1 Helsinki

two

three

4 Kiruna

5 abiscu

6 Tromso

7 hilkness

8 saliselka

9 levy

Show all 9 days away

Day 1

2015-01-25

In January 2015, four small partners, from Finland, Sweden to Norway, started a 13 day self driving trip. In this short 13 days, through Helsinki, Rovaniemi, Kiruna, abiscu, Tromso, hilkness, saliselka, Levi, the whole 1800km journey, relying on a Mercedes Benz C series to complete the whole journey. When we set out these destinations on the map with great ambition, we didn't expect that we would encounter heavy snow, the road was closed, we were forced to stay, the car got into the snow halfway, we pushed it for more than two hours in the storm, rushed into the desert ice lake, and met the northern lights when we went out

On January 25, at 17:47 Finnish time, we arrived in Helsinki. For this Nordic travel in the general sense of the origin of the city, we have long been familiar with as usual. But it can still surprise us, especially in winter.

After some sorting out, the dark night of Helsinki has already come. The deep and cool air, accompanied by the white smoke exhaled from our mouth, seems to remind us that we have come to the arms of northern Europe, which is not warm.

Rush to a friend's home, waiting for the city's tomorrow, waiting for the 24 hours with our participation. The paper-cut with the word "Fu" pasted on the glass wall and the old godmother on the table reveal the nationality of the host.

Simple hospitality, ha ha

The next morning, the yard was covered with snow Volvo old car

Although a jet lag and untimely spirit, but can only obediently go to the market to prepare food for the evening. I always thought that the market of Hakaniemi was in winter, but I didn't expect that it would be so lively.

A dazzling winter night fair

Little Finnish girl on dad's neck

After staying at a friend's house for a night, breakfast was still searched in Hakaniemi's bazaar, and then casually went to a kahvila restaurant and ordered a sandwich. The owner of the shop is Luis, a handsome Spanish guy who settled here with his Finnish girlfriend.

breakfast

Luis, the owner

Then we went to the Eira seaside, where the wind was very strong, and only one or two pedestrians strolled leisurely through the open streets.

Early passers-by

The world is vast

I strolled around the neighborhood at random and was surprised to be in the dog park   Tervaasaari met a small piece of green grass, we happily came to this small place to stop for a while.

Lifebuoy standing by the sea

For lunch, we were in a downtown school called perho   Raventola's chef school restaurant. All the 80 year old restaurants are very simple and ordinary in appearance and interior. Compared with restaurants, they are more like canteens built by borrowing houses. But the salads and bread here are great. I think they are even better than the staple food.

Very delicious salad and bread

Isolated high chair by the sea

After lunch, we went to the famous Finnish Beach Scenic Spot hietaniemi   Beck and the Helsinki sweetheart Regatta cafe. Enjoying the beautiful little place in Helsinki in winter.

Regatta Cafe

In the afternoon, when we returned to the city, we met a lively hockey field on the way. The wind and frost on our face would be melted by the enthusiasm and vitality of the sports field.

Even three or two-year-old children are eager to support the sled.

We rushed to PRISMA supermarket to prepare our dinner materials. The variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and meat products in the supermarket greatly enriched our imagination of dinner.

The little handsome guy in the cooked food area has some melancholy eyes, brother

After eating and buying a meal from the supermarket, we walked back to our lodging place tonight with big bags and small bags. However, the MARIMEKKO shop we met on the way made us indulge in the classic poppy patterns and delicate cups and plates.

This is where we live today - a B & B in the city. People can't help but like it because of its simple and clean plain color.

Day 2

2015-01-26

Located 50 kilometers to the east of Helsinki, polvo is an old medieval city with a long history. It used to be an important import trade center of Finland. Rows of red warehouses along the polvo River witnessed the glorious shipping history for a long time.

Before walking into the city, I saw an ice fisherman on the frozen polvo River in the distance. We couldn't help stepping forward and chatting with him.

Outside the window of the wooden house, a lonely tree.

People in the old city have the temperament of the old city. They are not in a hurry. The posture of riding a bicycle across the line of sight seems so leisurely, even the kitten who occasionally passes by the camera is walking in a gentle way.

After a half day stay in polvo, we drove back to Helsinki again, ready to take the northern night train to the first stop in Lapland, rovanemi.

Day 3

2015-01-27

As the capital of Lapland, Rovaniemi will be regarded as a base for all people. Abandoning some of the commercial atmosphere of the city, Rovaniemi has left us too many impressions, including Santa Claus Village and all kinds of snow activities.

One night on the night train, I didn't sleep very well. I had to open my eyes and look out the window every hour. And in this kind of impatient mood, the train finally arrived in the capital of Lapland at 7:30 in the morning.

That's right. It's really rowanemi at 7:30 in the morning.

Foreign passengers on the same train

After waiting for the self driving car at the station, we went to the first stop - reindeer farm. Under the guidance of the guide, we took the reindeer sleigh and headed for the deep forest and snow! Lying on a sleigh with only a reindeer fur blanket, walking slowly through the Lapland snow at minus 2 degrees, this experience is really amazing.

After leaving the reindeer farm, we headed for Santa Claus Village. When we saw the wooden roof of Santa Claus's office, we felt the warmth of fairy tales. After Christmas, Santa Claus Village is far less lively than before, but in the Christmas Post Office, there are still travelers and postcards with good wishes.

