BUT LOTS OF OTHER COOL STUFF
– LITERALLY - IN LAPLAND
http://www.yllasrinne.com/img/kartat.gif
When we got on our night train in Kolari*, the northernmost railway station in Finland, the sun was still high up. Our train was aptly named Aurora Borealis – unfortunately, the only Aurora Borealis we encountered on this trip. The train ride ended our three-day Lapland adventure, the first trip to real Lapland for both of us. That sounds unbelievable even to my own ears since I grew up in Northern Finland. But maybe for just that reason, we always headed south. I was helping Rafu study for his next day Finnish final in the train café car as we watched the trees getting a little taller and the sun doing its slow, slow setting for hours. I enjoyed eavesdropping three young women conversing in the Sámi language. Sámi is an ancient Finno-Ugric language, but not close enough to Finnish to understand. The rhythm and the melody make it sound very Finnish-like. It was the first time I heard Sámi in a natural conversation 'live'. By 10 PM it was still twilighty, and we studied a little longer before returning to our sleeping car for an all nighter to Tampere where we'd arrive at 6 AM. At 8 AM, we'd take another train to Jyväskylä and Rafu would run to school, two hours late.
*Rafu pointed out to me that the word, kolari, interestingly means a crash. Who knows why? Maybe reindeers crashing.
Our trip to Lapland was another Yrjönmäki family adventure we were privileged to be piggy bag on. Two of the three Y. sisters, Sirpa and Kirsti, arrived in Jyväskylä with kids on Saturday morning around 9:30. They had already driven for three hours, and we still had almost 12 hours to go. Finland is a long country! We stopped a few times to fill up with 1 euro 40 cents a liter gas. So, stop complaining about gas prices, Americans! Hours later, we entered Sweden for 30 minutes. The border between Finland and Sweden must be the easiest in the world to cross. The border station looks deserted. There's no one to stop you. You just cross the Tornio/Torneå (the latter in Swedish) river and enter Haaparanta/Haparanda unceremoniously. The same slushy snow keeps hitting the windshield as well on the Swedish side, that we had planned to use to drive up from here on, but due to the reports of the bad road conditions (those Swedes!), turned back and entered Finland again - just as easy a crossing as the other way around. Too bad, there's no one to ask to stamp our passports to prove that we've been abroad.
We finally get to Ylläs around 9:00 PM. Luckily, it's still light as we have to figure out where to find the mailbox, holding the key to our cabin, and then the cabin itself. We managed to do all that and enter a beautiful space, not really a cabin at all. The house hosts three bedrooms and a loft that sleeps several kids, a sauna with a separate washroom and dressing room, a fireplace, dishwasher, TV + VCR, washing machine, and drying closet for clothes. The floor heating keeps our toes toasty at +23 C.
our 'cabin'
Outside, there's snow, snow, and snow. The Helsinki people are ecstatic! They've barely seen any snow for the whole year while Rafu and I, Jyväskylä dwellers, have been much luckier in that respect. We settle down, light some candles, pour glasses of Sangiovese and sit down to enjoy reindeer pizza, a local specialty.
The next morning, we got a slow start. By noon, we were finally all out. Rafu and I joined Sirpa Y. with her daughters, Kirsti and Laura, and stepbrother Jason from California on a cross-country ski trip. We didn't expect the first timer California boys to be up to a long trip, but they proved us totally wrong. They bravely skied six kilometers to a cabin where we had hot drinks and munkkis (Finnish doughnuts) before we headed back. We stopped at Aurinkomaja, another cabin, where we roasted makkara in the outside fire pit and sat in the laavu (wilderness hut) before returning to the cabin. That night we were invited to the other Y. cabin (even a larger one) for a sauna and a pasta w/ reindeer meat dinner. Before that the women managed a quick trip to Viini & Willa (Wine & Wool), a little shop in an old barn where a local farming family was producing wine, jams, and wool products. The wool for the fine, warm handicrafts came from their own sheep. We listened to the owners' charming, local accent, which adds the 'h' sound to many syllables. The boys continued proving their bravery by rolling in the snow several times during their trip to sauna. We slept soundly, well fed and clean, and woke up into our second day.
