Went to Levi (pronounced like levee) today. It's about 170 miles into the arctic circle. Had seen by the weather report that today was going to be beautiful, still I planned for the worst - mid-length tee, long sleeve button down, pullover sweater, & jacket. I packed the sweater and jacket in my backpack for the 3 hour buss trip. We get there, and it is 17°c (low 60's) and later it reached 21°c (70°f). It was hard to believe I was in the arctic, except the vegetation was different, there was still snow on the mountains, and there was not a cloud in the sky (actually, I haven't seen one since Copenhagen). Needless to say, the sweater & jacket never left the bag, and my long sleeve shirt was rolled up before long.
After getting a map from information, we left for the gondolas at the ski lift, which we were told could take us up the mountain where we would be able to see quite a distance. Then we could hike down. We walked the 3 km to the gondolas, only to find that it was closed for the season (they will open again during when summer peak hits). So started climbing a path that was sort of up and sort of back to town. We walked through lots of mud and snow along the way (my socks got soaked, but luckily I had my "wick" socks and they did not bother my feet after I got over the initial shock of the cold).
Before long we came to a clearing and realized we were most of the way up the mountain (later found we were 2.5km up, 0.5km from the top). Since we couldn't find any easy way down, we made our own path (for those of you who got emails from Croatia, this may sound familiar). There was a summer toboggan run in front of us that was also on our map (although not open yet). So we used that as a guide and started down. We climbed down a rocky area, then through mud and snow. At the first crossing of the toboggan run, I stood on the rim and jumped across, then went on. At the second crossing, there was lots of snow built up around the run, so I could not stand on the rim. So I got as close as I could, and jumped. But with my short legs, guess who jumped right into the middle of the toboggan run, and then took a sort ride (only a few feet). After a few minutes to laugh and shake off the snow, we eventually made it down. I only wish the toboggan run had been open, it would have been fun to ride the whole way down.
Because we still had 1 1/2 hours until the bus returned, we walked on the other side of town, down by a lake. We sat by the lake for a while and I hung my feet in - boy, was it cold, but it felt good on my tired feet. We saw several houses with ladders from the 2nd floor down (safety I presume), but one house was funny, it also extended up to the point on the roof. Given the high slant of the roof, I was convinced they must use the ladder to slide down the roof on the other side.
Grabbed a lunch of salami and cucumber on a rye/sourdough bread (sandwiches are huge here) and treated myself to my 2nd diet coke this trip. I swear it was the best I ever drank.
Coming home on the bus, Cathy saw several elk in an open area sunning themselves, but I was on the other side of the bus and missed it. The only thing I saw was a husky that was clearly a pet. Saw lots of sawed-off tree trunks, though. Some appeared to be a thinning out effort, while, based on the pile of logs, others were done by a logging company. Logging, fishing, and mining are big economies here.
So tomorrow, we're off to Stockholm. Although it will be 40's when we leave here in the morning, it will be 70's when we arrive (actually forecast is showing 60's-70's and sunny for the rest of our trip). Though it will be tough to go back to 20 hour days. Between the gorgeous weather and the long days of sunshine, I am quickly getting over the winter blues.
It is hard to believe it will only be Sunday...it feels like we've been here longer. I could easily keep doing this a lot longer than 2 weeks, so if you don't see me after Jun 10, you'll know why...
Showing posts with label Finland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Finland. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
I Crossed the Arctic Circle!, 5/30/2008
Well the layers went on this morning when we hit Rovaniemi at 9 am - mid-sleeve tee, long sleeve button down, pullover sweater, & jacket. It was a bit of an overkill, but I was cold. Temperatures were 50°, our lowest daytime temperature yet. Later it warmed up in the sun and I was able to go to my tee alone.
But first about Helsinki...
Walked to the "church in the rock", which was literally built into the rock...there was a presentation from various ministers going on, so we were limited to the balcony. I had to laugh when one ministers referenced a proper name, then SWOT. It is funny how often we find them integrating a few English words or phrases into their language.
