After the Visit

After our visit with Santa, we stopped at a nearby kotta to warm up and have a bit of refreshment. Here, another of Santa's elves assisted us.

The High Point of the Trip

We loaded up in a sleigh enclosed with plexiglass to keep us out of the wind and, following a map that Seamus drew for our guide, we headed to Santa's house. When we got there, we found the old man seated by a nice fire. He had one of his elves with him (not pictured) to keep everything moving along smoothly.

Feeding the Reindeer

After our ride through the snow behind the reindeer, we went back to the coral and fed them. Reindeer eat lichen from the trees in the forest. We were given a bin of lichen someone had harvested for us and the kids got to feed the animals through the fence. Everybody was happy.

Riding with the Reindeer

This forest is enchanting. However, I'm pretty sure that I don't want to be here in the summer. This conifer forest must be filled with mosquitoes when it is warm here. Now, however, it is delightful.

In the Kotta

Here are a few more shots from inside the kotta. It was a warm, cozy place and we were fed a delicious mushroom soup.

Stopping for Lunch in a Kotta

It seems that the Finns build these small huts in the forest. This small one might be a refuge from the cold, I don't know. This small log cabins are called Kotta, huts, in Finnish. The scene sure is pretty though.

Looking Around

The trees here all look like they've been powdered with confectioners sugar. The cold and the frequent light snows contribute to this. As you can see from the snow on the roof of the building, the snow is fairly deep. We also find this out when we step off the beaten path. It looks relatively light out as if the sun were doing its job. But notice the lights on in the background. It is still pretty dark. The exposure of the camera is fooling you.

Snow Adventures

After breakfast we donned our serious winter clothes (provided) and headed out for a morning of play in the snow. This meant lots of tobogganing off of a small hill constructed for the purpose and a bit of riding a tethered snowmobile.

As you can see, it is still dark. Between the cloud over and the sun never really getting above the horizon this time of year, it was never very bright outside. As you can see below, it does get brighter, but not a lot.

Muonio, Findland

Our destination for this adventure is Muonio, Finland. It is located about 200 km above the arctic circle. Thus, it is not surprising that it is dark and snowing.