Monday turned to become a gloriously sunny day. Most of the group hit the slopes at Ylläs-tunturi, a major ski resort. Tunturi is a name for a 'mountain' in Lapland. Tunturis are not mountains but fells, with slowly rising, rounded summits. We are so far up that the trees stop growing. That creates an excellent skiing area, and Lapland is indeed growing as a tourist spot in Europe. Even Madonna, Prince Albert of Monaco and the Beckhams, among other celebrities are looking to buy luxury cabins. If you'd like one, better reserve quickly. They're going fast! Here are some photos for you!
http://www.iltalehti.fi/uutiset/200804107498650_uu.shtml
The kids built a sled slope next to the house, and had great fun sledding for hours. We had to convince them to change into dry clothes as we headed out to the Lainio Snow village and restaurant. The snow village was an impressive structure. With hotel rooms, a bar with tables and some other common areas, it spread out with several wings. Every bedroom was different. Near by, there's a wooden church and a wooden sauna. The church to accommodate many foreign couples who want to tie the knot in an exotic setting, and the sauna – well, for everybody, of course!
www.netikka.net/hans.bjorknas/mpa002f.htm
At dinner, most of us, 19 in the Yrjönmäki clan + friends' group, including two Dutch visitors, ordered reindeer. I had a reindeer steak that was excellent, lean and …… a real treat. For dessert, a leipäjuusto/juustoleipä (depending on where in Finland you come from) was served with cloudberry jam and whipped cream. We happily returned to the cabins once again, well nourished and relaxed.
The Ylläs Fell
poronkäristys - sauteed reindeer
juustoleipä & lakkahilloa squeeky cheese & cloudberry jam
Tuesday was the last day for Rafu and me. The others would stay the whole week. But our beds would not be wasted as the Yrjönmäki sisters' parents, Laura and Kauko, flew in on Tuesday afternoon. We convinced the boys to take another cross-country ski trip, and that they did. Sirpa Y., daughter Kirsti, and I ventured on a different trail with more hills. The forest was majestic with snowy trees and absolute quiet with only other skiers nodding their hellos. After our daily sauna, I cooked an Indian dinner for all – a break from the reindeer theme – and then it was time for Rafu and me to bid adieu. Thank you again, the Yrjönmäki clan, for a wonderful, new experience. And as for Lappi – Lapland – we'll be back!
*Rafu pointed out to me that the word, kolari, interestingly means a crash. Who knows why? Maybe reindeers crashing.
Our trip to Lapland was another Yrjönmäki family adventure we were privileged to be piggy bag on. Two of the three Y. sisters, Sirpa and Kirsti, arrived in Jyväskylä with kids on Saturday morning around 9:30. They had already driven for three hours, and we still had almost 12 hours to go. Finland is a long country! We stopped a few times to fill up with 1 euro 40 cents a liter gas. So, stop complaining about gas prices, Americans! Hours later, we entered Sweden for 30 minutes. The border between Finland and Sweden must be the easiest in the world to cross. The border station looks deserted. There's no one to stop you. You just cross the Tornio/Torneå (the latter in Swedish) river and enter Haaparanta/Haparanda unceremoniously. The same slushy snow keeps hitting the windshield as well on the Swedish side, that we had planned to use to drive up from here on, but due to the reports of the bad road conditions (those Swedes!), turned back and entered Finland again - just as easy a crossing as the other way around. Too bad, there's no one to ask to stamp our passports to prove that we've been abroad.
