Travel Guides: All Countries / Europe / Finland
 |  | Travel Reviews : Finland |
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| | | | Red nose day with Santa
Just an hour into the trip, 30,000ft over an icy ocean, and I'm already wondering why I'm searching for Santa on a day trip to Finnish Lapland.
The excited children have taken over the aircraft's PA system and are breaking into a chorus of When Santa Got Stuck Up The Chimney. Some of them are singing in a pitch that can be heard only by dogs and some types of sea mammal.
Still, I expect it's different when it's 'one of your own' (I'd failed to procure a small child to bring with me), especially when they start telling dirty jokes and have the microphone grabbed from them.
Our destination was the town of Rovaniemi in northern Finland. I was quite intrigued - after all, it's not every day you get the chance to experience being inside the Arctic Circle, and with the sun beaming down on a crisp December morning just how cold could it be?
Ahem. Minus 35C is a temperature I assumed was reserved for freezing inert gases in laboratory experiments, but it appears some people actually live in these conditions.
Admittedly, even the local guides had to concede it was 'a bit chilly' - there was a freak cold snap on the day we arrived. Apparently, school is cancelled only if the temperature dips below minus 40.
I imagine that in such conditions the teachers are too busy fighting off advanced hypothermia to give a maths lesson.
But Santa must be found at all costs, and we're kitted out in bountiful layers of thermal overalls and boots to insulate our temperate extremities.
Though everyone is wrapped up impenetrably, you can tell it's a different kind of cold outside. Cold that could hurt you.
That said, the immediate scenery is spectacular, especially if you're into heavy snowfall and fir trees.
Travel guide: Finland
Warm welcome in a cool city
From the Daily Mail
The least known of the Scandinavian capitals, Helsinki has intriguing traces of its Swedish and Russian past. As an outdoor city Helsinki has few rivals - surrounded as it is by water and parkland, and boasting some terrific contemporary architecture.
With a compact city centre and a population of just half a million, Helsinki is invitingly easy to investigate over the course of a long weekend. A flight time of less than three hours gets you there in time for Friday-night drinks before dinner, returning on Sunday evening. Take a tip, though, and wait until the weather warms up.
ESSENTIAL PACKING: British citizens do not need a visa to visit Finland but you will need to take: an umbrella and a warm coat (just in case), your credit cards and plenty of Finnish marks (Helsinki is one of Europe's priciest destinations), a phrase book (most people speak English and are tourist friendly but the menu reader can be particularly useful).
MY FIRST STOP: Head straight for the central Esplanade and the elegant Kappeli cafe, Helsinki's prime people-watching spot: inside - glasshouse windows, ferns, chandeliers and a popular cellar-bar; outside - views along the avenue and, in summer, free musical entertainment.
A walk up the main avenue, Mannerheimintie, shows off the best of the buildings: starting at the Art Nouveau train station and on to the classical Parliament building, then the mock-Gothic National Museum sleek Finlandia Hall, new Opera House and Olympic Stadium climb the stadium tower for a sweeping view.
Helsinki's churches all sport dramatic domes and spires but the most extraordinary is virtually invisible from outside. The cavern-like Temppeliaukio church was hacked out of the granite but light floods in through the copper and glass roof.
Cheap eats from the quayside Old Market Hall include a dozen kinds of pickled herring or cured salmon, or a bag of smoked reindeer-meat crisps. Outside, stalls groan with 3ft-long wild salmon, bowls of Russian caviar, reindeer skins and woolly hats.
The Hietalahti flea market has more cafes and a lot of junk among the arts, crafts and antiques. On Sunday take the ferry across the harbour to Suomenlinna, an 18th-century fortress built across five interconnected islands.
EATING OUT: Cafe lunches (from around £5) and Italian and Chinese restaurants offer the best deals but for good-quality Finnish food - grilled fish, game, even reindeer steaks - you'll pay the earth. Main courses easily cost £15 to £20; add a beer (£3) or a bottle of wine (from £17) and you're soon talking telephone numbers. Hotel buffet breakfasts are usually lavish so stock up, while cafes serve cappuccinos and smashing cakes.
SHOPPING: The Finns claim that Stockmann Helsinki's main department store - is Europe's biggest. There's not too much else to get excited about, though the markets and downtown shops (both closed Sundays) throw up some unique items: knitted sweaters, carvings, clothes and fox-fur hats from northern Finland, and imported crafts and antiques from Russia. Don't expect any bargains.
