Helena-Reet Ennet

Helena-Reet Ennet
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Helena-Reet: With children on a road trip around Finland (VOL7 – from Kittilä to Rovaniemi, Santa Claus Holiday Village etc) + TRAVEL PHOTOS!

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – It was a pity to leave Levi, since it had been just wonderful there (read the blog overview HERE and general information what one can do in Levi HERE), however, we were on a road trip around Finland and it was time to move on. New places and new events were awaiting us! Today the trip to Rovaniemi where we planned to stay for two nights was ahead.

It is ca 2 hours driving from Levi to Rovaniemi (about 150km). I had a plan to drive through Särestöniemi museum that was conveniently on the way (Särestöntie 880 99119 Kaukonen), but apparently the GPS in the car was out of order since it was taking us through the wood to absolute wasteland… At some point when it was saying “you will reach destination after 800m” I just turned over as I was afraid to get stuck. The road from Kittilä to Rovaniemi was a little less awsome than the impressions from Kolari-Levi road, but the nature was there and the reindeer at the sides of the road were there, too. For me, the greatest impression from Lapland were the reindeer – they are just so wonderful! Together with the Nordic dark thick forests they create for me the mystic air that I went to find. Lapland is sooo lovable! I mostly like animals when they are freely in the nature – this is why I prefer to take children and go by ourselves into the nature rather than visit moose and husk farms where the animals are exhibited to tourists and used for riding. While the urban folk, constantly in a hurry, literally cannot see them any other way – then it is still good to have them, otherwise people would alienate from animals and from the nature completely.




The usual two-hour drive again took us about five-six hours while every now and then we stopped to enjoy the beautiful nature, see the reindeer, take photos and immediately share them on Instagram / Snapcat with our followers. Here and there we digressed to see the little villages on the sides of the road (Kaukonen, Lohiniva, Molkojoki, Meltaus, Patokoski, Marraskoski, Tapionkylä, Sinettä). Kittilä-Rovaniemi road number 79 goes almost all the way along the side of the longest river in Finland – the Ounasjoki River. Ounasjoki is about 299,6 km long (186,2 miles).


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By lunchtime we arrived at Rovaniemi and decided to start with the greatest attraction here in Rovaniemi – the coolest sightseeing – Santa Claus. While we actually mixed things up then hereby I will also inform you that Santa Park (Tarvantie 1, 96930 Rovaniemi) and Santa Claus Holiday Village (Tähtikuja 2 96930 Rovaniemi – ca 8 km from Rovaniemi Centre) are two different destinations, however they are located quite close to one another (about a couple of kilometres apart). The first one was still closed when we arrived in Rovaniemi in October during our trip to Finland (it is open from November on). Santa Claus Holiday Village is a small village with cafes, a large souvenir shop and a possibility to take photos with Santa Claus in the post office for a reasonable amount of money. In our family we celebrate both Hanukka and Christmas – however the last holiday is not related to religion in our celebrations. There are the gnomes – funny little wizards, and Santa Claus, with his long white beard, who comes from Lapland, loves children and brings them presents. For us this is a fictional character, a fictional hero like the Pokus in children’s books (living in Southern Estonia), The Puppy-Girl Lotte (living in Pärnu) or the Moomins (living in Naantali, Finland).

The children (especially Ivanka Shoshana) were waiting with excitement to see Santa, yet ultimately such reserved reception by the children was unexpected. Quite honestly, I myself was rather disappointed. This is largely commerce – not even well-organised and convincinly sweet commerce, but rather somewhat hasty commerce… Along a quite interesting hallway we made it to Santa who was wearing an artificial beard and a cell phone in his hands (that one however he hid quickly). Even before children could have a look at Santa there were signed all over the place that you can take photos with Santa for such and such sums of money. Ahh.. who could be the marketing manager of that place? 😀

Rovaniemi has invested millions into promoting the Santa-story, and therefore it all is still worth seeing. Yet there is a difference between mere commerce and the real feeling, you still expect something for the soul… The story is actually fine, but the telling of the story could be a lot more magical and mystical! I think. From the positive side: the village cafes offer a lot of delicious food, you can purchase various local souvenirs and kill a couple of hours in quite a pleasant way – thus, once you are already there then it is definitely worthwhile paying a visit. Time spent with children and with the family is always wonderful for me and actually ther eare not too many places to see for a family event.

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Having seen Santa, we checked in to our hotel — we felt that the “backbone” of our journey had been broken. In our hearts we knew that with great probability the most exciting part of our trip has in Lapland and in Finland overall been seen by this moment, yet rushing ahead of the event I can tell you that it wasn’t so. An abundance of surprises, excitement and discoveries were awaiting us on our trip around Finland! However, we didn’t see reindeer on the side of the road anymore and the hope to see northern lights/aurora borealis dimmed with every kilometre that took us towards Southern Finland.

I had to do some work in the evening to prepare for the next day’s mini-meeting with NordenBladet Southern Finnish team. Ivanka Shoshana (10) started to play with her toys and Estella Elisheva (12) went for a walk in the town on her own. I allowed her to go, provided she stays near the hotel. So she left, the cell phone, two GPS-transmitters and my bank card in the purse. I let her go alone but lectured lengthily about all possible dangers and instisted that she calls every now and then. Estella went to a restaurant to eat a vegan salad and on her way back on my friendly request brought a hamburger for me and Ivanka. Although I had imagined that Rovaniemi would be a lot smaller, it was actually a rather large town – with factories, block houses, broad roads. It was a big city, but the city centre however was really compact – right around the corner from the hotel there were several restaurants and department stores. All the larger and best known good hotelsand reatsaurants were close at hand, not to say they were tightly placed next to each other. We spent two days and two night in Rovaniemi and this time frame was filled with pleasant events.

