Picture
Caption: A Journey to a Winter Wonderland LAPLAND, FINLAND
Picture
Picture
Caption: Lapland is Finland’s northernmost region, a sparsely populated area bordering Sweden, Norway, Russia and the Baltic Sea. It’s known for its vast subarctic wilderness, ski resorts and natural phenomena including the midnight sun and the Northern Lights. The homeland of the indigenous Sami people, which extends into neighboring countries, centers on the far north.
#Lapland #Finland
Picture
Caption: Ivalo, Inari Saariselkä
Picture
Caption: IVALO
Caption: I have always dreamed of a white winter wonderland. Never had I imagined I would travel to the northernmost part of the world. So I packed my bag, booked the tickets, and traveled that far - to Ivalo, the village in the Arctic Circle, just 2,300 km away from North Pole.
Picture
Video
Video
Caption: -30°C MORNING BLUE
Picture
Caption: Front porches are decorated with Christmas accessories. It was early January when I came.
Picture
Caption: Paradise doesn’t have to be tropical. In Finland’s Lapland, the temperature can be as low as -10°C to -35°C during the night. Between October and April, heavy snow falls in the land, making it as white as a cotton.
Picture
Caption: I stayed at a cabin runs by a couple. A quite big house with several rooms belonged to myself that week. I was the only guest.
Video
Picture
Picture
Caption: It took me 1 hour drive from the Ivalo airport to this cabin. I arrived at night during a snowstorm. Having to never been in bank of snow before, I couldn’t hide my excitement.
Video
Picture
Caption: IVALO The cabin is in the middle of nowhere. No supermarkets nearby, no restaurants nor cafes. In fact, mine was the only cabin in the perimeter.
#winterwonderland
Picture
Picture
Picture
Video
Caption: CRUSHING THE SNOW
Picture
Picture
Caption: My cabin with 6 rooms inside - and I had it all for myself. Behind the cabin is a deep forest covered in white snow. Tranquil.
Picture
Picture
Caption: Pink bluish sky early morning.
Picture
Caption: MORNING AFTER During heavy snowfall winter nights, Eeva and Jouko need to shove away the thick snow around their house the next morning.
Picture
Caption: The two manage the resort all by themselves, from welcoming guests, to making breakfast, to chopping woods, and shoving snow.
Video
Caption: This is Saariselkä, a town 30 minutes away drive from my cabin in Ivalo.
Video
Picture
Caption: Saariselkä The town where most resorts and hotels are located. Most tourists prefer to stay here as they can also enjoy the skiing, husky-sleding, and reindeer-spotting.
Video
Video
Picture
Caption: The office of Yours Truly, Santa Claus. Yep.
Picture
Caption: BEAR MEAT PIZZA As cruel as it sounds, red meat is the Sami’s daily diet. When I asked what their signature dish was - I got this bear meat pizza (minced meat) and ....
Picture
Caption: REINDEER STEAK Caution: if you’re against animal cruelty, please understand this one.
Reindeer steak is a common delicacy here in Lapland. Lapland's relationship with the land means that game dishes and reindeer steaks make distinctive and flavoursome additions to many menus, although harmony with the natural world is at the top of the agenda.
Even so, the cuisine you can expect to find ranges from the sublime to the surprising, with bear steaks probably being among the most unexpected items you've ever read on a menu. Elk is also considered a delicacy in the region, although aficionados of those rustic game fowl flavours will enjoy the dishes prepared using grouse and wood grouse.
Picture
Caption: You can do a lot of winter activities in Lapland. However, it’s expensive. Be ready for some pricey fun times!
And if you’re lucky, there’s a Northern Light in the horizon.
Picture
Caption: Some people drive up north to a village called Utsjoki - about 2 hours away from Ivalo, to watch the Northern Lights. Plenty of tour guides to chose from, and mostly are not that cheap. But the experience is magical.
Picture
Caption: Some would stay for weeks and didn’t get to see them. Some would stay for few days and lucky to see them. And some would be unlucky to leave and then see the Northern Lights from a plane’s window. That was me.
Picture
Caption: Source: Pinterest NORTHERN LIGHTS
Picture of Inari
Caption: Breathtaking view
Picture of Inari
Picture of Inari
Caption: It is however, important to dress appropriately in the region during this time. It’s extremely cold. Don’t fight it.
Picture of Inari
Caption: “As you move outside of your comfort zone, what was once the unknown and frightening becomes your new normal." -- Robin S. Sharma
Picture of Inari
Caption: That was extremely amazing trip I had in Lapland, Finland. Carried out heartaches, healed myself in contemplation, forgave myself for being so hard on myself.