Travel guide: Finland
Heaven in Helsinki
From the Daily Mail
Even though I was fighting back fatigue after a three-hour flight with a very active little boy, Helsinki at night intrigued me immediately. Everything looked as though it had just been swept.
Neat blocks of sand-coloured buildings rose up over wide, cobbled streets and spacious squares, interrupted occasionally by some dark, romantic edifice from the turn of the last century.
Most impressive of these, particularly to our train-mad son Joseph, was the station itself, built in 1910 by the famous Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen.
Stern, stone-carved faces guard the entrance, staring down like gods from the Ghostbusters movie. It was a thrilling introduction to the city. We were hooked.
The friendliness of the people - not only the hotel staff, but also passers-by (who all spoke perfect English) was almost overwhelming.
Our first meal - room service of smoked reindeer, salmon and rye bread spread with garlic creme fraiche (a local favourite) was so good that even Joseph found nothing to complain about.
Waking refreshed, we caught the tram to circuit the city using our handy Helsinki cards.
At just over £20 for a three-day pass (children under seven go free), these are good value, entitling us not just to free travel and entrance to museums, but also to discounts at theatres, restaurants and sightseeing tours.
Catching sight of the busy local market by the harbour, we hopped off the tram and started threading our way through inviting stalls of fish, fruit, hand-made toys and woollens. I bought Finnish hats for the entire family.
Although not that cold when we were there, Helsinki copes well with freezing temperatures. Many shopping precincts are underground, doors are heavy against the wind, but inside shops, museums and galleries, it is warm and cosy.
Travel guide: Finland
Lapping up the Finnish spa treatment
Life in Finland's imposing expanse of dense forest and lakes is dominated by climate.
Not surprising, then, that it's the land of the sauna. When it's minus 30 outside even the hardiest locals gladly desert the great outdoors.
Timeshare resorts thrive in Finland. Rural retreats offer outdoor activities like skiing, snowmobiling and husky dog safaris, while city locations provide more in the way of sports and entertainment. But everywhere the spa is king.
Set beside lake Nasijarvi, Tampere is Finland's second city. Small, sedate and modern it still provides plenty to do.
Nearby Sarkanniemi boasts an aquarium, dolphinarium and amusement park. At night the restaurant at the top of Nasinneula tower gives you a striking panoramic view of the city.
Sports enthusiasts can make the short trip to Kauppi National Park for cross-country skiing.
We stayed in Holiday Club Finland's converted Tampere mill, which has great views of the lake but also the industrial centre which heats the city.
The middle of several floors has been removed and a glass roof makes the communal areas light and airy. Luxurious, split-level timeshare apartments are dominated by huge Jacuzzis and all have saunas.
Tampere's spa boasts jacuzzis, a mineral pool and ice-filled plunge pool for the brave (or very foolish). The tiled treatment rooms with their statues make it a gleaming shrine to health and cleanliness.
The pool is everything you'd expect of a luxury spa. Water jets pummel you from every angle. Feeling sporty? You can swim against a current or alternatively just go with the flow.
An hour's flight north from Helsinki is Lapland, the land of the Sami people.
Here in Santa-land you can visit the Sami museum in Inari, with its open-air reconstructions of traditional Lappish homes and fearsome-looking traps for bears and wolves.
We stayed in the resort town of Saariselka, wherethe focus is on the outdoors and things start hotting up when the big chill begins in October.
Up here, you can see reindeer by the roadside and further north, near the Russian border, there are also eagles, arctic foxes and bears.
Skiing is the main activity and Oct to May is the snow season. There are black slopes for the experts but much of the terrain is undulating and ideal for cross-country and Saariselka has 240km of trails. It also has the world's longest toboggan slope.
Wilderness safaris, with reindeer, snowmobiles or huskies, are also popular.
Travel reviews
Finnish festive fun
There's something magical about sitting outside a remote wilderness lodge close to the Arctic Circle, breathing in the cold (-10C) night air and listening to the sounds of nothingness.
There's something altogether barmy however about doing all of the above while wrapped in nothing more than a small, damp towel.
Fear not though, your intrepid reporter was not risking limb-threatening frostbite for the sake of a story. I was actually rather comfortable and totally relaxed having just emerged from the warmth of a piping hot traditional sauna.
Needless to say, you can't spend too long out in the sub-zero temperatures but it's a surprisingly enjoyable experience for a few minutes.
