Stars and Dogs

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Geo: 67.1571, 26.9157

It is 20 degrees below 0 and falling, 9pm and we are taking a stroll around a frozen lake. There you have it- the excitement of an evening in Finland! At the end of our 40 minute walk there is a wooden hut with burning log fire in which to warm up after a short foray onto the lake to see what there is to see- on this occasion no Northern Lights but a stunning display of the stars and constellations which we would never see back home. All attempts to photograph this superb display failed so if the Northern Lights do appear I doubt whether we will get any pictures.
The following morning we tackled the usual buffet at leisure. Ian made superb pancakes in the waffle maker. At least we have now discovered that a glass of wine or beer is included with dinner but every meal is a buffet- soup; salad plus fish starter; meat veg potato main and simple dessert. We meet beforehand for a preprandial with the wine we brought.
Todays activity was husky driving. A short bus ride took us to the Husky Farm where we were shown how to drive a sleigh and before we knew it we were heading out in pairs- the chaps driving and the girls laying in the sleigh covered with blanket- a great way to travel! 6 lovely huskies,which were very excitable whenever we stopped but got down to business as soon as the brake was off . We raced along for 10 kilometers and it was very enjoyable- the boys did well at controlling the sleighs. I never knew that huskies could run fast and crap at the same time! This was a bit disconcerting when the one at the back ie in front of me decided to do this at speed, and I was ready to dodge flying poo! At the end of the trip our guide showed us newborn pups and showed us where the dogs lived and told us all about them. Apparantly Siberian Huskies are the only ones which are a pure breed. Only 20% have blue eyes, most have brown eyes and some have one blue and one brown eye! The trip ended up in a cabin where we had coffee and reindeer sausages, then it was back to the hotel for a swim and jacuzzi.

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