Sydney

Today we are leaving on an Emirates A 380 jet plane to Scandinavia for 29 days. The flight will take over 30 hours including stopovers. First stopover is Dubai then Copenhagen and on to ourLeer más
Dubai Stopover

Dubai our first stopover on this very long journey and we went straight to the lounge for 3 hours to freshen up.
Copenhagen Stopover

This stopover was for 4.5 hours and again we went straight for the lounge. John read some emails and I found a comfy spot under my jacket and slept for a little while.
Hotel Lilla Roberts - Helsinki

Finally arrived in Helsinki, Lilla Roberts is home for the next few days.
This boutique hotel is decorated with the original art deco of the 1930s. Lilla Roberts is located amongst trendy designedLeer más
Kappeli Coffee House

We unpacked a few items before heading out for for a short walk to stretch the legs after sitting for so long on the plane . Yes, it is late, however, at this time of year it is more like dusk.
WeLeer más
Sightseeing in Helsinki

Christmas Markets are the first agenda item in our walk around the City.
Helsinki Sightseeing

Helsinki is the largest city in Finland and has a population of 1.4 million. Helsinki is in the northernmost corner of Europe and is on the Baltic Sea. The Helsinki Archipelago consists of over 300Leer más
City of Helsinki Museum

Now for some history at the City of Helsinki Museum which was different to other museums especially the children and the virtual reality section.
The museum documents and displays the history ofLeer más
Senate Square

The Senate Square and its surroundings form a unique and cohesive example of Neoclassical architecture. The square is dominated by four buildings designed by Carl Ludvig Engel 1778-1840 HelsinkiLeer más
Helsinki at Night

Still walking around this beautiful city, there is just so much to take in and the photos do not show how pretty everything really is, especially at night. The department store window dressings areLeer más
Suomenlinna Ferry

Today we took the ferry to a local Island of Suomenlinna Sea Fortress where we spent quite a few hours just walking around looking at the fortifications.
Suomenlinna

Suomenlinna (Sveaborg) is a sea fortress, which was built gradually from 1748 onwards on a group of islands belonging to the district of Helsinki. The work was supervised by the Swedish AdmiralLeer más
Suomenlinna Church

The Suomenlinna Church was built as a Russian Orthodox garrison church in 1854. The original building had five steeples with onion domes. In 1918 the Orthodox church was converted into an EvangelicalLeer más
Ehrensvärd’s Tomb

The Great Courtyard, designed by Augustin Ehrensvärd, served as the main square and administrative centre of the fortress. The houses surrounding the courtyard included the fortress commandant’sLeer más
Suomenlinna Dry Dock

The dry dock in Suomenlinna is the oldest in Finland and one of the oldest operational dry docks in Europe.
The construction of the dry dock began in 1750. The dock’s basins and service buildingsLeer más
Rock Church

Back on the mainland we then went by tram around the city to Rock Church.
Temppeliaukio Church is a Lutheran church in the Toolo neighborhood of Helsinki. The church was designed by architects andLeer más
Leaving Helsinki

Today we leave Helsinki for Rovaniemi. We really enjoyed Helsinki with it's lovely buildings and ease of walking around. We only visited a little of Helsinki and hope one day to be back.
On our way to Rovaniemi

Santa is getting closer. We are today going to Rovaniemi which is the capital of Lapland in northern Finland. Almost totally destroyed during World War II, today it’s a modern city known for beingLeer más
Cumulus Hotel Rovaniemi

Arrived at our Hotel. It is not as fancy as the Hopwood's usually have but still comfortable and close to the main centre of town so very easy to walk around.
Rovaniemi

Unpacked and now time to explore and dinner.
Snow Mobile Tour

First Lapland tour, which was on snow mobiles. It was so much fun but we did not see the Northern lights even though it was a clear night.
Husky Safari

Today was so much fun we went on a 2 hour Husky Sleigh Ride in morning.
John drove the husky's very well as we mushed along through forests and around frozen lakes. I would love to do this one againLeer más
Reindeer Pizza for Lunch

It did seem a little weird at first eating Rudolf but the pizza was so nice and so many restaurants have Reindeer on the menu. I guess it is just like beef on our menu back home.
Reindeer Safari

Tonight was a 2 hour Reindeer safari.
The reindeer safari was quite subdued sitting back and being pulled by a reindeer.
Rudolf was no where to be seen maybe tomorrow at Santa's Village.
Santa's Village and Arctic Circle

Today was the highlight of this trip so far. One of the items on my bucket list is to meet Santa at his home at Christmas. I can now tick this item off the list as I met Santa today and we even had aLeer más