When fall ends and the days are getting shorter, Lappland sinks into a deep wintersleep, lasting till May, until the snow melts and nature prepares for its short summer. As harsh the climate up north on one side is; the other side shows its incomparable beauty. Above the polar circle the sun does not vanish for almost a month. It is like she compares her time she stays away in the long winter time known as Twilight or Kaamos. This special times turnes the sky into the nicest pink and red colors I have ever seen. Finnish Lappland is not a place you visit – it is a place you feel. A rough climate to live, for people and animals. But last one made a perfect adaptation to it. Many animals change their coats white for the winter, to be invisible in the white snow from predators. And even you hardly see animals at all in the winter time, their footprints in the snow leave their presence all over.
While in Hong Kong 6700 people are living on a square meter in average, in Lappland there are only 2. That is a lot of nature and much open space. Even with such small population it is filled with much interesting history. There are so many things I love about this place and makes me return to it each year since more than 7 years now. The most natural wonder for me are the Aurora Borealis, the northern lights. As more north you get, the chances are better to see them, depending on the weather and the solar activity. Out of 7 visits, we had only twice the luck to see them, however this time, it was better than I ever imagined. One night took us to the Glass Igloos at Kakslauttanen, where you have the chance to sleep under the sky, but not being cold. A technical masterpiece. We had incredible luck to have a cloud free sky all night giving us the glance at most wonderful Auroras and many shooting stars for more than 3.5 hours. If you see Auroras don’t go back to sleep if they stop – many times they make a short break and then come back, better and stronger than before. And if you are not staying in a heated Igloo make sure you are dressed up properly. Temperatures can get -35 degrees and more at night at peak times.
The photos in this slideshow are 2 trips combined – at Christmas at Kaamos time, and at beginning of March, when the days are already filled with lots of sunshine again. Of course Reindeers and Huskys are also part of the photos. And on top, we were visiting the Poro Reindeer Race up in Ivalo. An unforgettable trip, including even Santa Clause at his house in Rovaniemi. The melody to it, names Aurora Borealis, perfect to the moment. Enjoy!
