Day 12: Rovaniemi

I slept like a baby last night. There was probably a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, we only got about 5 hours sleep after chasing the Northern Lights the previous night, and secondly, I had a sauna last night.

After I finally used Google Translate to give me instructions for how to operate the sauna in English.

There are two alleged benefits from a sauna – sleeping well afterwards is one of them, and it certainly worked for me.

The other benefit of the sauna is that it reverses the aging process.

We had a big day planned today. Reindeer riding, husky sledding, lunch. A very exciting day here in the very snowy, and very cold Rovaniemi, Finland.

A couple of months ago – January 2025 to be exact – MBW and I walked into the Anaconda store at Burleigh Heads, when we were holidaying at Tallebudgera in Percy. Percy is our caravan.

If memory serves me correctly, I was wearing a tee-shirt, shorts and thongs.

Anaconda had an “end of season” sale on, and we were having a look to see if they had anything that could be useful for our trip to Europe. This trip.

They had a very small selection of snow boots remaining, and as luck would have it, they had a pair in my size, and a pair in MBW’s size. And they were cheap – about $35 or $40 each.

I have to say that – in the middle of a Queensland summer – I felt pretty silly walking out of Anaconda carrying a pair of snow boots.

But do I feel silly now? No siree.

Not silly at all.

Because of those snow boots, MBW and I have both had dry and warm feet for the last few days here in Rovaniemi. And we have been so grateful.

We got up a bit later than we should have this morning, because we were tired after hunting the lights and not getting enough sleep the previous night.

I woke around 8.00am as MBW was coming out of the bathroom. She greeted me with “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty …” which really just confirms that I am already getting benefits from the sauna. MBW has noticed how much I glow with youthfulness.

We had bought some breakfast goods from the local supermarket and because we have a fully equipped kitchen here in our apartment, we have enjoyed the benefits of a home-made breakfast each day.

Museli with yoghurt, toast with butter and jam, and coffee.

We were to be picked up a few blocks away today for the reindeer and husky activities, and we know (from experience) that activities out of town and in the open air get very cold, so we dressed accordingly.

Seriously, you almost need a project plan to get dressed here.

Undies, thermals, then the first pair of socks. I say the “first pair” because I tuck my thermal pants into those so that they don’t ride up to my knees when I pull my jeans on later.

Tee-shirt, flanny and then jeans. Have a last minute wee, because – believe me – it will be the last time that you can do so easily, and you’ll kick yourself if you don’t.

Tuck everything in to keep the wind out.

Second (warm) pair of socks, and snow shoes. Then scarf, beanie, warm jacket, and gloves.

By the time you have got halfway through that process and stopped for a quick stage gate review to confirm you are on track, you are starting to sweat and dream about being outside in the cold.

By the time you have collected your stuff and got out the door to the apartment, you are having impure thoughts.

And then you get outside, and realise that it was all worthwhile.

We went for a wander around through the city so that we could be at the pick-up location on time, and because we are looking for something that a friend from home asked us to pick up for her.

Sadly, most of the shops here don’t open until about 10.00am, so the hunt was unsuccessful this morning.

Our bus arrived and we headed off to the reindeer farm. We picked up another couple from the Santa Claus Village, and they were a pair of Aussies named Jeff and Cheryl from the Sunny Coast.

It was a fantastic day, filled with “pinch me” moments.

The first activity was to get suited up for the day. The tour company provide overalls, shoes, wollen socks, mittens, and even beanies if needed. It is an exhausting process putting on all of that gear.

I got the socks and boots on, and then realised that I’d made a rookie error of putting on my boots before putting on my overalls – DUH! – so the boots were back off again. And getting those boots on and off is hard work, let me tell you. Exhausting.

Boots off, and I then discovered that the legs of the overalls zip all the way to your hip, which means that you don’t need to take your boots off to put the overalls on.

Bugger.

The overalls probably weigh 6 or 7kg by the way, so there is quite a bit of effort involved in getting into them. And the boors weigh another 3 or 4kg.

Boots back on, mittens, beanie, and we were outside looking at some reindeer.

We did a short ride in a sled being dragged around the circuit by Thumper (really, that was his name) and it was a lot of fun. We then had a snack of a cup of hot juice and a cinnamon bun while we were educated about reindeer. For example:

• There are no wild reindeer in Lapland – they are all owned by somebody.
• They have notches put into their ears to denote who owns them
• There are more reindeer in Lapland than people
• … and so on.