I was in Finland, or Lapland to be more precise, and the Finns love their saunas. In a country with a population of five million, there are over one million saunas - basically, every Finnish home has a sauna. Business deals are even sealed with a sauna.
It's all about circulation and getting the blood pumping. A serious sweat session in the sweltering cabin is followed by a brisk but invigorating roll in the snow outside, dressed in...well not dressed in anything actually.
This can be repeated as many times as you desire, and there's also the option of having your back repeatedly hit with wet birch leaves - again, an unexpectedly enjoyable experience.
A couple of beers and a couple of hours later you're left feeling unwound to the point of being half asleep and with an incredibly warm feeling inside.
Our trip had started the day before with an early flight from Gatwick. The ungodly hour did little to dampen the spirits of the many children on the flight and their excitement levels increased as we dropped out of the clouds three hours later, to be greeted by the sight of the winter wonderland surrounding Kuusamo airport in the north east of Finland.
The kids were of course, all too aware that nestled somewhere down there amid the snow-heavy fir trees was a certain bearded, present-laden chap with a penchant for red.
Santa Claus is big business in this part of Finland, and prior to our meeting with the man himself, I envisaged a huge queue of children being hurried along, conveyor-belt style, for their rushed couple of minutes on the big man's lap - I turned out to be completely wrong.
The children visit Santa in groups and each group gets to spend between two and three hours at his house. Initially, there is tobogganing and hot drinks round the fire outside, before suddenly, Santa appears at the top of the hill, ringing his bell and calling for the children to come into his winter lodge.
The, by now, very excitable sprogs get to bake cookies and cakes with Mrs Santa, as well as enjoy the aforementioned gift consultation on her husband's knee.
Well in advance of the visit, parents can even pass on their children's Christmas letters to the holiday company reps, so that on the day, Santa can produce their actual letter. It's an experience that will have them believing in Father Christmas until their early thirties at least!
While the St Nick visit is certainly special, there's plenty more to do in this area of Lapland. You can try all manner of Arctic activities and we got a taste of them all.
My favourite without a doubt was the husky safari. If you're heavy enough to be able to slow the dogs down, then you're heavy enough to drive the sled.
After a brief lesson from our wolf-skin clad husky breeder we were off in convoy on a seat-of-the-pants ride, bounding along tracks and up and down hills balancing on a couple of narrow runners.
The Siberian huskies just don't want to stop and it takes all of your might, and the huge clamp-like brake to finally bring them to a halt. We had what seemed like five minutes in charge of a six-dog team, but it would be truly incredible to travel off into the countryside for a day safari.
I was also really looking forward to the snowmobiling, but we were hampered because there hadn't been enough snow and the ice wasn't thick enough to drive onto the frozen lakes.
However, a few detours onto open, snow-covered roads gave us the chance to open up the throttle and get an idea of what it would be like to speed along uninhibited. You have to be 15 years of age to actually drive a snowmobile, but we saw many children having the time of their lives while clinging onto their mum or dad's back as they rumbled down the track.
Cross-country skiing is also a massive sport in Scandinavia, and as we struggled to get to grips with the unusually narrow skis, dozens of locals, of all ages, sped past, out on their equivalent of a morning jog.
It wasn't too long before we'd also got the hang of it and there were several well-marked paths of varying lengths where you can test your fitness.
Another great excursion for all the family is to a reindeer farm. We were told that the farmers themselves were often great characters and ours was no exception, singing us songs and presenting us with reindeer drivers licenses which turned out to be thin slices of antler.
You get the chance to feed the reindeer and also take a quick ride in a sledge so the kids can see how Santa gets to work.
Resort-wise, there are two main sites accessible from the airport. Iso Syote, about an hour away, is a compact little place with several (fairly short) ski-runs of varying difficulties and an extensive National Park nearby. At the park, the well-equipped visitors centre is great for a bite to eat and also to learn about the resident creatures and plants via interactive displays.
The Hotel Iso Syote is perched on the hilltop, meaning you can walk a few yards from your hotel room or 'log cottage', pop your skis on and head off down the slopes. The rooms and cottages are cosy but compact and there's a pool and the obligatory sauna onsite as well as a good restaurant.
Travel guide: Finland
Everything for families
I have travelled to and around Finland several times and enjoyed every minute. The place is fantastic, the people are wonderful. They sure know how to look after you and how to party.