Best wishes from Santa Claus Village

This girl is an intern in husky Park, manttu

The second ha who rakes the guardrail

After noon, we were still interested in the reindeer sled experience in the morning, so we went to a husky farm for a faster and more exciting sled experience. The short distance of 2 kilometers is full of passion under the power of Husky's hard pull, and the silent snow forest leaves us another impression in an instant.

This is our husky sleigh guide, Mari

Let's go!

Day 4

2015-01-28

Kiruna in the north of Sweden is not the main destination of our trip, but just a transit place that we have to go through. But it is the place where we meet in a hurry that presents us an incredible world of snow.

on the way

Dead trees at the foot of the mountain

A gray line in the snow far away is the downtown area of Kiruna.

The high wooden church of the Sami tribe deep in the pine forest is very modern. And this black cabin is where the Sami store their food.

This lonely street lamp has shown us the way to Kiruna in the distance. A few kilometers ahead, the busiest city will arrive.

The RV and wooden house buried in the snow in the city is a bit like the movie into   the   wild   The scene inside. I didn't expect that this man had the leisure of walking the dog in this weather.

Day 5

2015-01-29

Abiscu is our main destination in Sweden. This town is known as the best place to observe the northern lights. Although we have seen all kinds of beautiful things about it from countless travel photos, abiscu in reality does not give us a gentle and graceful imagination about the aurora, but presents a depressing image of the snow plain in the daytime.

Abiscu can be roughly divided into two areas, one is called Abisko   There are local residents living in the village, and the other is the turistation. And we are going to the most famous Aurora Borealis sky station in turistation. But at this time, the sky station has been inundated by last night's Blizzard, almost no one came to patronize.

The cable cars that used to be frequent also stopped

Outdoor wooden table covered with snow

Guess this is a toilet?

Before leaving abiscu, we came to the so-called northernmost railway station in Sweden, which is a section of the world's northernmost railway line "Kiruna Narvik". But now there has been no train and passengers for a long time, and the whole platform has fallen into endless silence.

Although it is no longer in the hometown of Nokia, we still simulate the classic "connecting"   people’。

Day 6

2015-01-30

From the snowstorm in northern Sweden all the way to the valley on this side of Norway, we will never see the fierce snowstorm again. Without stopping there, I went straight to Tromso, Paris in the north, and finally arrived at the city by the water at night.

I didn't expect to give us a big surprise when we arrived in this city - we saw the northern lights in Tromso all the way! Looking at the flickering green light in the sky, I suddenly feel grateful for everything, even the blizzard I experienced before that is so lovely.

Before the sun completely darkened the sky, we found a suitable corner to wait for the awakening of the city on the seashore beside the tromserones airport. The sun is rising, but the sky is fading. The clouds in the sky, the mountains in the distance and the wooden houses on the bank all seem to present the most textural colors.

There is always a corner of the sky where birds fly

Arctic Church

Tromso Bridge

At the foot of the towering snow mountain on the opposite bank of the Arctic church, the strong iron bones of the Tromso sea crossing bridge across the sky connect to the road and the Arctic church at our feet. Maybe it's not the biggest and most spectacular bridge, but in Tromso in the snow, it's the only hub.

Boats on the dock

Flowers in the window

Tromso, surrounded by fjords and mountains, does not seem to be a city, but a remote border town. But when you really walk in the city here, you will find that it is no worse than any city in northern Europe.

Cheese stand in the morning market

A thoroughfare Street

Day 7

2015-01-31

When we step on the northernmost promontory of Norway, we come to the most beautiful seaside town in Norway - hilkenes. Compared with the cold, this Arctic city gives us more impression of the vast ocean and the king crab under the ocean.

Wooden frame for catching king crab

Crab leg feast

One of the advantages of being a port city is that you can have a panoramic view of the sea as long as you are in the urban area. On the promontory of hilkenes, we stand at one end, and at the other end there is an endless ocean of ice.

Day 8

2015-02-01

Saliselka lies in the Arctic circle   five hundred   North Lapland is a virgin wasteland that has not been destroyed by human activities. It is also the northernmost tourist attraction on earth. It is such a small place, but because of 20 or 30 glass houses, it attracts countless people.

Wooden house under construction

The glass house is the most unique residential sign in Surrey mountain. Although we have seen other types of glass houses in rowanemi and Levi, the glass house in Surrey mountain is more impressive. These Crystal Fairy Tales in full bloom in ice and snow make us feel the wave and childlike innocence of Nordic people again.

And you will never think that these exquisitely carved glass houses were built by an old man himself. Judy, the owner of the glass house, and his dog have been sticking to this happy career of creating fairy tales for the 41st year.

Day 9

2015-02-02

After more than 1800 kilometers, we came to Levi, the last destination of our trip. In the ski resort of Levi, we climb the snow path and roar down, enjoying the endless fun of daring to try.

Levi's ski resort has 44 ski paths with different difficulties. For beginners, we can only gradually adapt on the slowest and simplest snow path next to the uphill elevator. Even so, 90 minutes of skiing course, we still use 70 minutes of wrestling in exchange for 20 minutes.

As we leave Levi and return to Helsinki, Levi's snowy landscape provides us with the last group of photographic materials. Looking at this quiet boundless wilderness, I found that I had been trapped by this winter temptation. Goodbye, Nordic. We'll see you next winter.