Jaunted - Tag: Lapland

Foxy Lights in Finland

amandak — 2006-08-30T08:15:54-05:00

With September zooming up at us fast, aurora season in Finland is starting to warm up. With the impressive statistic that the Northern Lights are visible four out of five nights from northern Lapland (providing it's not too cloudy), it seems like the place to be. Even better is the fact that the Finnish have a much cooler name for this bewitching phenomenon: revontulet. Wait a minute, we know it doesn't sound instantly cool, but the resaons behind it is: Literally translated, it means "foxfire", and a Sami legend tells of:

the tail of a fox running along snow-covered fells strikes the snow drifts, sending a trail of sparks into the sky

Aw, how sweet. More importantly if you do camp out in Lapland waiting for the foxy lights, make sure you do it in a hotel with a good wake-up service. When the lights appear, they'll call you in your room and you don't have to take the (albeit low at 20%) chance that you'll be staring up in the sky, cold and seeing nothing.

[Image via tjerkb/Flickr]

Related stories:
Lapping Up Knowledge in Lapland [Jaunted]
Finland's Vibrant Capital [Scotsman]

Will the Real Santa Please Stand Up?

amandak — 2006-08-28T09:45:02-05:00

A Google search for Santa's Village pops up residences in New Hampshire, Illinois, California and Ontario, but everybody knows that the authentic Santa lives in Lapland. To be precise, the real Santa's Village is right on the Arctic Circle, just north of Rovaniemi, Finland.

Here you can post a letter from Santa's Post Office (and see the stacks of letters he's received from kids across the world, some using the most unlikely of addresses), stock up on Christmas presents and Santa paraphernalia, and even meet the bearded man himself. The nice thing is that a chat with Santa about your Christmas wishes is free. That's why we're sure he's the real Santa. Northern Finland might be a long way from most people's homes, but when you figure Santa goes to all the effort to travel the whole world delivering presents every year, one trip to Finland in your lifetime isn't all that much to ask. Just make sure you choose a year when you've been a good girl or boy.

[Image via sauwai/Flickr]

Related stories:
Rovaniemi Webcam Lure [LA Times]
Lawsuits Close Santa's Village [Chicago Tribune]
Lapping Up Knowledge [Jaunted]

Rovaniemi: Lapping Up Knowledge

amandak — 2006-05-18T10:30:02-05:00

Heading north for the summer? If you have a Scandinavian excursion planned--and why wouldn't you want to pick up all those extra hours of daylight--the Arktikum in Rovaniemi, near the Arctic Circle in Finland, is your must-see educational stop. More than a museum, you'll leave knowing scads more about the weird way of life in a region that swings from midnight sun to midday darkness.

If Lapland's most architecturally cool glass tube corridor doesn't impress you, perhaps it'll be the 25 Inuktitut words for snow that'll get your blood pumping. Or the special exhibition, featuring archival films of Arctic Russia, opening this week and running until January (when the daylight'll have all almost completely disappeared).

One important factoid that this sterling museum imparts is the high incidence of elk collisions: 3000 per year, at last count. We think they mean on the roads, but nevertheless, when you're browsing Arktikum's main hall, watch out for the towering stuffed elk, or you might become nothing more than another statistic.

[Image via heavenuphere/Flickr]

Related stories
Fine Finnish Food [EU Observer]
Finnish Star Trek at Eurovision [readabet.com]
Lapland's Ski Resorts [Jaunted]

Are Lapland Ski Resorts Finnished?

artextor — 2006-04-27T10:55:02-05:00

Jarmo Aaltonen of Helsinki's Helsingin Sanomat looks at the high prices of Finland's Lapland resorts and wonders if Finns are being priced out of domestic ski travel.

Aaltonen's April 12 article focuses on Ylläs, a ski resort in western Lapland, where it appears that ordinary families are bringing their own food instead of purchasing grub at the ski resorts. Aaltonen's Finnish ski resort price index explains why: Hot chocolate with a shot of something strong goes for €8.20, a baked potato with garnish is priced at €5.50, and a burger, fries, and soft drink meal runs €8.50.

These costs might not be all that frightening on their own, but look at them in context. Three people traveling on a car-sleeper train from Helsinki to Kolari can expect to pay €313 for the journey. Additionally, Aaltonen estimates that a family of four will pay €920 for accommodation and ski lift passes for a week. Ouchy.

Thing is, Finns are very well off. If Finns won't be able to afford ski resorts in Finland, who will frequent them? Norwegians?

[Image via wilsonlosvitato/Flickr]

Related Stories:
· Commentary [HS]
· Conan in Finland [Jaunted]