Walked around the city some. There was a plaza area with several restaurants filled with lots of what appeared to be college kids, otherwise there weren't many people, unlike Copenhagen which was packed at night.
Ate at Zetor, a "traktor restaurant" which the book says, "lampoons Finnish rural culture & cuisine, while really celebrating it." The tables in the bar were tractors with a bar around it. The hanging lights were made with cheese graters & tin pails.. The food was excellent.. I ate Rudolph. Oh, better not read that to the kids. But I did have sliced reindeer meat with boiled potatoes and an excellent red wine sauce. I expected the meat to be gamey, but the texture was a lot like a beef roast with only a slightly different flavor.
After dinner, we walked around the city. Saw pretty much everything on our list - Senate Square, with the Lutheran Cathedral, Senate House, and Helsinki University; the Russian Orthodox Cathedral; and the harbor. It helped that it was broad daylight even at 10 pm. The only thing we missed was going inside the buildings. We also didn't get to see the bustle of the harbor during the day, but we will get a chance for that in one of the other cities.
Walked by a park on the way home which I noticed had gravestones in it. Cathy said she read somewhere that the graves are from a plague in the 1800's. At some point, people just started hanging out there, so the city made it a park.
Went to bed at midnight because we had an early flight to Rovaniemi. It was dusk when we went to bed and very light when the alarm went off at 4:30 - makes it easier to fool ourselves regarding the time.
We really did leave Helsinki fast, but we visited everywhere Rick Steve's (our travel guru) & a consumer rated website recommended. I would have liked to have gotten settled a little earlier in the day, but otherwise was ready to leave. I would prefer to get to the Lapland area of Finland (land above the arctic circle) and the fjord region of Norway, anyway.
My impression of Finland is an American college town with much older buildings. Cars are similar to home, except I did not see any SUVs (but lots of crossovers, station wagons, and vans). College age girls passed us going out all decked out in jeans or leggings and high heels at 10:30 at night, just as we were heading home (which is also just like home). Met some nice people along the way who helped us out, but people were not overly friendly.
Landed in Rovaniemi this morning. Started taking pictures of the Santa-themed displays (yes, we are tourists), and within minutes, they started closing the airport. I guess there are only a few flights a day, and they open the airport 1 hour before each flight, and close it after everyone has departed the plane. Some of you may remember we had a similar experience in Pula, Croatia. So at least this time we knew what was happening.
Found a guesthouse and got settled - it's basically a bed and breakfast. A nice lady owns the place - she agreed to do our laundry, so she got extra points. I had washed clothes out in Copenhagen, so I didn't have much to give her, but what I had not done was the heavier stuff that is harder to hand wash and takes longer to dry.
Went up to the arctic circle - stood on the line and crossed over. Tried to see Santa Claus, but he was busy. Then we came back to Rovaniemi and visited the Arctic Museum. There was a lot of information about the Sami (Finland arctic indigenous), as well as about arctic dwellers around the world (i.e. US, Canada, Russia). The best part was a recreation of the aurora borealis. Sort of a cheaper version of a planetarium, but since we are getting the midnight sun, we are not going to be able to see it, so I was glad to get the recreation.
Also visited the northern-most McDonald's and then walked the town. Had dinner at a tex-mex restaurant, Amarillo's. Or at least, Rovaniemi's version of tex-mex. I got a chicken quesadilla. It was made with chicken, hard boiled eggs, ricotta cheese (at least that's what I think it was) and red salsa. It was topped with a mango salsa (which was good, but I ate it separate). Cathy got a burrito, which, among other items, had lima beans and white pinto beans, and was topped with mozzarella melted over yams.
Having an early night both because of the 4:30 am wake up this morning and because we need to be up about 6 am tomorrow to catch a bus. We are going hiking at a ski area about three hours north. The snow is supposed to be melted...
You'll here from me again tomorrow night (there is an Internet at the bed & breakfast).
But first about Helsinki...
Walked to the "church in the rock", which was literally built into the rock...there was a presentation from various ministers going on, so we were limited to the balcony. I had to laugh when one ministers referenced a proper name, then SWOT. It is funny how often we find them integrating a few English words or phrases into their language.
