Lapland Sky Ounasvaara Hotel Rovaniemi

This is our frist of many night trains accross Europe.<br>We Leave Helsinki on the 9th and get into Rovaniemi very early on the 10th<br><br>We should have a fun packed Day in Rovaniemi. looking to do some arctic rally driving. and other male bonding activities.<br>

... worlds most expensive city...and it's not hard to see why! Burger King that costs 3-4 times as much as in NZ, $17 beers from a pub and $10 for an embroidered patch all add up to an expensive stay when visiting from NZ.<br><br>-Buying alcohol is a bit different from in New Zealand. The tax applied to alcohol varies depending on the alcohol content, so buying a bottle of spirits becomes quite expensive, though it can ...

Rong on täitsa lahe. Minu kupesse on lubatud teisi mitte lasta. Seega on ruumi suht palju, kaks ülemist voodit on seina külge lükatud. Esialgu tundub, et on päris külm. Kuigi nupp on soojamaksimumi peal, tuleb akna äärest järjekindlalt külma. Jään korraks magama, kui üles ärkan, on hakanud sooja tulema. Vinge. Tualetikülastus satub ajale, kui kolm noormeest Tamperest moodustavad naaberkupee ukse juurde ummiku, jäädes kitsasse koridori oma seljakottidega ...

... overused cliches. because there are no words, it cannot be described, only experienced, lived. and yet we are compelled to continue to attempt words, trying to share with others a feeling beyond words. so my advice this night is to continually forget (because, you will anyway) that everything happens for a reason. that way, you will always cry in delight at the ever-new joy of realising, it does. and wear runners, just in case.

... night, finns are all about the autogrilli's, basically little greasy fast food joints, which stay open until 4 or 5am most nights to catch the post-bar croud (bars close at 4am here). some are drive in style, some you can stand inside, but none have tables inside, only picnic tables outside. Which can be pretty cold in -20something finnish winter nights, but people, including me, still sit at them, fingers going numb ...

... first step forward, I picked it up off the shelf, curled up on my single bed that is also my couch, and started to read. Procrastinating? Maybe... maybe not. A few times in this blog I have alluded to the calm state that I find myself in here. I think I can start to explain better what I mean. It is not just the reality of living in a smaller city, where forested hills are visible on the horizon at the end of every street. It is not the fact that I have time to do dishes ...

... centre, and have a view of the river (a little), lots of space, really bright and all newly renovated. now if we could just get the internet to work... (yes, phone/internet companies suck uniformly worldwide, but SONERA IS THE WORST!!) today i went on a 10k hike organized by the SU, about 20km north of here, such beautiful fall colours, especially the reds. now, for this thesis thing...

... to give me a plastic blanket to eventually cover my new tent in case of rain to be sure to keep it waterproof. It was really great of him and he has been really all wonderful for all my stay. I wish I could have speak some finnish with him... Then it was waiting for the mail... important to me as I had forget my towel in Oulu and it was being post and logically it was due today. It arrive, packed the towel ...

... is it the other way around... but overall, i can feel that i am building a very tangible and solid foundation of happiness within myself, that is not based on future plans or other people, that is something lasting that will continue to hold me and flow with me no matter what else may come go or change around or within me. being here is helping that process, and i am so thankful for that. so i will come home for the summer and return ...

well, i have been here for over a week now, and am finally starting my travelogue... after a 40 hour journey, i arrived in rovaniemi, by train from helsinki, at 8am last wednesday. i was awake for most of the train trip (thus began a week of completely wacky time schedule, of being awake at night and tired during the day!), and a beautiful sunrise over the very canadian-looking forest greeted me. rovaniemi is a beautiful town/city (pop. 35,000), and as soon as i ...