Angel Whispers

Back to Grey

People say a trip to Lapland is a once in a lifetime experience. That will certainly be true in my case, but I'm pleased we did it. All our self planning and bookings went well with just a few glitches, but even so it was a very expensive trip. Finland is a pricey country, but extremely beautiful. Rovaniemi is the official home of Santa Claus and many activities are based around the Christmas theme and yet, the hype and mania we see in England isn't apparent. No loud music, no flashing, crass lights, no mayhem in shops, no queues anywhere. Everything is tasteful and understated. The people are lovely; quiet, calm and kind.

It was cold for sure and one day plummeted to minus 22 centigrade and yet with the right clothing and a few hours of daylight it was quite tolerable, even pleasant with clear air, crisp snow and stunning views everywhere. Very different to the grey, damp, bone chilling winters we frequently have in England. It was indeed a week to remember and I hope the children always will. I am still sorting photographs, but hope to provide a link at some stage.

In hindsight it maybe wasn't the best choice of destination for Mey Ling who finds walking difficult and cannot do anything very active or for toddler Bobby who was too little to join in everything and difficult to keep properly attired, but there was something for everyone and some very enjoyable experiences. The children got to sample a bit of all we'd hoped for - ice skating, sledging, husky and reindeer rides as well as snowmobiling and of course meeting Santa himself. Sadly we didn't witness the Northern Lights as they are not as reliable or as easily accessible as people think.

Of course there were moments of irritation, panic, hilarity, discomfort and unfortunately all the kids developed a bug which ensured there was a long coughing concerto every morning, but they are resilient and energetic creatures so it didn't hinder them a great deal. The apartment we stayed in was lovely and very conveniently situated. There were times when the children were disagreeable and some 'I could strangle Mey Ling' moments, but that is the norm for my family.

So I'm glad we did it and survived it all with no major accidents or incidents. Now to get through the next week in murky, manic England...