I'm about to tell you about a magical journey, about an enchanted place that offers indescribable emotions.
I'm talking about Rovaniemi.
We arrived at Malpensa the evening before the flight, the Tour Operator to whom we entrusted ourselves Giver Viaggi e Crociere he booked a room for us 2 minutes from the airport so as to have the convenience of leaving in relaxation the next day.
We left Malpensa with a charter that took us to the land of snow and ice in 3 hours and 40 minutes for this trip to Lapland with the children. The meal we ate on the plane will remain the best ever: napkin with Santa Claus, biscuits from Santa Claus, sweets and Christmas treats... The children had already literally gone crazy!
Landing at an airport in Lapland at the end of December is something sensational. All the snow-covered fir trees welcome you and although it is a frozen place you feel enveloped in an incredible warmth.
As soon as we landed we got on the buses which took us to a warehouse where the staff Giver Viaggi he gave a super useful briefing on how to dress, how to deal with the cold, how to behave with children in certain situations. In short, everything we needed to know to experience this wonderful journey without worries! Among other things, the person who gave us the briefing is called Giorgio and he is a big, good man, a great traveler who will surely love him if you meet him!
Once the briefing is finished Giver Viaggi provided us with all the equipment for the cold, namely: wool socks, boots, hat, scarf and the thermal suit that will become your best friend (not in the morning when you have to put it on but when you are out in the snow).
And now everyone in the hotel... tired we fall asleep dreaming of the next day... especially the children...
Well yes the big day has arrived!
Today we will be able to meet Santa Claus live! After all, this is the main reason why we came to Lapland with the children.
One thing I want to underline about this Tour Operator is the fact that on many occasions they have managed to avoid the chaos of people and let us experience places without the crowds of people such as the visit to Santa Claus' village. We left at eight in the morning. It was pitch dark outside.
The wonderful lights on the snow-covered fir trees welcomed us. There was no one! We headed straight to Santa's house.
I'm sorry because words will never convey the emotion we experienced.
The kids were super excited.
It's all fantastic, all designed to perfection to make you experience this magic even more intensely.
The large wooden door opens.
A walkway that passes through packages and packages of gifts.
Peepholes from which to look into a fairy world. You can breathe the magic... You walk and go up the stairs to the main door.
Families are called individually. And then something wonderful happens.
We hear a loud: “Good morning!! How are you?"
Santa Claus knows little phrases in all the languages of the world!
My children couldn't believe their eyes... For once they were speechless. And I must say that we were very excited too.
In fact, this is an experience not only for children but also for adults, for those who have kept the magic in their hearts forever.
I will tell you about this meeting in detail in a separate article.
Happy as ever, we take a nice stroll around the village and then, after lunch, we return to the hotel.
Time for a sauna and a nap to prepare for New Year's Eve dinner.
This evening we will have another wonderful experience.
In fact, we leave around 9.30pm and head into the woods just outside Rovaniemi. Well, this is another example of how the staff managed to help us avoid the chaos of people and let us experience our own moment.
All lit by candles.
They make us sit inside a kota (typical Finnish house) and a girl tells us in a theatrical and fabulous way a traditional story of this country. She manages to capture everyone's attention and also perform magic... she transforms us into reindeer with a symbol of ash on her forehead.
No sooner said than done, we find ourselves on sleighs dragged by wonderful reindeer.
The starry sky, the full moon, the fresh snow. The sleigh that slides and crosses the woods at night.
The breath of reindeer…
It was a very intense moment. Something you only see in movies…
And we were really living it.
Shortly after we were toasting the new year and raising our glasses to the sky full of wonderful fireworks.
What could be more beautiful than starting such an enchanting year!?
The following day was nothing short of amazing.
The weather was -32°C but with the adequate equipment they provided us, no one stopped us!
Husky breeding management, another highlight of the trip to Lapland with children.
Here a briefing awaits us and it is advisable to listen to it with adequate attention because it is no joke to drive the sled with huskies.
Having small children we decided to do the 3 km route.
In this case the sled is driven by us.
I think I have never had such a beautiful experience in my entire life.
You absolutely must try the husky sled.
The landscape is breathtaking. The low sun lit up all the tips of the snow-covered trees red.
The playful dogs couldn't wait to run and take us around their snow-filled world.
We all had so much fun... We wish it would never end!
Then we went to drink red berry herbal tea and eat ginger biscuits in a small cabin.
This is one of those journeys that seem to come out of some imaginary book... but instead it's all true, everything to be experienced.
In the afternoon we took the children to a really beautiful museum that we recommend, it is located in the center of Rovaniemi. His name is Pilke. You will find lots of wooden games, means of transport to ride on, karaoke, virtual reality, interactive games and much more.
Time to return to the hotel and it's already time for dinner. This evening we will experience another adventure; here is a succession of uncontainable emotions immersed in Arctic nature.
We leave around 9.30pm towards the camp to spot the Northern Lights.
After watching a small video where they explain the phenomenon, we head to an isolated area where we cooked sausages and marshmallows around some small fires to the delight of the children!
Hot chocolate and blueberry tea couldn't be missing. After tasting everything we took the snowmobile which took us to the frozen lake where there is more chance of spotting the Aurora as there is no trace of artificial light.
The Northern light cannot be commanded. It comes when she wants. Sometimes intense, sometimes less intense, sometimes it doesn't arrive at all. This is nature and you have to accept it without feeling bad about it. And that's the fascinating part too. Just before leaving we see a streak in the sky. She's not strong and she's not intense but she made herself seen even if shyly.
These are the adventures experienced in four intense days of travel!
Giver Viaggi e Crociere offers a very wide range of experiences for all tastes and suitable for everyone. We would have liked to ride the snowmobiles freely or go fishing by drilling a hole in the ice but so be it... we will have an excellent excuse to return!
Lapland can transport you to a magical world. I suggest everyone to experience it at least once in their life. If you have children it will be a crazy and unforgettable experience for the whole family!
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Etiopia Capitale: Addis Abeba Moneta: Birr Periodo migliore: Il clima