Snuggly in a snow hotel, pink sunrise and peeing in the corridor.

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Finland day 4 (& the night of day 3)



Snuggly in a snow hotel, pink sunrise and peeing in the corridor



Okay so last night was spent in a snow hotel. This was our first, and most probably last, time of doing this. I don't think it's something you'd be in a rush to do again so it makes me wonder why some people book in there for two nights-especially with young kids. Hopefully you'll understand why this is a bad idea by the time I've finished this blog.



So before 10pm last night we were sat in a cosy room with a real fire burning away. We were both tired but trying to put off going to a room that hovers around the minus 5 mark. To get there it was a short walk outside but it was down to minus 14 out there. But we couldn't put it off forever and we headed out and into the snow hotel.



The locker room is heated and you only get a smallish locker so you have to leave your main luggage in the storage room of the main hotel. You get changed into your undergarments-which seemed to mean different things to different people-then put on your boots and coats and head to your rooms. You also take a pillow, a sleeping bag and a fleecey inner bag which you traipse through the dark, icy corridors with.



As we stepped out of the locker room we head a voice from the gloom at the bottom of the ramp asking us to go back but couldn't understand why. Until the lady explained that she was having a wee. Yes she was squatted down, snow suit around her ankles peeing in the corridor of a hotel making yellow snow. We turned our backs politely as she explained she had been desperate and couldn't find the loos (they were literally 10 yards away!). And then we got a running commentary as things like 'oh god it's still coming, I've never seen so much wee' were heard behind us. Classy. She told us when we could turn round and had disappeared up a corridor before we had turned round. Finally we could head towards our room.



Your room is of course made of ice and snow and snice as is the whole hotel apart from the locker rooms and toilets. Your bed is made of ice but has a small mattress on top and a plug socket for charging things. Oh and there's some sort of animal hide on your bed too. You take off your boots, put your coat inside your sleeping bagand then begin the complicated process of wrapping yourself in.



First you need to negotiate the inner sleeping bag then get that and you inside the outer one. Then you get snuggled in with as little skin showing to the outside world as possible and bed down for the night. Now I have to say that I slept surprisingly well. I wasn't cold and when I did wake up I turned over and fell back to sleep almost straight away. I was actually colder in the glass igloos when the heating appeared to go off.



Typically there were no northern lights so we didn't get woken up until just after 6 when we were brought some hot berry juice. I was already awake as I had been contemplating a getting desperate trip to the loos. This meant getting out of two sleeping bags, putting my coat on and then my boots which weren't too cold considering they had been standing uncovered at sub zero temperatures all night.



You then get changed behind a curtain in the locker room then sort all your stuff out before heading to where your main luggage is and have to pack in the luggage room. Can you see why you shouldn't/wouldn't book two nights yet? If you wimp out by the way there are limited bunk beds to sleep in the locker room but only two were occupied come this morning.



When we checked out this morning we got certificates to show how well we'd done for staying the night in a snow hotel. It was certainly an adventure and I'm so glad we did it but I don't think it will be top of my list for future hotel stays. The sleeping was fine but the not having your luggage with you is fine for one night but for two? Nahhh.



So after sorting everything out it was time for another excellent breakfast. We'd pretty much finished eating when Claire noticed there was a bit of a sunrise going on and it was a lovely pink colour. So I've taken off and packed my thermals, my gloves, my insulated coat and my hat....and it's minus 14 with a bit of snow going on. So yes outside we go and hopefully the pictures will have been worth it. It was good to see anyway.



We returned to Rovaniemi airport with our Geordie friends and caught up on what each other had been up to. Turns out their glass igloo was too hot for them and they were sweltering-typical! The airport is quite small and we were soon checked in and watching the snow plows clearing the runways; which is not something you see every day.



Our plane only landed about 20 minutes before our departure time but we were soon on board and landed on time in Helsinki. Well done Norwegian Airlines. Take note Qatar Airways!!



We've had an amazing time in Finland and I can't thank Claire enough for sorting and paying for it all. A cracking birthday present that I have to try and match when she turns 50 in a few years time. Finland is fantastic, damned expensive but fantastic. I've enjoyed there being no cats to waste time with as well-always a bonus! If I come back I'd definitely go dog sledding again and definitely stay in a glass igloo. I probably wouldn't fork out to eat in an ice restaurant again and probably wouldn't sleep in an ice hotel. Done them, enjoyed the experience but it wouldn't be worth the money to do them again. Snowshoeing I'd do again if I had to, saunaing and hot tubbing I'd definitely do again but wouldn't at the prices here especially when the hour includes getting undressed and dressed again.



Next time I will have a go at snowmobiling and, you never know, one day the northern lights might actually put in an appearance for us. We've tried Iceland and Finland so maybe Norway next time. We'll let you know when we're going so you can avoid being there at the same rime so you might have a chance of seeing them! We haven't even been able to see stars here and Claire has read many articles, bought magazines and watched videos as well as us going out practicing all to no avail. It certainly hasn't detracted from the holiday though. It really has been Finntastic....sorry.....

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