What’s it like to cross the Arctic Circle?
After visiting Antarctica in 2019, Lynn and I wanted to see the other side of the globe by crossing the Arctic Circle. It’s the invisible line that marks the northernmost point where the sun can be seen at midnight during the summer solstice. So when we had the chance to visit Lapland, Finland, crossing the Arctic Circle became a reality.
We started our journey to Finland in Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Helsinki is a beautiful city with a rich history and culture. But we were eager to get to Lapland, so we headed north to Kuopio.
The scenery was amazing. We saw forests, lakes, and mountains that seemed to go on forever. Finland has more lakes than any other country in the world, with over 187,888 lakes and is the most forested country in Europe, with forests covering 74% of the country’s land area.
Kuopio is the 8th largest city in Finland, with a population of 122,615 but is small, clean and well kept. It’s the home of several universities and the Cathedral of Kuopio, a beautiful cathedral built in the 18th century.
Walking through town takes you to the Kallavesi Lake, a picturesque area with islands, tons of bird species and many water activities.
One of the delicacies in Finland is Reindeer. We saw several places that offered it as an entrée or in a meat pie. Would you eat it?
Continuing north, but not yet at the Arctic Circle, we began to make our way to Rovaniemi. We stopped at one of the oldest churches in Finland where the inside was built primarily from wood.
We also stopped by a village dedicated to the indigenous people of Finland, the Sámi. Our guide was Sámi and gave us an understanding of their past and life as it is today.
Once in Rovaniemi, we visited a reindeer farm. All reindeer are owned by Sámi tribe members and are tagged and allowed to roam free. Reindeer are an important part of the Sámi culture, and they have been herded by the Sámi for centuries. We were given a tour of the reindeer farm by a popular Sámi where we visited the herd and had a wonderfully prepared meal of fish. They also offered reindeer on the menu, but we stuck to the fish.
They also allowed us to practice lassoing reindeer (using a wooden practice unit). Several people tried lassoing from about 15 feet away, but Lynn and I were the only people to successfully do it.
A few days later, we noticed that our Sámi guide at the reindeer farm was famous when we saw his biography in a local museum.
Alas, we reached the Arctic Circle. It located in Santa’s Village, where Santa takes the rest of the year off. We also got a chance to meet the big guy and let him know what our grandkids want for Christmas.
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