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The next morning we woke up early. The breakfast in the hotel was delightful, as well as the interior design, however, the bed linen turned out to cause allergy to me and Estella. At home I always wash the bed linen with a delicate detergent and rinse so that the linen would finally be completely detergent/chemical free. A night or two in the hotel would also do, but living a life where you travel from one hotel to another like it is usual on a longer journey – this will soon reflect on the skin. I even thought of taking my own bed linen with me nest time I travel. 🙂

I asked the children wheather they would like to see Santa once more, but they didn’t. Then we decided to take a tour in the town and drive around in Rovaniemi. During lunch I had two brief meetings in Rovaniemi – one of them with NordenBladet Northen-Finnish team members and the other one was related with the brand Elisheva & Shoshana. The meetings held abroad always leave an unforgettable impression on me – sometimes I even wish to pinch myself to believe it. To have business network across Scandinavia is a dream come true. It is funny how used to this I am already – the goals set a few years earlier are the reality today. Actualy I am obliged to praise myself, take some time off schedule and enjoy/celebrate!

As in Levi, also in Rovaniemi entrepreneurs organise safaris with husks and reindeer for tourists, there are activities suitable for every age group. The science park and museum in Rovaniemi, Arktikum Science Museum (Pohjoisranta 4, 96200 Rovaniemi), holds interesting events all year round – lectures, market day, even a film festival.

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There would have been a lot more to discover in Rovaniemi, I had also two meetings arranged with local representatives on Lapland media, however the hands of the clock are not made from rubber. As in Tornio (read the travel blog HERE), I slightly conflicted my schedule and thus the visit to Daily Finland editorial and the meeting with the editor-in-chief Mister O.H.Ruhin and the plan to schedule a meeting also with the editor-in-chief of Lapin Kansa, A. Kokkonen, due to time restictions, were postponed for the time being. Two days in Rovaniemi passed quickly and the next destination on our journey was Kajaani. About that already in the next blog!

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Levi – one of the Finland’s most interesting tourism destinations + LINKS, PHOTOS & INFO!

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Levi is a fell located in Finnish Lapland, and the largest ski resort in Finland, based on the number of visitors. Lovely place to visit with friends or with familyt. The resort is located in Kittilä municipality and is served by Kittilä Airport and Kolari railway station. At a latitude of 67.8° north, it is located approximately 170 km (110 mi) north of the Arctic Circle. Amazing scenery, great skiing pistes, excellent services and good connections make Levi one of Finland’s most interesting tourism destinations!

First, I´ll answer  the 12 most common questions about Levi, Lapland

Where is Levi Finland?
Levi is a fell located in Finnish Lapland, and the largest ski resort in Finland. The resort is located in Kittilä municipality and is served by Kittilä Airport and Kolari railway station. At a latitude of 67.8° north, it is located approximately 170 km (110 mi) north of the Arctic Circle.

How do I get to Levi?
Despite its location in the far north, Levi is easily reachable, as the Kittilä airport is located about 17 km and the Kolari railway station about 85 km away from Levi. By car or bus, the distance to the city of Rovaniemi is 170 km and the city of Oulu is 380 km. Visiting Levi also gives you a great opportunity to visit the close-by fells Ylläs (65 km) and Pallas (60 km) in the Finnish Lapland.

To Levi it is better to fly via Helsinki (1h30min) or Stockholm (1h40min) to Kittila a/p. and there is shuttle bus from the airport to Levi takes 15 min. You can also take a sleeper train from Helsinki to Kolari (80 km away from Levi) or to Rovaniemi (with this trains you can take your car as well).

What airport is closest to Lapland Finland?
Rovaniemi is the most popular airport (travelers interested in visiting Santa Claus’s village should fly here), being Ivalo the northest one. Rovaniemi serves as the entrance to all Lapland, Northwest Russia, Northern Sweden and Norway. It is not only serviced by Finnair but also by Norwegian and AirBaltic.

Who flies to Kittila Airport (IATA: KTT, ICAO: EFKT)?
Jet2, Flybe, Monarch Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines and Thomson Airways offer seasonal charter flights during the winter direct to Kittilä airport (Finnish: Kittilän lentoasema) from a range of UK airports. Taxis are available outside the airport during scheduled arrival times, and are operated by the local taxi company Kittilän ja Levin taksi.

How many airports are there in Lapland?
Each of the airports has its own appeal and target audience: Rovaniemi (309,731 passengers in 2009): Father Christmas’s airport on the Arctic Circle, in the capital of Lapland. Kittila (245,292): Airport in the hub of tourist centres. Ivalo (130,592): The airport for wilderness and trekking.

Is Levi Finland in the Arctic Circle?
Levi, Finland. Levi is a fell located in Finnish Lapland, and the largest ski resort in Finland. The resort is located in Kittilä municipality and is served by Kittilä Airport and Kolari railway station. At a latitude of 67.8° north, it is located approximately 170 km (110 mi) north of the Arctic Circle.

Can you see Aurora Borealis in Finland?
In northern Lapland the lights shine about every other clear night between September and March. In southern Finland they are visible on about 10-20 nights a year. Look to the stars. If you notice that the night sky is clear and starry, your chances of seeing the northern lights are good.