Helsinki, wow, what a place. You can get anywhere from there, a great place to start on your Finnish experience. While you're there it's a must to catch the night train to Lapland and see Santa, no matter what time of year you go, he's never too busy to say hello and have a photo taken.
For families, the Fins are great, everything is centred around families. Give it a go, you'll love it!
Travel guide: Finland
Celestial fireworks
Heading deep into Finland's Arctic Circle, we passed two minibuses by the side of the road.
Next to them was a group of about 20 people, all staring at the clear night sky. They were looking for the Northern Lights.
As our bus trundled past them to the Hotel Kakslauttanen, the driver sighing a little at the folly of the other group, it occurred to me that there was something a bit anoraky about this trip.
Once, I would have been happy to go along with the Viking belief that the Northern Lights (or aurora borealis in Latin) were handy beacons of fire from the departed to help with night hunting.
This mass of protons and electrons which colour the sky - usually green, but sometimes orange and red - might look like a bad Star Trek special effect but they are actually solar storms.
The further north you go, the better and the lights are usually only visible in winter. The best time to see them is at 11.30pm, known as 'magnetic midnight', and at Saariselka, where we were going, there is a 60 per cent chance of seeing them at this time of year.
Matthew, the friend I was travelling with, got all this information from the Internet. He read it to me on the plane and offered to test me afterwards.
And then there's the clothing, which involves more layers than a Dennis Potter screenplay - thermal underwear, a pair of supremely ugly thermal walking boots, a disfiguring hat and a windproof anorak.
But the most anoraky thing is that you can do all this and still not see a thing. It's like bird-spotting or tornado-chasing.
Northern Lights small print, if there was such a thing, would point out that sightings are not guaranteed.
You need clear skies for the solar storms to work their magic and you must expect your feet to get very cold. The same small print would also mention that you will have to eat a great deal of reindeer meat in the process.
Travel guide: Finland
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| | | | Appropriate festive atmosphere
We were led into a nearby teepee and offered a sip of warm milk and, for no readily obvious reason, were daubed in charcoal by a nervous girl in national costume.
She muttered something about us 'all being her reindeer now' (I assume she was actually on the staff, and not just a member of an evangelistic wing of a sinister Inuit cult).
Back outside, we met some real reindeer, which, it has to be said, looked as if they had not played any reindeer games in a long, long time. Still, they're a hardy lot, and a sled ride through the snow (no dashing, sadly) was enough to provoke an appropriate festive atmosphere.
With lunchtime approaching, I wondered if Rudolph made it on to the menu, but much to the relief of all concerned - especially the already-impressed children - we were served up some warm fish and potatoes instead.
The sun was already setting as we headed out into the afternoon. There's only a couple of hours' daylight this far north and the fading light was a dramatic backdrop for our chance to drive snowmobiles (the technical name, I'm told, is skidoos) into the forest.
Snaking through the woods in single file, we were like a rural chapter of the Hell's Angels on skis, though the sound of bawling as we lost the warming light of the sun sometimes drowned out the noise of the diesel engines.
The skidoos got up a fair bit of speed and I felt like James Bond, or at least the bloke out of the Milk Tray advert, until I banked into an off-piste snowdrift, which did not inspire huge amounts of confidence in the mother and child I was pulling.
It's all quite safe, though; the only damage done was to my driving credibility.
But what's this? A cabin in the woods? I wonder who could live here?
The energetic guides, wonderful throughout the day, were whipping the children into a suitable state of frenzied yuletide excitement as we entered Santa's house. The big, bearded man himself sat regally in the corner.
The children pulled out their Christmas lists. The adults pulled out their hip flasks and we sat around a blazing fire as Santa's helpers led each of the children up to sit on his knee.
Enormous mint ice-cream
Discovering the grand department store, Stockmann - Helsinki's answer to Harvey Nicks - my husband Christy and I stole a clandestine lunch together in the cafe, while Joseph played happily for an hour in the free creche.
Afterwards, feeling guilty, we treated him to an enormous mint ice-cream, while watching cartoons with his new Finnish friends in the Minokino (play area with videos) attached to the cafe.
This set the family up for a visit to the Museum of Art and Design, where Joseph chortled hysterically at an exhibition of ladies' underwear and I raved over a handbag that could have graced an Italian catwalk - yet turned out to be made of paper twine.
There is obviously far more to Helsinki fashion than craft stalls. Later, I was even more knocked out by a visit to Artek, an amazing furniture and fabric store selling designs by Alvar Aalto.
