1) HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018! On this New Year's Day, I'd like to share with you my year-end vacation to see the Northern Lights! It all began when my friend Denise suggested we make a trip to Finland after our end-of-semester exams. So after a lot of planning and booking, me, Denise, and Christine met up at Dublin Airport, ready to begin our tour of Helsinki, Rovaniemi, Stockholm, and Tallinn.
2) We arrived on the first day in Helsinki Airport, before boarding the overnight VR Train to Rovaniemi. While it wasn't my first time seeing snow, it certainly was the first time seeing this much snow. The temperature was around -14 degrees Celsius, which made Dublin balmy in comparison. Among the interesting places we visited were the Artikuum, Pilke House, and Culture House Korundi, whose combined entry fee cost only €15. Artikuum was a fascinating museum while Pilke House displayed interactive exhibits on science and sustainable energy. Korundi was mostly based on art and culture. We decided to have dinner at McDonald's at Rovaniemi, which is famous for handing out free "Northern Lights" themed postcards!
3) At night, it was time to pursue the Northern Lights, so we put on our jumpsuits and followed the tour bus to a remote location. On the first two stops, we were unlucky as our tour guide did not pick up anything interesting. On the third and final stop, however, we all got down, grabbed some flashlights, and trekked up a shallow hill in -25 degrees Celsius weather. Suffice to say, the jumpsuits made all the difference between feeling adequately protected, and being a human popsicle. For the first hour, all looked grim as we entertained the thought of going home empty handed. Some of us had even made our way into the traditional tipis where some light snacks were being prepared.
4) As I was about to tuck into a grilled sausage, we heard some high-pitched gasps. Certainly it couldn't be a joke, right? So we made our way out, and lo and behold - in front of our very eyes, lay the ever elusive Northern Lights. Aurora Borealis, as it is also known, appeared to us as a faint semicircular green band that stretched from one end of the sky to the other. We took so many pictures of it, but while my phone camera failed to capture anything of interest, Christine's DSLR certainly did. Then it struck us, the longer we waited the brighter it got! So in the end, we took some lovely group pictures together, overlooking the ephemeral Northern Lights.
5) The rest of the trip was just us enjoying sausages, nuggets, and corn. Hot chocolate and a nice fireplace kept us from freezing to our chilly demise, while many of our gadgets, including some of our cameras and phones, failed to operate in such extreme conditions. Suffice to say, this HAS to go down as one of the most memorable events I've ever had the pleasure of encountering.
6) The next day was a full day at the Santa Claus village. The Arctic Circle borders right here, so many tourists lined up to take photographs of the line dividing it. What a privilege to be able to say that I've been to the Arctic Circle, crossed it, and back! We also got a chance to try the famous Reindeer Burger at the Reindeer Restaurant Sirmakko, inside the village. As I recall fondly, the weather was so bad (RealFeel -25 degrees Celsius) that we only had about 5 seconds to remove our gloves to take a picture, before the icy cold pierced our skin and rendered our fingers numb and immobile. And we found out later that temperatures in January and February (the coldest months) could plummet easily from -25 to -35 degrees Celsius! The human body is incredible, I might add.
7) In the evening, we went to Restaurant Nili, an extremely popular restaurant that serves reindeer and bear meet. I tried the reindeer done two ways, while Christine had bear meet, and Denise had another version of reindeer, served on a bed of mash. For dessert, I tried the decadent chocolate cake with lingonberry ice-cream, while Denise had the baked squeaky cheese with cloudberries. It was a heavenly experience dining at one of the most highly recommended restaurants here in Rovaniemi.
9) To cap it all off, we sampled the 1874 Grand Aquavit, as well as a non-alcoholic beverage - Julmust. It was a food gourmet's delight, and while I am no gourmet, I certainly enjoy good food :) After a lovely meal, we continued walking around Stockholm, stopping at souvenir shops to get some trinkets. Later in the evening, Hugo brought us to his favourite cafe, an old-fashioned coffee shop tucked in a secluded area amidst the rows of modern shops. I was still full after buffet, so I only tried the hot chocolate. By this time, we were running out of places to visit, so Hugo very generously invited us back to his place, where we met with his family. Unfortunately, we couldn't stay for long, as we needed to head back to the airport, where our luggage was.
10) We began the next morning by travelling to Helsinki, then heading to Eurohostel - our accommodation for the night. Christine, who didn't come with us to Stockholm (she went to Rauma, a UNESCO World Heritage Site), met up with us at Eurohostel. After freshening up, we proceeded to cover various landmarks, including Uspenski Cathedral, Senate Square, Helsinki Cathedral, Parliament House, Rock Church, Kamppi Shopping Centre, Market Square, and Esplanade Park. This was the only day it rained, as we had a mixed fish platter lunch (fried vendace fish, salmon, calamari rings, grilled veggies) at one of the food stalls at Market Square.
11) The next day, Denise and I took the ferry to Tallinn, Estonia for a day trip. Christine went on her own to Suomenlinna (another World Heritage Site), an 18th century sea fortress and nature area. Anyway, on arriving at the jetty, we walked to the Old Town, a walled, cobblestoned historic cultural hub. After spending half a day there, we had covered the entire town, and had visited St. Mary's Cathedral, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Toompea Castle, Danish King's Garden, (the aptly-named) Kiek in de Kök, Freedom Square, Town Hall Square, Town Hall, Holy Spirit Church, Raeapteek (oldest pharmacy in Europe!), St. Catherina's Passage (Katarina Kaik), and Viru Gate. For lunch, we visited III Draakon (3 Dragons), where we tried the i) beef and elk pastries, ii) elk soup, iii) ox sausages! The atmosphere was great, reminiscent of the Middle Ages. Definitely a must try!
12) We made our way back to the terminal afterwards, before heading back on the cruise ship. We returned to the Eurohostel to collect our luggage, before moving to our next AirBnb - our last for the trip. There, we met up with Christine, who was rather unwell after a bout of sore throat. As night approached, we were contemplating where to go for dinner, and finally decided to go and explore. Fortunately, we discovered a sushi-buffet outlet still operating, at Kamppi Shopping Centre. It turned out to be the most delectable sushi I've ever had; such a wide variety and each sooo good. I even got a chance to try some beef noodle soup, which really brought back good memories of food from home. At sharp midnight, bursts of fireworks lit up the night sky, signalling the New Year! ^^
13) Today was the last day of our trip. We walked to the Central Station, before buying tickets to Helsinki Airport. It was a 3.5 hour journey back to Dublin, where we parted ways. It has been a rollercoaster ride of, literally, chasing after trams, rushing to transfer flights, and narrowly making it in time. I understand that after this amazing experience, comes the reality of another incredibly busy year. However, memories are meant to be cherished, and with the photographs that me and my friends took, I am certain they will remain with me indefinitely.
26th Dec 2017
27th December 2017
28th December 2017
29th December 2017
30th December 2017
Dec 31st 2017
Jan 1st 2018
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