most people prefer to try the local cuisine. What more accessible way is there to learn about a culture than how its people satisfy and glorify a basic human need?

Food culture tells a lot about the people, the rhythm of everyday life and traditions. Not only the food itself is interesting, also how it is eaten: is having dinner a social event, do people have one main meal of the day or several small meals, a warm meal or a cold one – all these things shape the daily life of people in the destination you are travelling in.

One of the main features of Finnish food is pure flavours. Our food traditions root in the nature and still today our fresh forests and clean waterways are an inspiration for chefs – professional as well as passionate hobby chefs.

I meet Jarmo Pikänen at his restaurant, Studio Restaurant Tundra. I am here to plan the launch of our new product, a five day culinary break in Lapland. The programme is an excursion into northern cuisine and starts by acquiring the needed ingredients. During the stay the guests have seven gourmet meals prepared from the best local ingredients in season. There is also a hands-on cooking experience together with Jarmo.

The demanding arctic climate of the north makes the produce of waters and forests tasty and intense in flavor. Our culinary break will run all year around and the programme varies according to the season. In the summer and fall one of the highlights will for sure be to find and pick ingredients from the nature. As these goodies are under a thick cover of snow in the winter time, we then focus on getting familiar with the traditions of reindeer herding and the production of reindeer meat. Fish is available throughout the year and fresh fish plays a big role in the northern cuisine. The traditions and delicacies from fresh fish will be presented in Restaurant Juomuskota.

Jarmo tells me about the wild herbs that are in season now. Jarmo has prepared a salad of wild herbs, a symphony of fresh and intense flavours, taking my mind out to the fields and forests... Nettle, Lady’s Mantle and Dandelion. With the salad Jarmo serves smoked whitefish, a true Finnish summer classic. Soon the berries will be in season and later my personal favourite: the mushrooms. I just love to go mushroom picking, to stroll in the forest and then be able to enjoy the flavours of nature.

Anyway, the task of today is to plan our product launch! But somehow we get into talking about the actual programme, we look forward to presenting Arctic Flavours to our co-operational partners and customers very soon!

The Brown Bear and the Midnight Sun

Finland’s northernmost bear watching venues are in Kuusamo Lapland, in the deep forests close to the border to Russia. I will never forget the sight of the mighty brown bear in his natural environment. The bear’s are best sighted at night, so that is why the bright nights of Lapland serve very well in bear watching. I am told that it is 99% sure of seeing the fantastic brown bear during your visit to the wilds. Make sure to bring your camera and binoculars (there are a spar pair of binoculars at the hide), as the watch-out hides have large windows and provide a spectacular view of the wildlife.

We started our wildlife experience by checking in to Isokenkäisten Klubi Wilderness Hotel Kortteeri. The wildlife guide met us at Isokenkäisten Klubi, we got a snack to bring to the watch-out hide. We will spend several hours watching nature’s own show in the light of the midnight sun.


The last bit to the watch-out hide is done by foot. I had no thoughts of possible encounters with bears as we walked to the hide, I was enjoying the peaceful forest walk, we were asked to be quiet. That is the key: to be quiet, as bears will escape as soon as they sense humans nearby. The brown bear might look like a teddy bear, it has a round and a bit clumsy appearance, but it is a fast runner and a predator and like most animals, protective of its little ones. So it is wise to stay out of the way of the bears – stay safely in the watch-out hide.

We had a nice show of five (yes indeed, FIVE) adult bears, the largest is about 100 kg, according to our guide. There were also a few White-tailed eagles; I was quite surprised to spot them here in the forests of Lapland as I thought they are coastal habitants. Apparently there are about 20 pairs of them here in Lapland, they live by large waterways and there is no lack of such in Kuusamo!


Amazing! We all sat in silence, just watching these wild animals, listening to the sounds of the summer night. For many of us it was first time to see any wildlife in its natural environment. Shortly after midnight the wildlife had left us and we walked back to the car to return to Isokenkäisten Klubi. Even knowing that this walk is done safely every night during the summer season, I was looking around and hoping not to see anymore bears tonight. Actually, we had learnt during the night that silence is the most important factor in watching wildlife. Bears are shy of humans and will stay away if they can hear humans around.

I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and woke up to birds’ song late the next morning. Mmm, I look forward to a yummy breakfast and a large coffee on the terrace of Isokenkäisten Klubi. Actually, I enjoyed the peace and quiet so much, that I stayed one more night...

The changing of seasons – from a guide’s perspective

Here in Lapland we are blessed with four true seasons – winter, spring, summer and fall. Actually, according to the Laplanders, we have eight seasons, that gives you an idea of the continuous change of the nature. Activity-wise we have two seasons. Snow based activities are offered in the winter and spring months and summer activities in summer and fall. This means, that the gear and equipment changes twice every year. The snowmobiles are parked in the garage and the rubber rafts taken out, the overalls are put away on the attic and hiking outfits taken into use. But the guides are the same all year around.

Most of the programs that we offer our guests take place outdoors. The nature gives us such a fantastic playground, an amazingly beautiful stage and pampers us with fresh air, pure waters and calmness. The guides that work with us are talented and experienced outdoor guides, they are out there in all the seasons taking care of guests and presenting the fun and excitement of our programs as well as the stunning nature to the guests. A guide’s role is very versatile and requires technical, outdoor and social skills. A guide is a “good guy”, a nice person who is able to be in charge without being bossy, a person that likes to smile.

The winter’s most popular activity is snowmobiling. We offer several safaris and excursions and on a snowmobile you can get to places that might be out of reach otherwise. The summer’s most popular activity is river rafting. The rivers in Kuusamo are among the best in the country and apart from the excitement and fun; river rafting offers a sightseeing tour in our amazing nature park.

How does it feel from a guide’s perspective to be out on the free river with a boat full of guests when last time was eight months ago and all you have been doing is snowmobiling in-between? And do they have a favorite activity and season?

I asked Markku and Risto, our main guides, fantastic guys both of them, very experienced and always smiling. I have seen them and joined their safaris both in the summer and winter; they seem to be just as good and happy on the snowmobiles as in the rubber raft.

Markku has been rafting for 10 years; he said it used to be his hobby, his passion. Now it is work, but work he likes a lot. He started as a rafting guide and as he proved to the liking of our guests, he stayed the winter as well and took on snowmobiling. Markku says the changing of the seasons provide a great alteration into the job. The base is always to join the guests on the activity and make sure everything is safe and fun, regardless if winter or summer. Markku goes out to the river in the spring several times, to see if the ice is gone, how much water there is, is it flooded or safe to go. The guides in our area do a common test-rafting the first thing in the spring (and they have great fun together). They check the river, any changes caused by floods etc and the information is shared among all companies that operate on the river. Even if the winter activities have grown on Markku, one can see that he gets a special sparkle in his eyes when he talks about rafting.



Risto does really not have a favorite season. But he certainly has a not-favorite season: the in-between-weeks. That is basically 1 - 2 weeks in the late spring and again in the late fall. That is when all gear and equipment is changed, when the annual maintenance takes place, things are moved in and out of storages. The season when he is not out there in the free, beautiful nature, giving our guests memorable experiences and inspiring moments.