Lapland 2015
Last year when sat in a little cafe in Chester me and my mum got talking about things we'd like to do in our lifetime, most of them ended up being the same but one really stood out. The idea of going to the arctic circle has always been a magical thought and something we've both really wanted to do but for some reason when we were sat in this cafe it was a dead certain, we had to do it.
Booked and with an extra team member (my wonderful Aunty Jenny) we were off on the trip of a lifetime...*gulp*
None of us quite knew what to expect and from the get-go it was nothing like we'd ever experienced. Boarding a tiny aeroplane, filled by only half, the actual journey was incredible with stunning views until the landing, which was terrifying to say the least. Landing on a runway of ice the sun was just setting, the perfect start to our holiday.
Whereas we're used to hoards of sheep blocking the roads we were now greeted by masses of reindeer leaping in front of our coach, which was scarily speeding along a snow covered road. The hotel couldn't of looked more inviting being lit up by rows of candlelight and with icicles dropping from the room to the floor surrounded by masses of powdery snow. After our first dinner of 'carrot special' we headed back to our adorably cosy cabin, awaiting the day ahead.
We had our activities planned out and had at least one thing a day, to our excitement, the very first thing we got to experience was dog sledding. After a very brief course on how to control the dogs we were all assigned a pack of huskies, and off we went.
It was the most incredible thing I've ever done and the dogs were an absolute dream, it wasn't until we swapped teams and mum and Jenny were allowed to go together that the accidents happened...
After all the activities there was a lot of 'Gloggi' drinking in cosy tipis.
Once you were dropped off at the hotel there wasn't really anywhere you could go, apart from the tiny garage and gift shop down the road, so we spent a lot of our time walking up to the view point which gave stunning views over all of Finland. Every time you went up there the light was different and seemed to get even better.
We got the chance to visit one of the smaller 'ice hotels' down the road and the detail and skill that went into it was absolutely breathtaking!
The reindeer's were gorgeous and so friendly but the actual reindeer ride was at a slower pace than we were now used to, this was also the coldest day with 4 layers of thermals not warming you up.
Amongst many other activities like snowshoeing and cross country skiing we also got to do a night time snow mobile ride, which was exciting to say the least. In the middle of a snowstorm the atmosphere was incredible and it's something I'll never forget.
Of course one of the main reasons of going to the middle of nowhere was to see the northern lights, and we were lucky enough to see them on more than one occasion. They were everything and more that I expected, here are some pictures..
None of us really knew what to expect when we boarded the flight in Manchester but I think we can all honestly said it has been the most wonderful and soul healing experience, thank you to everyone who was involved in making it what it was. I've also made a short film of our time so we can remember it properly. The biggest thanks to my lovely mum and aunty for providing me with a stupid amount of laughs and memories that will remain forever xx
If you feel tempted, here's the link..