Walked around the city some. There was a plaza area with several restaurants filled with lots of what appeared to be college kids, otherwise there weren't many people, unlike Copenhagen which was packed at night.
Ate at Zetor, a "traktor restaurant" which the book says, "lampoons Finnish rural culture & cuisine, while really celebrating it." The tables in the bar were tractors with a bar around it. The hanging lights were made with cheese graters & tin pails.. The food was excellent.. I ate Rudolph. Oh, better not read that to the kids. But I did have sliced reindeer meat with boiled potatoes and an excellent red wine sauce. I expected the meat to be gamey, but the texture was a lot like a beef roast with only a slightly different flavor.
After dinner, we walked around the city. Saw pretty much everything on our list - Senate Square, with the Lutheran Cathedral, Senate House, and Helsinki University; the Russian Orthodox Cathedral; and the harbor. It helped that it was broad daylight even at 10 pm. The only thing we missed was going inside the buildings. We also didn't get to see the bustle of the harbor during the day, but we will get a chance for that in one of the other cities.
Walked by a park on the way home which I noticed had gravestones in it. Cathy said she read somewhere that the graves are from a plague in the 1800's. At some point, people just started hanging out there, so the city made it a park.
Went to bed at midnight because we had an early flight to Rovaniemi. It was dusk when we went to bed and very light when the alarm went off at 4:30 - makes it easier to fool ourselves regarding the time.
We really did leave Helsinki fast, but we visited everywhere Rick Steve's (our travel guru) & a consumer rated website recommended. I would have liked to have gotten settled a little earlier in the day, but otherwise was ready to leave. I would prefer to get to the Lapland area of Finland (land above the arctic circle) and the fjord region of Norway, anyway.
My impression of Finland is an American college town with much older buildings. Cars are similar to home, except I did not see any SUVs (but lots of crossovers, station wagons, and vans). College age girls passed us going out all decked out in jeans or leggings and high heels at 10:30 at night, just as we were heading home (which is also just like home). Met some nice people along the way who helped us out, but people were not overly friendly.
Landed in Rovaniemi this morning. Started taking pictures of the Santa-themed displays (yes, we are tourists), and within minutes, they started closing the airport. I guess there are only a few flights a day, and they open the airport 1 hour before each flight, and close it after everyone has departed the plane. Some of you may remember we had a similar experience in Pula, Croatia. So at least this time we knew what was happening.
Found a guesthouse and got settled - it's basically a bed and breakfast. A nice lady owns the place - she agreed to do our laundry, so she got extra points. I had washed clothes out in Copenhagen, so I didn't have much to give her, but what I had not done was the heavier stuff that is harder to hand wash and takes longer to dry.
Went up to the arctic circle - stood on the line and crossed over. Tried to see Santa Claus, but he was busy. Then we came back to Rovaniemi and visited the Arctic Museum. There was a lot of information about the Sami (Finland arctic indigenous), as well as about arctic dwellers around the world (i.e. US, Canada, Russia). The best part was a recreation of the aurora borealis. Sort of a cheaper version of a planetarium, but since we are getting the midnight sun, we are not going to be able to see it, so I was glad to get the recreation.
Also visited the northern-most McDonald's and then walked the town. Had dinner at a tex-mex restaurant, Amarillo's. Or at least, Rovaniemi's version of tex-mex. I got a chicken quesadilla. It was made with chicken, hard boiled eggs, ricotta cheese (at least that's what I think it was) and red salsa. It was topped with a mango salsa (which was good, but I ate it separate). Cathy got a burrito, which, among other items, had lima beans and white pinto beans, and was topped with mozzarella melted over yams.
Having an early night both because of the 4:30 am wake up this morning and because we need to be up about 6 am tomorrow to catch a bus. We are going hiking at a ski area about three hours north. The snow is supposed to be melted...
You'll here from me again tomorrow night (there is an Internet at the bed & breakfast).
Helsinki, Finland in a NY minute, 6/29/2008
Hi again. This will need to be short, as we have very limited access to a computer.