But what we'd yet to see was the countryside. So it was Sunday lunch at Hvittrask, a complex of three spacious houses built of logs and white stone - once the studio home of architect Saarinen and his colleagues, but now a museum with restaurant and cafe attached.
Using our Helsinki cards, we headed down to the station, bound for Masala. From here, we took a taxi up to Hvittrask.
Catching sight of the squat, round toadstool tower of the first house, Joseph shouted 'Moomins!' in delight, recalling instantly the rotund creatures of children's fantasy fiction.
The houses, designed in the Natural Romantic style of the period - all tiles, wooden floors and airy windows - were stunning.
After lunch, a walk down through the woods brought us to a beautiful lake. It was a magical place, which none of us will forget. Realising to his horror that we had come only for the weekend, Joseph shouted: 'But I want to stay here 20 more days!'
TRAVEL FACTS:
Cresta Holidays has holidays in Helsinki. Details on 0870 161 0900 or visit http://www.crestaholidays.co.uk
Murder on the dancefloor
Lapland's autumn season, Ruske, is spectacular. A multi-coloured carpet of mosses bears an amazing variety of edible berries; crowberries, cranberries, cowberries, bearberries and bilberries.
Cloudberries, which look spookily like baked beans and feature heavily in Finnish cooking, are found in bogland.
Gold panning is the local hobby. Up here it is light all day for two months in midsummer and dark all day in midwinter. The locals say they have to ask tourists what the sun looks like during the polar night.
The winter snow transforms the landscape into eerie shapes and, when conditions are right, the unearthly Aurora Borealis, northern lights, can be seen.
Finnish cuisine is warming and filling. Breakfasts are hearty — cheese omelette, black pudding and rice cake set you up for a hard day's trekking or skiing.
Creamy salmon soup, reindeer steak and potato cakes are staples, washed down with Lapin Kulta beer.
Puddings are a highlight, try paivanleivosis (berry sponge cake) or Lapin leipajuusto - melted mozzarella-like cheese, served with caramel.
Dancing is a Finnish passion and bars are filled with 50somethings determined to let their hair down and dance with as many people as possible.
Don't stray to close to the dance floor if you don't want to be asked. Music tends to be '60s nostalgia or traditional with accordion and fiddle.
There's also a big thing for karaoke here, with local music making a big show as well as more traditional fare.
Whether under the glitterball or in the sauna, working up a sweat in Finland is a serious business.
- For more information on Holiday Club Finland's spa hotels and timeshare resorts call 358(0)9 5497 4555 or go to http://www.holidayclub.fi/english/
- For information on how you can exchange timeshare weeks for destinations around the world, call RCI on 0870 6090 141 or go to http://www.rci.com/index
Off-piste in the spotlight
The other resort, Ruka, is much closer to the airport, with many tourists actually staying in Kuusamo and making use of the regular ski buses that take people to the foot of the slopes.
The pistes are floodlit (they need to be with only two hours of daylight in mid-winter) so you can ski or snowboard until about 8pm and there's a good range of shops, restaurants and bars in which to enjoy a bit of apres-ski.
In Kuusamo, you can stay at the formerly grand Sokos Hotel Kuusamo in the centre of town, but our destination was the hotel Kuusamo Tropiikki, slightly out of the main shopping area and a mere half-hour trip from the airport.
All of the hotels we saw were clean with good-sized rooms and facilities, if a little jaded, and the same could be said of the Tropiikki.
It was initially built for Finnish holidaymakers, hence the exotic, tropical theme and the abundance of real palm trees in the pool area. Now keen to lure the international market, the hotel is to undergo a transformation in the off-season, to give it a more Finnish feel.
Besides the pool, there's an excellent bowling alley and sports centre and just next door is Safarihouse, where you can book and get kitted out for all your outdoor activities. The guides there are excellent and extremely knowledgeable and during our few days in Lapland, the people in general were a joy to meet.
The Finnish are extremely laid-back, speak excellent English and indeed seem to have a typically English sense of humour. As we discovered with our guides and especially the husky trainer, they're also passionate about what they do, as well as being keen to protect their local environment.
For me, a few days in Lapland would have to rank as one of the ultimate family holidays. There's tons to do for children and adults alike and the sheer thrill of meeting Father Christmas will leave your kids on cloud nine for a very long time.