How many hours of daylight does Lapland?
In the south of the country daylight in December lasts only for 6 hours. In northern Lapland a period of darkness prevails at that time, with the sun not rising above the horizon at all.

How cold is Lapland?
Then slowly the temperatures will go down until they reach to -20 C in December. The coldest months are January and February. Then it is common to get under -30 C for at least a few days to weeks. In March the sun will be strong so then it is not likely it will get under -15 C. The frost will slowly disappear in April.

What is the weather look like in Levi?
The skiing season in Levi usually lasts from October until May. In the wintertime, it is recommended to pack a large amount of warm clothes with you, as in January-February, the average temperature drops to -14 degrees, and degrees as low as -30 can occur.

Especially during the spring season Levi provides excellent conditions for cross-country and downhill skiing since the average temperature in March is about -8.4 degrees and in April-May one can already enjoy warm weather in sunny slopes. During the hottest time of summer, in July, Levi’s average temperature rises to 14.4 degrees, making Levi an interesting summer destination as well.

Levi average monthly temperatures (source: National Climatic Data Centre):
Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Av. temperat. °C -14,0 -13,1 -8,4 -2,0 4,8 11,4 14,4 11,5 5,9 -0,5 -7,2 -11,6

Does Lapland have snow all year round?
The Lapland region has a subarctic to continental climate characterized by mild summers and cold, snowy winters. … The amount and duration of snowfall also varies by location, but the average number of days with snow is around 175 – 225 days per year between mid-October and mid-May.

What is the best time to visit Finland?
It depends on what you’d like to experience: for plenty of snow and winter activities, December to March is the best time. For springtime sun and the revival of nature after the winter, April to May is the period. For long and warm summer days and plenty of events, opt for June, July and August.

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What to Do at Levi? – Levi Activities
Here are the best things to do in Levi, Finland
Every year many interesting events take place in Levi, including the Alpine World Cup, which attracts a large audience from around the world. Over the years, the prestigious race has gained great popularity among both athletes and the general public. Levi’s winter attractions – the glamour of Lapland, polar nights, frost and reindeer – have guaranteed it a spot on the international competition calendar. Levi also organizes many other sports events where athletes can challenge themselves in biking, golf, trail running and other sports activities.

1. Northern Lights tours and safaris.
Experience the magical Northern Lights in the Lappish sky. The Aurora is an unpredictable, natural event, which occurs all year round. Come on a night safari or stand on an open space to witness these phenomena. The northern location of Levi guarantees great opportunities to see Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis, during the trip. In order to make the experience as memorable as possible, it is worthwhile to take part in an organized Northern Lights tour which lets you admire the dancing lights in amid incredible landscapes. Find the tour organiser here.

2. Skiing, Downhill skiing and snowboarding.
The largest ski resort in Finland offers skiers and snowboarders a total of 43 skiing pistes, 28 lifts and, of course, extensive after ski options in the spectacular fell landscape.  To the delight of skiing fans, Levi has a total of 230 km maintained ski tracks, including sections with skiing on ice as well as on the pistes of the fells. The 28 km long illuminated trails offer a chance to ski from early morning to late at night – even during polar nights!

Thanks to the snow machines (view pictures which I took in October), the Levi slopes remain in good condition throughout the season. In total, Levi has 28 lifts, two chair lifts, two gondola lifts and three carpet lifts for beginners. Levi is a great destination also for families, as the little ones can ski for free in Levi’s 10 children’s ski slopes. Levi has much to offer for both beginners and experienced skiers, as there are as many as 43 skiing slopes at the resort, ranging from easier runs to steep black pistes. The peak of the Levitunturi fell is 531 meters high; the highest altitude difference is 325 meters and the longest slope is 2.5 km. If you are looking for speedy activities, head to the northeastern pistes or the Levi Black piste, both ensuring sufficient challenge even for the world’s top skiers. Since Levi offers plenty of pistes across the fells, the long lift queues are rare. The touring Levi Ski Bus offers rides between the slopes, the Levi Center and the largest resorts around the fell.





The Levi Skiing Track Map gives a good overview of the 230 km long track network. With the help of the map, you can find the best skiing tracks in Levi’s spectacular scenery. The Levi Slope Map provides information about the pistes, lifts and services in the Levi Ski Resort. The map helps you navigate across the fells and find the best slopes for your taste.

3. Snowmobiling and Icekarting.
The snowmobile is the fastest means of transport through the masses of snow in the fell area of Lapland. If snowmobiling is not already familiar, beginners are offered courses in learning the basics of driving a snowmobile. With adequate skills it is possible to explore the beautiful nature of Lapland through speedy activities. Icekarting is for the fans of speed and driven with go-karts equipped with studded tires. The activity that is suitable for all ages lets you challenge yourself or compete against other drivers on the ice-track of a frozen lake.

4. Enjoy one of the best Spa´s in Finland – Levi Hotel SPA
Levi Hotel Spa (Levitunturi) is the resort’s flagship property in a peaceful yet convenient location 300m from the ski lifts and Levi village center. A high standard of hotel coupled with excellent spa and recreation facilities makes it a great choice for families and couples alike. Guests have complimentary use of the fabulous ‘Spa Water World’.  Levin’s high-quality spa (Levintie 1590, 99130 Sirkka, Finland) is known for its versatility, offering a choice of enjoying the atmosphere in the whirlpools, spending time in the outdoor pools or swim laps in the fitness pool. In addition to traditional saunas, the spa offers relaxation in steam rooms and specialty saunas available in the pool section.