Went to the Royal library yesterday: chairs outside to sit, read, and what the boats on the canal, bookstore and cafe downstairs, library upstairs. The outside is made of black granite and shiny, so it is called the "black diamond". Instead of a car parking lot, they had a bike parking lot. The escalator is typical for Copenhagen, a ramp instead of stairs.
Went to Tivoli last night. This is an amusement park, similar to when I was young, right in the middle of the city. So as you are standing in the park, you see the city hall, an old clock tower, and the national museum. We only got to see two shows because of how late we showed up. One was a big band show, that also played Ray Charles, James Brown, and disco. Several people in the audience got up and danced to the music. The second was a light show at the end of the evening. It was cool, but Disney has nothing to worry about.
Around the park, we saw old style arcades, candy stores, and rides from long ago. One of the rides had me completely confused. Kids would get on chairs in pairs, and when the ride started they would pull themselves to the top using a rope. Once they got to the top, they would let go for as long as they wanted, then pull themselves up again. There was no goal other than having fun. I kept thinking there would be some type of "winner", but no...I just don't get it. Another game that boys seem to like involved a soccer ball. Instead of hitting a hammer to find out how strong you are, you kick a soccer ball to see how good you are. The top category was "score".
Last note on the bicycles, since they are so predominant. Cathy and I thought about renting some, but decided it was safer not to. It would be like renting a car in Boston. Saw one lady who reminded me of the mean woman in the Wizard of Oz, with her black skirt, black tights, and pumping really hard. Saw many people biking with instruments, packages, and lots more in their hands or back. The classic was the guy who had a package in one hand and a cell phone in the other.
So on to Helsinki. We arrived mid-afternoon. Everyone recommended taking the bus, but they did not tell us it would take over an hour to reach the hotel because of all the stops. We got in too late to do much of anything. We are enjoying a glass of wine right now, then going to the "church in the rock". After that, we'll likely take a quick tram ride around the city.
We leave early in the morning for Rovaniemi, Finland. Not sure how much access to an Internet I will have there, but if I can, I will write again.
Went to the Royal library yesterday: chairs outside to sit, read, and what the boats on the canal, bookstore and cafe downstairs, library upstairs. The outside is made of black granite and shiny, so it is called the "black diamond". Instead of a car parking lot, they had a bike parking lot. The escalator is typical for Copenhagen, a ramp instead of stairs.
Went to Tivoli last night. This is an amusement park, similar to when I was young, right in the middle of the city. So as you are standing in the park, you see the city hall, an old clock tower, and the national museum. We only got to see two shows because of how late we showed up. One was a big band show, that also played Ray Charles, James Brown, and disco. Several people in the audience got up and danced to the music. The second was a light show at the end of the evening. It was cool, but Disney has nothing to worry about.
Around the park, we saw old style arcades, candy stores, and rides from long ago. One of the rides had me completely confused. Kids would get on chairs in pairs, and when the ride started they would pull themselves to the top using a rope. Once they got to the top, they would let go for as long as they wanted, then pull themselves up again. There was no goal other than having fun. I kept thinking there would be some type of "winner", but no...I just don't get it. Another game that boys seem to like involved a soccer ball. Instead of hitting a hammer to find out how strong you are, you kick a soccer ball to see how good you are. The top category was "score".
Last note on the bicycles, since they are so predominant. Cathy and I thought about renting some, but decided it was safer not to. It would be like renting a car in Boston. Saw one lady who reminded me of the mean woman in the Wizard of Oz, with her black skirt, black tights, and pumping really hard. Saw many people biking with instruments, packages, and lots more in their hands or back. The classic was the guy who had a package in one hand and a cell phone in the other.
So on to Helsinki. We arrived mid-afternoon. Everyone recommended taking the bus, but they did not tell us it would take over an hour to reach the hotel because of all the stops. We got in too late to do much of anything. We are enjoying a glass of wine right now, then going to the "church in the rock". After that, we'll likely take a quick tram ride around the city.
We leave early in the morning for Rovaniemi, Finland. Not sure how much access to an Internet I will have there, but if I can, I will write again.
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