We finally get to Ylläs around 9:00 PM. Luckily, it's still light as we have to figure out where to find the mailbox, holding the key to our cabin, and then the cabin itself. We managed to do all that and enter a beautiful space, not really a cabin at all. The house hosts three bedrooms and a loft that sleeps several kids, a sauna with a separate washroom and dressing room, a fireplace, dishwasher, TV + VCR, washing machine, and drying closet for clothes. The floor heating keeps our toes toasty at +23 C.
our 'cabin'
Outside, there's snow, snow, and snow. The Helsinki people are ecstatic! They've barely seen any snow for the whole year while Rafu and I, Jyväskylä dwellers, have been much luckier in that respect. We settle down, light some candles, pour glasses of Sangiovese and sit down to enjoy reindeer pizza, a local specialty.
The next morning, we got a slow start. By noon, we were finally all out. Rafu and I joined Sirpa Y. with her daughters, Kirsti and Laura, and stepbrother Jason from California on a cross-country ski trip. We didn't expect the first timer California boys to be up to a long trip, but they proved us totally wrong. They bravely skied six kilometers to a cabin where we had hot drinks and munkkis (Finnish doughnuts) before we headed back. We stopped at Aurinkomaja, another cabin, where we roasted makkara in the outside fire pit and sat in the laavu (wilderness hut) before returning to the cabin. That night we were invited to the other Y. cabin (even a larger one) for a sauna and a pasta w/ reindeer meat dinner. Before that the women managed a quick trip to Viini & Willa (Wine & Wool), a little shop in an old barn where a local farming family was producing wine, jams, and wool products. The wool for the fine, warm handicrafts came from their own sheep. We listened to the owners' charming, local accent, which adds the 'h' sound to many syllables. The boys continued proving their bravery by rolling in the snow several times during their trip to sauna. We slept soundly, well fed and clean, and woke up into our second day.
Monday turned to become a gloriously sunny day. Most of the group hit the slopes at Ylläs-tunturi, a major ski resort. Tunturi is a name for a 'mountain' in Lapland. Tunturis are not mountains but fells, with slowly rising, rounded summits. We are so far up that the trees stop growing. That creates an excellent skiing area, and Lapland is indeed growing as a tourist spot in Europe. Even Madonna, Prince Albert of Monaco and the Beckhams, among other celebrities are looking to buy luxury cabins. If you'd like one, better reserve quickly. They're going fast! Here are some photos for you!
http://www.iltalehti.fi/uutiset/200804107498650_uu.shtml
The kids built a sled slope next to the house, and had great fun sledding for hours. We had to convince them to change into dry clothes as we headed out to the Lainio Snow village and restaurant. The snow village was an impressive structure. With hotel rooms, a bar with tables and some other common areas, it spread out with several wings. Every bedroom was different. Near by, there's a wooden church and a wooden sauna. The church to accommodate many foreign couples who want to tie the knot in an exotic setting, and the sauna – well, for everybody, of course!
www.netikka.net/hans.bjorknas/mpa002f.htm
At dinner, most of us, 19 in the Yrjönmäki clan + friends' group, including two Dutch visitors, ordered reindeer. I had a reindeer steak that was excellent, lean and …… a real treat. For dessert, a leipäjuusto/juustoleipä (depending on where in Finland you come from) was served with cloudberry jam and whipped cream. We happily returned to the cabins once again, well nourished and relaxed.
The Ylläs Fell
poronkäristys - sauteed reindeer
juustoleipä & lakkahilloa squeeky cheese & cloudberry jam
Tuesday was the last day for Rafu and me. The others would stay the whole week. But our beds would not be wasted as the Yrjönmäki sisters' parents, Laura and Kauko, flew in on Tuesday afternoon. We convinced the boys to take another cross-country ski trip, and that they did. Sirpa Y., daughter Kirsti, and I ventured on a different trail with more hills. The forest was majestic with snowy trees and absolute quiet with only other skiers nodding their hellos. After our daily sauna, I cooked an Indian dinner for all – a break from the reindeer theme – and then it was time for Rafu and me to bid adieu. Thank you again, the Yrjönmäki clan, for a wonderful, new experience. And as for Lappi – Lapland – we'll be back!
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