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5. Visits to husky- and reindeer farms and Reindeer and husky safaris.
Near Levi you can see wild but friendly reindeer every morning and night fall.  It is sooooo magical – I think one of the most amazing things in Levi! Read my blog about visiting Levi with children here. So, when in Levi, be sure to take the time to visit a husky- or reindeer farm, where you can admire the lives of the Arctic Siberian huskies and genuine Lapland reindeer. At many farms it is also possible to feed the animals, give lassoing reindeer a try and sample traditional Lappish reindeer dishes. In addition to farm visits, Levi offers participation in reindeer safaris or driving husky sleds. Dog sledding is a great winter activity offering unforgettable experiences also for larger groups.

? Wolverine Fell Wilderness and Nature (Kätkäjärventie 407, 99130 Kittilä)
The company Wolverine Fell Wilderness and Nature (Kätkätunturin Erä ja Luonto) was established in the year 2000. It offers programme services all year round and also includes reindeer husbandry.
Homepage: https://reindeerandfishing.fi/

?? Lapland Safaris (Keskuskuja 2, 99130 Levi)
Would you like to ride a dogsled in the snow-covered wilds? Or go snowshoeing on a frozen lake and admire the Arctic night sky and the Northern Lights? They can help you experience the wonders of winter Lapland every day. Just choose a safari and they’ll do the rest.
Homepage: https://www.laplandsafaris.com/en/

? Levin Poropalvelu (Sokkaporantie, 99140 Köngäs)
Contacts here: https://www.levi.fi/en/enjoy-levi/services/levin-poropalvelu.html

? Levin Sammuntupa ja porotilapalvelut (Taalontie 160, 99130 Levi)
Go and experience a 19th century reindeer farm. Their café is open daily from 10 am – 4 pm. They also arrange reindeer safaris with their own reindeer.
Homepage: https://www.sammuntupa.fi

? Ounaskievari (Ounasjoentie 826, 99140 Köngäs)
They are located seven kilometers from Levi- Center, in Köngäs village. They have been working there for over 20 years and offer a variety of reindeer ride to our guests.
Homepage: http://www.ounaskievari.fi/

? Santa´s Cottage & Pet Farm (Purolantie 6E, 99130 Sirkka)
The only pet farm in Levi is open in November every day 11–15, providing guests experiences with animals. We are located just 2km from the center of Levi! In December we are open every day 11–17, and we also provide Santa Claus programmes. From Santa’s Pet Farm you find nice experiences: cool pets to see, snowy activities on the farmyard, Horse shoe hunting game and reindeer and pony rides!
Homepage: http://www.kompiainen.fi/

 


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Husky safari takes you out into the Lappish wilderness:

? All Huskies (Kuusseläntie 56, 99100 Kittilä)
Sled dogs safaris near by Levi.
Homepage: https://www.allhuskies.fi/

? Levi Husky Park (Inarintie, Sokkapora, 99140 Köngäs)
Homepage: https://www.polarspeed.fi/

? Polar Lights Tours Oy (Muoniontie 955, 99130 Levi)
Enjoyable Husky safaris and memorable horse trecks! In their home yard you will find about one hundred Alaskan huskys, Siberian huskys and Alaksan malamutes our happy and energetic working sled dogs and eight original Finn horses. With these wonderful animals you will get to enjoy our nature all year on our safaris.
Homepage: https://polarlightstours.fi/

? Tundra Huskies Huskyfarm (Sokkaporantie 1, 99140 Köngäs)
Tundra Huskies Huskyfarm is the home of 70 Arctic Huskies. They offer Huskysafaris always the original way. At the Huskyfarm you will meet Arctic Siberian Huskies, Husky puppies, Wolfdog hybrids, and our own Reindeers which you can feed by hand.
Homepage: https://www.huskysafari.fi/

? Wingren s Dogsafaris (Sokkaporantie 44, 99140 Köngäs)
Wingrens Dogsafaris is located in Köngäs in the Northern part of Finland, 12 km from Levi, which is Finlands largest ski resort. There are about 50 sleddogs in the kennel.
Homepage: http://www.dogsafaris.fi/

6. Food experiences / Top Restaurants in Levi
The center of Levi is like a small town with shopping opportunities and a wide selection of tourism services ranging from spas to bowling alleys. Visitors also have a wide choice of restaurants where it is possible to taste reindeer meat and other local Lapland delicacies.

? The newest freshly renovated and most popular restaurant in Levi is Kekäle Bar & Grill (Levintie 1590, 99130 Kittilä)- very modern, beautiful and offers the world’s top food in the cosy milieu.


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? Tuikku (Tuikuntie 11/ Tunturitie 421, 99130 Sirkka-Levi), a panoramic restaurant at the top of a fell, is very famous for its breathtaking scenery. Also Levi’s nightlife is lively, as the pubs and nightclubs along the promenade offer vacationers’ entertainment at the end of each day. Levi’s famous after-ski must not be forgotten, as it is, after all, considered the best in Finland.

There´s a number of small and lovely places to eat – Nili-Poro, Steakhouse – Pihvipirtti, Cafe Soma, Jangalla Restaurant, KingCrab House, Renna, Restaurant Aurora Sky, Kafet Cafe & Bakery, Restaurant Ammila, Levin Panimo & Pub, Restaurant Kiisa, Wanha Hullu Poro, Northern Cowboy, Stefan’s Steakhouse Levi and many others.