Following the talk, we were taken in for lunch that was provided. Salmon and potato soup with bread and butter, followed by blueberry pie and coffee.

Now I have to say that I would be unlikely to choose salmon and potato soup off any menu in any restaurant, but it was good. Very good.

The only thing wrong with the lunch was that it was served in the lunch room with a temperature set to something around “the Caribbean” so it was vital that we got out of our overalls again.

One of us (not me) went back for seconds. That’s how good it was.

After a big lunch, we went back into our overalls and back outside for the husky sledding. MBW and I were team 12 (of 12 husky teams) with a 4 dog team pulling us.

Now I need to tell you that the huskys work very hard, pulling a couple of fat Aussies in a sled around a 10km track through the snowy wastelands of Finland.

And when they exert themselves, they fart. They fart a lot. And it stinks.

Never, ever let anyone tell you that husky sledding is a glamourous activity when all you do is breathe dog fart.

And remember, one of us (not me) ate a second helping of salmon and potato soup for lunch, so the poor huskys had to work extra hard (= extra farting).

But it was so much fun. Husky sledding around on a frozen lake in the middle of Finland, looking at fields of pure, unblemished snow was just amazing. It was so Christmas Card-perfect that you found yourself humming “Dashing through the snow, in a …”

We stopped at the halfway point and switched drivers. MBW got out to drive, and I got to sit at about the level of husky bums, and directly behind them.

After the husky sledding, we went back inside and got out of our overalls (again), had a talk on husly breeding and training, and had another cup of hot juice and cookies.

Hot juice is a thing here. It’s a bit weird the first time you are handed a cup of hot blueberry juice, but it is very sweet and certainlty warms you up and keeps you going.

After getting out of their gear and back into our own, we were taken back by bus towards the city, although we opted to be dropped off at the Santa Claus Village, which is the edge of the Arctic Circle.

We shopped for some souvenirs and gifts for the grandkids, and went and saw Santa and got our photo taken. We were going to buy the photo of us with Santa for the grandies, but at 55 Euro each (= about $80), I figured that maybe he isn’t the real Santa either, but just some dude with a beard out to make money off tourists.

But that’s just me being the Grinch.

We wrote some postcards and posted them to the grandies, and marveled at how the Japanese have absolutely no shame in what they wear. There was a Japanese guy – maybe 30-35 years old – with a pair of white fluffy earmuffs with black ears and eyes and a nose … like little pandas on his ears.

My boys would mock me mercilessly if I ever I wore something like that.

After all of that excitement, we were tired and cold, so we caught the Airport Express bus to the airport so that we could come back to the city again. Don’t ask me to explain it .. it was warm in the bus and I was beyond caring.

We hopped off at our usual shopping centre stop, only to discover that there is another whole section of the shopping centre at the back that we hadn’t found yet, with all kinds of cool stores like the Finnish equivalent of Target. We bought some stuff that we didn’t need, and then ended the day with dinner at a cool pace called Friends & Brgrs (ie burgers). You order at the front of the store, and they make it and buzz your buzzer so you can go and collect it.

MBW had a Rudolph burger with chips, while I had a spicy chicken burger with chips, and bottomless cups of post-mix softdrink.

Very nice. Very tasty. Poor Rudolph 🙁

We bought some icecreams and supplies for our train trip to Helsinki tomorrow, then back home by 6.30pm.

I’ve just had another sauna, so I’m feeling extra youthful tonight. And extra sleepy.

That’s 2 saunas I’ve had now, and I’m feeling younger and cleaner already. MBW won’t join me in the sauna because she doesn’t like them … so she doesn’t get the benefits.

When we get home, please make sure that you tell her how much younger than her I look. I’m certain that she will appreciate the feedback. She will probably show you how grateful she is by unfriending you on Facebook.

Another fantastic day in Lapland.

We are off to Helsinki tomorrow by train, departing 9.22am and arriving about 5.00pm, so I’m looking forward to that.

We both feel disappointed that we didn’t really see the Northern Lights, but we are calling this trip a sampler, and next time we will stay longer, and in a few different places to maximise our chances.

The Aussie couple that we met today told us that they are staying in a beautiful little cabin by a frozen and snowy lake, which cost them >$2000 for 3 nights. They also told us that they have no running water, and a “freeze toilet” … you don’t want to know, trust me.

From here they are heading up to Iceland for a week or so. I suspect that MBW and I will do something similar next time we come – maybe a bit earlier in the season when it is colder – and head up to Iceland too.

Without the freeze toilet, that is.

Ciao

#Europe2025