If you're after a pure ski or snowboard holiday, this area of Finland may not be for you as it lacks the variety of other European destinations. But if you're the adventurous type who loves a new challenge, this, as it is for the kids, could be the place of your dreams.
- Crystal Family Holidays (tel: 0870 402 0293, www.crystalholidays.co.uk) offers day trips to Finnish Lapland on 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 16th, 18th and 19th December 2006 and prices are £349 for adults and £329 for children including return flights from Gatwick (and regional airports including Cardiff), all transfers, own individual meeting with Santa, small gift for each child, reindeer and husky sledding, snowmobiling, buffet lunch and warm drinks and gingerbread during the day.
- Crystal Family Holidays also offers 7 nights' holidays to Finnish Lapland throughout the season and prices are from £315 per adult and £99 per child including return flights, transfers, 7 nights' half-board accommodation. Arctic Activities can be pre-booked including visit to Santa, snowmobile safari, husky dog sledding and reindeer safari.
Feeling inspired? Then book a holiday.
Vintage Northern Exposure
Still, on the non-nerdy side of things, we were staying in a small log cabin in a snow-covered forest, surroundings that were as perfect as a Perry Como Christmas special, and we dragged our luggage there on a wooden sledge.
Delightfully warm, with pine walls, tables and chairs, the cabin was like a four-room sauna (five if you counted the sauna).
The hotel and restaurant were vintage Northern Exposure, a rugged log cabin with a log fire, filled with rugged, bearded types wearing exceptionally cheerfully patterned knitwear.
'If the lights appear, we will be told, won't we?' asked a British man anxiously as we sat down to eat.
And sure enough, just as we were getting to pudding, there was a mass exodus as everyone rushed to see what looked like a bright cloud moving quickly across the sky.
This was, another of our fellow guests - also British - told me, the Northern Lights. 'Not very exciting actually,' he went on.
'There weren't any coronas or curtaining effects. When we were in Tromso in Norway the sky went red.'
I learned all sorts of useful things out there, with the thermometer registering minus 20, standing next to an ice sculpture of a Lapland hunter sucking on an ice pipe - but mostly that a thick down jacket would have been wise.
A Northern Lights enthusiast cannot live by celestial extravaganza alone, though.
We had three short days (daylight lasts from 10am-2pm) to balance our cerebral night-watching with more active snow-related activities.
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| | | | A heartwarming sight
Even for the cynical and childless among us, it was a heartwarming sight. Though that could have been because of the brandy.
One of the younger children sat by the fire next to me. I asked him if he'd enjoyed coming to find Santa. 'Oh yes! It's been very good! Like magic!'
And how did he feel, actually meeting the man himself? 'I was a bit scared. But then I sat on his knee and he was very friendly. He made me laugh!'
And will he be stopping by your house on Christmas Eve then? 'Well . . . he said he would, but I don't think it WILL be him, because when I looked very hard I could see the Sellotape under his beard . . .'
Ah, the magic of Christmas. Still, the children seemed genuinely to enjoy it and everyone got a nice present (I was almost tempted to approach Mr Claus myself, just to get one of the cool Finnish hats).
As we prepared to board the coach back to Santa's Village, there was time, for those who wanted, to be whizzed around a makeshift track by a team of huskies.
The dogs actually seemed faster than the skidoos, and it was quite exhilarating, in a way that I imagine being in the short spin cycle in the washing machine must be.
The village is a huge, neon-lit shopping centre, and though you can simply get a Lappish stamp in your passport and a certificate for being inside the Arctic Circle, the gift shops offer plenty more.
More tempting is the chance to patronise the cafes and return to something approaching normal body temperature.
One efficient transfer to the airport later and we were clambering on to the plane with a sense of contented weariness - some of which was blatantly commercial, but some of which was almost magical, even for those of us over six years old.
Thankfully, the movie announced by the attendant - 'Shriek' (I had visions of a feature-length infants' carol service) - turned out to be the less sinister Shrek, though most of the target audience was already dreaming of the coming material gain.
Me? I was happy to be heading back to a relatively tropical minus five.
TRAVEL DETAILS:
Transun offers day trips to Lapland, with flights from London Gatwick and most regional airports, from £229. http://www.transun.co.uk tel: 0870 4444747.
Husky sledding beckoned
On our first morning, we raced on snowmobiles across the frozen tundra wearing egg cosy-style snowsuits, balaclavas, helmets and big mittens.