7. Visit an Ice Gallery (Akantie, 99130 Sirkka, Finland).
Being at Levi also provides a good opportunity to visit an ice-built hotel or a snow-molded restaurant. The ice gallery Luvattumaa, Lainio snow village and the snow restaurant Snow Dome are must-see venues for all Arctic culture lovers. Sheltered by the beautiful Lappish nature, Luvattumaa welcomes travellers to open their senses and experience the ice, the snow, the water, the scents and the flavours. During the winter season, snow castle the Levi Ice Gallery opens its doors for the public. Their River Spa is open throughout the year, as is the true heart of Luvattumaa – the Lappish hut restaurant.

8. Buy souvenirs
There are many lovely little souvenir shops to buy Finnish hand made products. You can find nice knitted hats, wooden and porcelain dishes, Moomin series and many more. All kind of national cups, plates, key rings etc.

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9. Go Hiking or just walk around center – there is so beautiful!
Levi offers both short hiking trips and long wilderness hikes, since in addition to the marked nature trails in the vicinity, hikers can venture all the way to the Pallas-Yllästunturi national park. The changing seasons each bring their own colour to hiking, and you can, for example, enjoy nightless night excursions during midsummer or be mesmerised by beautiful autumn colours.











10. Visit or stay at night in Igloos
Book a Glass Igloo excursion as part of your Winter Wonderland holiday to Levi. The glass igloos are an incredible example of engineering, opening up the beauty and majesty of Lapland’s night sky. The glass is made of a special-make of thermal glass that keeps the inside of the igloo toasty even when the temperature outside drops to a chilly -30c. Inside the glass igloo there is a small living and sleeping space.

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Not sure what to do or where to go?! Visit Levi´s tourist information center (Myllyjoentie 2, 99130 LEVI)
When you need help or inspiration during your stay in Levi, Lapland, Levi Tourist Office is a good place to start. In addition to the places/activities outlined by me there are thousand things to do in Levi in winter time, in summer time and year-around – Ice fishing trips, Kick sledding tours, Snowshoeing tours, Icelandic horse trek, Saunas and ice baths, Rafting and paddling, Golf, Summer Toboggan run, Scenic lifts, Biking, Disc golf, Levi Adventure Park, Tennis, Mini Golf, The children’s traffic- and playground, Fishing and hunting, Gyms and fitness, Bowling, Ball sports, Climbing etc etc.


TEXT & PHOTOS: NordenBladet/Helena-Reet Ennet

Helena-Reet: With children on a road trip around Finland (VOL6 – Levi Hotel SPA in Sirkka, restaurant Kekäle, magnificent nature, ski slopes, etc) + MANY PHOTOS!

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Our grand road trip had already taken us quite far North and as I described in the previous post (read blog review HERE), the more up North, the more miraculous Finland gets. The road between Kolari-Kittilä was like a fairy-tale – there were reindeer on the sides of the road and even by the highway. Me and the kids would go Ah and Oh every kilometre that we passed. It was a very special feeling. Besides, there are quite few inhabitants there and also wild nature, which I like.

Since I didn’t dare to speed to avoid running over any reindeer, and since we also stopped at every possible stump to take pictures, then getting from Oulu via Kolari to Sirkka took us extremely long. Once we arrived it was already eight o’clock and I was quite tired from driving. Before starting the road trip I had done my homework well and had thoroughly calculated where to stay overnight in order to get the most out of our journey. In northern Finland in Sirkka the choice was Levi Hotel SPA (Levintie 1590, 99130 Sirkka, Finland) – while with children it is the most comfortable place to stay – good location, parking is free of charge, a quality hotel, luxury rooms, good standard of service, a selection of many good hotel restaurants, SPA and pool center, short distance by foot to everywhere (i.e. ski slopes, souvenir shops). Briefly, it was everything you could need in just one place. Our stay there was made especially pleasant by the fact that extra to our Superior-room an interconnected Junior-suite was also added, thus we had two separate bedrooms all in all, two separate bathrooms, a living room, a sauna section, two balconies and further amenities (three big flat screen TV-sets, safe deposit box, ironing board, an iron, clothes dryer, WiFi, slippers, dressing gowns, etc). For children there were gift baskets with handmade chocolate, lemonade and candies, also stuffed toys and in our room awaiting us there were complimentary invitations for three guests to the restaurant Kekäle (the newest and most popular top notch restaurant in Levi), as well as a welcome note from the hotel manager. On top of that, the hotel governor personally was there to meet and welcome us! I am so deeply moved to see that NordenBladet is so cordially and personally hosted – it gives a warm feeling! Thank you for the wonderful surprise and remembrance!

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When we had got acquainted with all the rooms and additional space, we decided to visit the Levi SPA that was integrated with the hotel. Although the SPA and the hotel are technically in different buildings, one can enter the SPA from the hotel through a hallway without necessarily going outside. It is a pleasant large SPA and I liked that there were cool sliding tubes and yet they were not dangerous – either with too rapid water flow or the risk of falling into the water from too high. As a mother it made me feel much more at ease.

Now being a Finnish “SPA expert” I can say that to my mind it is the best SPA in Finland – if not top 1 then at least among top 3 for sure. Pleasant warm water, several different pools, saunas, two large sets of pools inside and also a set of pools outside where there is also a Jacuzzi. Besides, there is also the magnificent mountain view!

