A Reindeer adventure in the Arctic Circle
For those wishing to experience the more traditional aspects of the holiday season, nothing could be better than a sleighride to Santa’s Village. The Finnish city of Rovaniemi lies at the Arctic Circle, and provides the perfect location for activities like dog sledding, sleigh rides, and enjoying a meal inside an igloo.
Enjoy the excerpt from this GoNomad.com article below!
A Reindeer Sleigh ride
We visited a reindeer farm and rode like the jolly old man himself on a reindeer sled. Bumpy! Since the sled had space for two, I was paired with a young man from Spain. He was enthralled with all the snow. Though our communication was limited, we laughed and grinned like best buds. The sled ride did not involve flying over rooftops; unfortunately we stayed attached to terra firma. Where are Donner and Blitzen when you need them?
Santa Claus Village is a white fantasy land, constructed partially of snow buildings. Tall, narrow ice obelisks glowed blue and green, eerily illuminating the afternoon darkness.
I kept noticing a group of youngsters in the 7-to-12 age range, wearing matching outfits.
Filled with energy, they bounced around the village in an organized fashion so I assumed they were part of the staff, or perhaps staff off-spring. Their duties included throwing snowballs, giggling, sledding, and generally creating a festive feeling. Their antics had the desired effect.
Out-of-This-World Sensation
Snowmobiling is an essential part of any visit to Rovaniemi. The trails are cut through more pristine, snow-covered pine trees. Acre upon acre of perfectly sculpted snow is such a pleasure to see. The temperatures cause the snow to cling tenaciously to even the tiniest, thinnest tree branch.
I took a spill off my snowmobile into a snowbank, head first. Then I realized someone was laughing like crazy. Oh, it was me! A moment later, I reminded myself I was sitting in a snow bank in the Arctic. It gave me an out-of-this-world sensation. At one point while riding, I could see the moon sitting on the horizon to my left and the sun on the horizon to my right.