In a serene moment, we stopped to watch a herd of reindeer ambling through the trees. 'Lunch,' said our guide, Janne, happily.
A while later, when we stopped at a wooden hut, Janne took a reindeer leg out of the back of his snowmobile, started hacking bits off with a penknife and then cooked the meat in a casserole.
A cloudy sky meant we wouldn't see any Northern Lights that night. Instead, we discovered glogi - a potent mix of local grain alcohol and crowberry juice - and imbibed more wisdom from our fellow guests.
We watched a Japanese film crew and their version of Carol Smillie and Craig Doyle try some kick-sledding - a Finnish sport where a pair of skis appear to have been attached to an old kitchen chair.
The next morning, husky sledding beckoned. With Matthew standing on the back of the sledge, I lay back on a reindeer pelt and slipped into a Dr Zhivago frame of mind as six huskies pulled us along forest paths.
At lunchtime, we had another reindeer casserole. I tried not to think about the fact that the couple behind us needed two fewer huskies to pull their sledges.
Our six-husky shame didn't stop us tucking into reindeer and mash that night at supper. Between courses, I braved Matthew's derision to check on the skies, which were clear but untroubled by any sign of the lights.
This was disappointing and, according to Matthew, contradicted statistics which claimed that this part of Finland experiences them two nights out of three.
Pacing a little with frustration, he went to seek consolation by looking at the constellations.
At 11pm he reported the first flickerings of light. Compared with the damp squib of our first night, this was a magnificent display of celestial fireworks, as if someone was slashing the sky with a fluorescent marker pen.
When a light rippled across the sky we decided it was curtaining. When it looked as if a flare had been set off, we muttered about coronas. In true anoraky fashion we stayed out, staring at the sky for more than two hours.
TRAVEL DETAILS:
Finnish Tourist Board (http://www.finland-tourism.com tel: 020 7365 2512).
Norvista (http://www.norvista.co.uk tel: 0870 744 7315) features the Hotel Kakslauttanen. Snowmobile trips cost from £63 per person and husky safaris from £75. Emagine (tel: 0870 902 5399) and Scantours (tel: 020 7839 2927) also arrange holidays.
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| | Destination Guide : Finland |
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| | | Home of the reindeer |  | Why go on holiday to Finland?
For vodka and saunas, skiing and icebreaker cruises, reindeer tours, art galleries, medieval castles, magical midnight sun - and very long winter nights.
How much does it cost?
Flight prices vary considerably. If you shop around, you can get a return from the UK from around £100. Helsinki city breaks from £300. Hotels start at around £50, farmstay B&Bs from about £20.
When should I go?
Finland is warmer than other countries on a similar latitude like Greenland and Alaska, thanks to mild winds from the Gulf Stream along the Norwegian coast.
Summers are usually warm (maximum 20C/68F) and dry but occasionally it can dip to a chilly 10C (50F). Winters are cold and dry. Snow starts falling in October and is gone by the end of March, apart from Lapland, where you might find snow as late as June.
You won't see the midnight sun in most of Finland, but it never gets really dark during the summer months.
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| | | 'Aland' of activities |  | What should I do when I'm there?
Visit the capital, Helsinki - the cultural, financial and economic centre, with more than 30 art galleries and museums. It has a small-town feel with no high rise buildings and many open-air cafes in the busy market square in summer.
Medieval Turku was Finland's former capital. A university town, it houses some 50 museums including one named for Finland's famous composer, Sibelius.
Where's good for camping?
Aland province has its own flag and culture, and comprises more than 6,400 small islands. It's perfect for bicycle tours, camping and cabin holidays, and experiencing the islands' distinctive culture, expressed in folk dancing and maypole dancing.
Is the countryside accessible?
You have a legal right to walk, cycle, paddle a canoe or camp almost anywhere in Finland. Nordic skiing is popular and there are cross-country trails of varying difficulty.
Hiking or trekking is best from June to September. Stop off in the wilderness huts which line the northern trails free of charge.
What about holidays on the water?
Coastal regions, including the Turku archipelago and Aland Islands, are a sailing and fishing paradise in summer.
Navigation is demanding around the Turku archipelago. Canoeing is best on the lakes or around Turunmaa and Aland archipelagoes in summer. There are wild rapids in Lapland and North Karelia.
What wildlife can I see?
Brown bears roam Finland's forests. Other mammals include elk, foxes, lynxes, lemmings and hedgehogs.