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After going to the SPA I worked a while behind the blue screen, Ivanka Shoshana spread her toys in the living room and played with them, and Estella Elisheva was busy with our social media. We live-streamed in Instagram (@helenareetennet) the entire trip around Finland that took place in October-November and today it is possible to read about the journey online in four languages – in Estonian (NordenBladet.ee), in English (NordenBladet.com), in Finnish (Ohmygossip.fi) and in Swedish (Ohmygossip.se). In the travel posts I describe where exactly we travelled and I share useful information and interesting facts about various destinations in Finland – fervent tourism objects, undiscovered pearls, premium hotels, top notch retaurants, SPA-s, adventure parks, zoos, shops, department stores, historical places, holiday resorts, etc. Altogether, a lot of interesting information! The reader of NordenBladet is a 45+ wealthy Scandinavian woman with children and in our portals daily tens of thousands of search events take place regarding travel destinations and tourism. NordenBladet has become the largest media edition in Scandinavia offering information, articles and weblinks about the Northern countries.

Located 17 km from Kittilä center and the airport, the holiday destination and active sports centre Levi has for more than four times been announced as the best ski resort in Finland, and indeed, it is a magical and beautiful place, perfect for spending the holiday with family. Bearing the badge of Scandinavian safety and comfort, the beauty of Nordic forests, the mystical aspect and the beauty of the nature, the care and cordial attitude specific to a smaller place. While many people visit Levi during the winter months – because nowhere else can you find so much snow and fierce skiing mountains as here – then I would actually venture to assert that it is no less an impression and experience that you get here visiting the place in spring-autumn as well as during the summer months. The wonderful forests-mountains and hiking tracks, cute log houses and peaceful holiday village, golf courts, reindeer and the Nordic air of mystery on every step – not to mention the Nordic lights that can best be seen exactly in this region! Despite being in the far North, in Lapland no less than top quality service awaits you, accompanied by the crop-of-the-cream restaurants, enormous SPA and, again, quality. By the way, not far from the place stems the lineage of the famous Lapland witch – Näkkälän noita, whose powers are well known around Scandinavia. According to folk wisdom the witch draws the powers and energy from the forests in Levi neighborhood.

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Breakfast done, we decided to go and see the town. There is a lot to discover in Levi, I intend to post a separate story about it, yet I will add a brief outline piece here as well. For travellers with cars (like us) it is especially nice to discover Levi, since one can swiftly and smoothly drive through the entire neighborhood. Yet also the pedestrian-travellers’ outlook is not narrowed down too much, for example it is easy to reach any nearby destination on foot from Levi SPA Hotel. Levi Express Gondol can take you uphill to visit Samiland Exhibition – both the journey uphill as well as the exhibition itself amount to a full impression. Address Tunturitie 205, 99130 Levi. Levin Lapinkylä (Isotaalontie 285), 12km from Levi towards Rovaniemi is a fun village composed of igloos, and one can also see reindeer there. A popular place is Harjatie 2 (8,5km up North from Levi) Sky restaurant and Levi Igloo. During winter time in Akantie 180 (7km from Levi) the Levi Ice Gallery and Ice Restaurant of Levi are open.

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We spent two wonderful days in Levi, and two even more delightful evenings. Each day we went to the SPA and got to know the town. It was so relaxing and great that we would have stayed even longer. The highlight of the second night was the dinner in Kekäle restaurant. Three courses of the world’s top food in the cosy milieu of the modern beautiful freshly renovated restaurant! Yammmmmm… The meals were absolutely delicious and were wonderfully served (see photos and videos also from Insta!). Children were overwhelmed about Levi, Estella Elisheva even declared that she is determined to become rich as a grown-up, since rich folks have such great life. Travelling and getting to know new great places is really cool, especially when you can take time to enjoy it. The one who can notice and be glad about the small things is about to experience so much in life! It definitely pays off to be rich, yet wealth can also be a mindset, a lifestyle and an attitude that originates in our heads.

Next day greeted us with the journey to Rovaniemi. That is already the story for the new post.
Hugs!








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TRAVEL INTERVIEW with Scandinavian top model Katrin Kaurov

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – Katrin Kaurov with her unique Nordic look and a positive attitude known from her Instagram (@katrinkau) has taken the fashion industry by the storm. The young Estonian model, speaking 5 languages and having visited 42 countries shares her experiences with NordenBladet.

What got you interested in modelling? How long have you been modelling?
I started modelling as a hobby as a teenager when I had my first international work trips abroad but made it a profession 2 years ago. I love that my job takes me anywhere in the world from Tokyo to Paris, London to Sydney – every day is always unique.

Where do you work as a model? Which brands do you work for?
I work between Milan, London, Paris and plan to move to the States quite soon.  As a model I work with many different brands depending on the city and season- some of my clients have been Balmain, Victoria Beckham and Guess for example.

What to expect when going for an agency interview? What should you wear to a modelling interview?
In fashion industry an interview is called “casting”. If you go to meet an agency the simpler the better – a typical “uniform” is black skinny jeans and a black top with a leather jacket. If you go for a casting, it is great to also show some personal style.

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How often you mix work and vacation travels?
To be honest, not that often – when I go for a vacation, I prefer to be in the nature, go surfing, hiking and leave my phone behind if possible. However, whenever I am on a work trip I try to enjoy the local culture and do as much sightseeing as possible on my free time.