Reindeers abound in the north, and beavers are common. There are more than 300 species of birds, including black grouse, whooper cranes and birds of prey.
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| | | Visit Santa in Lapland | | Where's good for nightlife?
Discos and pubs have replaced many of the traditional Finnish dine-and-dance restaurants, although there are still some around. There's a big casino in Helsinki if you fancy a flutter, and another at Mariehamn.
Helsinki has the largest concentration of bars and clubs and there is a good theatre, music and opera scene in the capital. Check out Helsinki This Week.
What's the food like?
In summer salmon, whitebait and Baltic herring are popular. Crayfish are in season from late July to September. Try delicious cloudberries and lingonberries for dessert. In winter fish like burbot are popular. Try meatballs (lihapullat) any time.
Traditionally, the Finns eat early - lunch between 11am and 1pm (their biggest meal), dinner 4pm to 7pm and supper 7pm to midnight.
For cheap eats, look for a kahvila (cafe) or a baari and in Helsinki, check out the kauppatori or fish market for cheap snacks and salmon chowder. Hesburger is Finland's own burger chain.
What should I buy?
Finland is famous for glass, pottery, woollens and handicrafts made from pine or birch. Colourful mittens and sweaters are a useful souvenir - though not cheap, they are unique - but check that they are really made in Finland.
Lappish or Sami handicrafts are found in Helsinki, but for the best selection visit the Sami villages of Inari and Hetta.
Mariehamn is also a good place to shop for Finnish crafts.
What is there for children to do?
Nothing could be more magical for kids than Santaland in Lapland. Moomin World theme park, near Turku, is dedicated to those charming children's characters, the Moomintrolls.
Or try the House of Puppets at Onkiniemi, Helsinki zoo or the Linnanmaki amusement park just outside Helsinki. Rollerblading is popular in the capital - you can rent the full gear.
Tourist office
Finnish Tourist Board, PO Box 33213, London W6 8JX. Tel. 020 7365 2512 (Information and brochures).
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| | Fact File : Finland |
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| | | Finland | | Did you know?
Finns call Wednesdays pikku viikonloppu, or 'little weekend', and party to break up the working week.
Language
Finnish and Swedish
Visas
None required.
Getting there
Direct flights from the UK to the capital Helsinki.
Flying time from London
Two hours 50 minutes
Getting around
Superb network of domestic trains, buses and air connections.
Currency
Euro
Costs
Pint of beer £1.50-£2.50 depending on the region, roll of film (36) £2.70, moderate restaurant meal £4.50, litre of petrol 60p, short taxi ride about £6. Prices will vary.
Weather
Finland is warmer than other countries on a similar latitude due to the Gulf Stream. Summers are usually warm - max 20C (68F) - and dry but it can dip to a chilly 10C (50F). Winters are cold and dry. Snow starts in October and is gone by the end of March, apart from Lapland, where you might find snow as late as June. It never gets really dark during the summer.
Time difference
Two hours ahead of GMT
International dialling code from the UK
00 358
Voltage
220 volts, 50Hz - plugs are standard two-pin European so take an adaptor.
Opening hours
Shops open 9am-8pm weekdays and until 3pm on Saturdays, Sunday opening is only between June and August. Banks open weekdays generally 9.15am-4.15pm, and post offices open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday only.
Health - Before you go
No jabs needed. Finland and the UK have a reciprocal medical agreement for emergency healthcare so take an EHIC form (from post offices).
Health - When you are there
If you need medicines, go to a pharmacy (apteekki) as chemists only sell cosmetics. Tap water is fine to drink but beware natural water from rivers and streams - it may not be as pure as it looks. Mosquitoes are rampant in Lapland during June and July so take insect repellent.
Warnings
In towns, watch out for normal hazards like pickpockets, especially in markets or festivals. In the country, it's easy to get lost and there aren't many people to ask the the way, so take a good map and use it.
Emergency
Police national emergency, Tel 10022. British Embassy, Itainen Puistotie 17 00140 Helsinki. Tel: 00 358 9 2286 5100.
Customs
The Finns are a quiet lot and don't go for small talk so don't be upset if no one talks to you.
Pets
May move between Finland and the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme. This takes several months to set up so see your vet for details.
Tipping
Service is generally added to bills, so tipping is not necessary.
Tourist office
Finnish Tourist Board, PO Box 33213, London W6 8JX. Tel: 020 7365 2512 (Information and brochures).
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