What is your favourite travel destination and why?
For a holiday – I absolutely loved Sri Lanka and Indonesia. For work so far Paris was my favorite city, but I’m sure NYC will be a very exciting journey too!

What is your most memorable job?
A fashion show in Athens that was organized on a horse hippodrome. I had just landed from Paris and was taken there without any explanations by the driver. Besides the confusion, the location was magical.

Do you have any travel secrets – how to stay fresh after long flights?
Staying hydrated by drinking lots of water during travels, bringing my own food for flights (since airplane food is often very processed) and wearing comfortable clothes. On long flights I like to use a face mask and try to get as much sleep as possible.

Do models get paid to travel?
Just to go on vacation – no. However, when you fly for a job in a different country the client covers the flights, accommodation and any other expense over there.

Speaking of flying, I would love to ask about airports as well. What makes one airport comfortable? Please name your three favorite airports and why they are your favorites?
My favorite is definitely the airport in Tallinn, my home country. Despite being tiny and cozy, the airport has a gym and public library to name a few. My second favorite might be Singapore which is considered the most beautiful airport in the world – there’s even a a butterfly garden inside. The third one is perhaps Linate Airport in Milan, being just a quick taxi drive away from the center. Since I travel a lot it is important that the airport is fast & convenient with some cute coffee shops inside.

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How often you do airport shopping? What´s the best thing you´ve bought?
I don’t shop that often in the airports, but I love finding some unique brand pieces or cosmetics from the duty-free section. My latest purchase was a black Furla bag from Paris airport.

Obviously you eat healthy. You choose to eat your own food on planes, but what can you tell about airport restaurants?
I think the selection is getting better lately – more fresh and vegan options. However, I think there’s still a lot of room for development! A good option in the airports is always Joe & the Juice with its fresh juices, sandwiches and great coffee.

How luxurious is a fashion model´s life – do you fly private planes, business class or take regular flights? Is there a model apartment or luxury hotels with room service? What is the most glamorous and the last glamorous part of models life?
I think this is the biggest misconception about modelling – the glamour of it. Of course, there are jobs that take you to the best hotels and exciting locations, but the every day of modelling is often more “regular” than expected. When models begin their careers usually they stay in apartments full of other young models, take regular flights and run all day to castings or photoshoots. My point being – besides the glitz and glamour of the job, it is a hard career like every other requiring a lot of effort.

Who are your favorite designers? What brands you wear daily, on travels, evenings etc.
I am a big fan of environmentally friendly fashion labels, many smaller ones who are just starting out. Also, I love brands who are not afraid to make a statement with their clothing like Vivienne Westwood or Stella McCartney.

I am not such a big spender on clothes though, I keep my daily style rather simple.

Where would be your dream work destination?
I would love to work in Cape Town one day. It is a location all models love – apparently you can go straight to surf after castings, the nature is incredible and people are very open-minded. Tel Aviv seems very vibrant as well.

Your dream cover / advertisement / collaboration?
Oh there are so many. Almost every model wants to be the cover face of Vogue or collaborate with Victoria Secret’s. Doing a campaign for Nike is perhaps a more unique dream of mine, since sport and active lifestyle has always played a big part in my life.

 

 

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Featured image: Katrin Kaurov (Instagram/@katrinkau)

Helena-Reet: With children on a road trip around Finland (VOL5 – Oulu sightseeings, Kemi, Tornio and the journey through Kolari to Levi) + MANY PHOTOS & INFOLINKS!

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
-

NordenBladet – On the fourth morning of our road trip around Finland the sun was greeting us again. We already felt like experienced travellers as we had covered quite so many kilometres (Tallinn – > Helsingi -> Tampere -> Vaasa -> Oulu). Today the longest ride was waiting for us (Oulu -> Kemi -> Tornio -> Kolari -> Kittilä -> Levi).

Oulu town was founded in 1605 by the Swedish king Karl IX near the Oulu stronghold that had been erected somewhat earlier. Previously Oulu used to be the center for tar production and was the second largest town in all of Finland after Turku. Nowadays Oulu is a rapidly growing center for technology and for lots of people also a beloved resort. And it really is beautiful here, it is not without reason that Nallikari in Oulu is called the Nordic Riviera – the kilometre long sandy beach, opportunities for hiking, the Vauhtipuisto game park (Hietasaarentie 9), Ponitila for those keen on riding, and additionally also minigolf and other fields of sport (for example 600km of cycling roads/light traffic roads). Not far from Oulu city centre in Liminga municipality there is Escurial Zoo and Flower park (see Kukka- ja eläinpuisto Escurial – Paavolantie 83 C, 91900 Liminka). Among the sightseeings a great destination is also Turkansaari Open Air Museum where one can learn about traditional lifestyle like tillage, forestry, cattle breeding, fishing and tar production. The museum area comprises two islands covered with full flora – Turkansaari and Siikasaari. However, the best known tourism object in Oulu is the Northern Ostrobothnia Museum (Pohjois-Pohjanmaan museo) next to Ainola park. Everyone interested in the cultural history are recommended to visit this! The address is Ainolanpolku 1, 90130 Oulu. Also a fascinating institution in Oulu is near Myllytulli (Nahkatehtaankatu 6) is Tietomaa Science Centre (Tiedekeskus Tietomaa) – the function of the centre is to popularize the achievements of science and technology to common people in a fun and fascinating manner.

We had breakfast in the hotel (see photos HERE), packed and took the luggage in the car and set off from the hotel to Oulu city center where we had a walk, took some photos from the old town and where I also had two brief meetings/consultations. Afterwards we headed towards Kemi and Tornio.

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It is a bit more than 100km from Oulu to Kemi – driving there at a normal speed would take ca 1.30h. The population of Kemi is 21019 (population census August 31 2018), the town is situated near the Swedish border and it was founded in the year 1869 by the Russian czar Alexander II. The northern part of Finland indicates that the country reaching to the polar circle is much more than the capital city Helsinki. Starting from Kemi completely new horizons open and it is possible to experience a completely different kind of Finland. The more to the North – the more exotic it gets. The town of Kemi on the banks of the Gulf of Bothnia is a seaside town and during winter it attracts tourists with the ice breaker Sampo (this allows to go into the sea straight from the ship and take a swim in the midst of ice blocks during a 4-hour arctic voyage). The address is Sampotie 137, Kemi 94900 and the cruise “Arctic Icebreaker Cruise” can be booked via their homepage.

An exciting tourist magnet in Kemi is also the Snow Castle Resort (Lumilinnankatu 15, Kemi 94100) – arguably the world’s largest snowtown/centre where you can find SnowRestaurant365, an ice bar, sculptures made from snow and ice (snow town), the restaurant Lumihiutale, Sea Lapland Day Spa etc. PS! There are various smaller snow towns in Northern Finland, Lapland. An interesting place to see is also the Kemi gemstone museum Kemin Jalokivigalleria (Kauppakatu 29, Kemi 94100) founded by the jeweler Teuvo Ypyä, that actually accommodates the crown (see Wikipedia image HERE) prepared for the King of Finland, however, since Finland eventually became a republic then the crown was never used. Among the many interesting jewels there is also the necklace with 647 jewels, that used to belong to Marie Antoinette.


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The best known sightseeings in Tornio /most visited tourist attractions are the Provincial Museum Of Tornio Valley (Torikatu 4, Tornio 95400); Duudsonit Activity Park – TornioHaparanda (Vesaisenkatu 1, Tornio 95400); Tornio Church (Seminaarinkatu, Tornio 95400). Tornio church was built in 1647 but in the year 1682 burnt down completely and was rebuilt in 1684 near the original location. The church was dedicated to the Swedish Queen Hedvig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp (lived 1636-1715 and was the wife of the Swedish King Charles X) and until today it is the oldest wooden church with an actual congregation in Lapland. Hedwig Eleanora was relatively detached from political life yet a dominant figure who ruled as a regent repeatedly and was by the way for 61 years the de facto first lady in the royal court but later was known rather as a passionate card game player and a friend of gambling, the widow that conducted great parties.

In Tornio I really also wished to visit the Tornio Panimo Brewery founded by Karl Johan Boström in 1873. The current manager of the factory Kaj K. personally allowed us a private industrial tour and in the morning also sent an email about inviting us, however, my previous meetings lasted quite so long that the time was already pressing and since the route Tornio-Levi that we had to cover that evening to stay for the night was ca 300km then unfortunately we had to cancel it. Since there was no time then we also skipped the dinner and held a proper rally of ice cream and frappe in Tornio trade centre (Rajalla På Gränsen) in Robert’s Coffee. Ivanka had 3 strawberry ice creams and us me and Estella Elisheva both had 2 frappes. Yum, a severe calorie strike. The prices, however, were higher than in the capital city Helsinki – waffle ice cream with one ice cream ball was 3.50 eur and one large frappe with whipped cream was 7.10 eur. After that we started off towards Levi – first along the Finnish-Swedish border to Kolari.

Ahh, what a pleasant journey from Tornio to Kolari and from there on to Levi — peaceful, calm — no speeding cameras, no ugly buildings. Quiet country life and picturesque view! Children with rucksacks were coming from country school, across the street there were cows on the meadow. Such beautiful views. I remember thinking to myself that now finally I am here in the North and can see the local life here… And it is so great! The road and the railroad run along the state border and from time to time one can have a glimpse of Sweden over the waters. Both on the Swedish as well as the Finnish banks there are nice little villages.

Our journey went mostly along the E8 road: Tornio -> Rutosaari -> Kukkola -> Aapajoki -> Karungi -> Kankaanranta -> Risudden -> Armassaari -> Ylitornio -> Haapakoski -> Rahtu -> Kuivakangas -> Maaherra -> Juoksengi -> Turtola -> Korpikoti -> Pello -> Lempeä -> Oranki -> Sieppijärvi -> Kolari -> Ylläsjärvi -> Kittilä -> Sirkka -> Levi

On the way there was also Aavasaksa – a 242m high mountain in Lapi county Ylitornio municipality, that has been selected by the ministry of environment among the 27 national landscapes in Finland. As a fun fact it is known about this mountain that the French Academy of Science, led by Pierre Louis Moreau de Maupertuis, completed geophysical measurements there in 1736-1737, that confirmed the theory of Isaac Newton, according to which the Earth was flat. At some point I discovered that we were almost out of gas and I was struck by panic – here you go with your nice views and landscapes – I already imagined myself knocking on a local farmer’s stable door and asking whether he had gas in his tractor from which to bargain half to me. Iccccc… Yet in Ylitornio there was ABC self service gas station and gas 95 cost 1,614 per litre.

The next stop was the Arctic Circle (Napapiiri)! How cool is that?? 😀 We parked the car and obviously again took some photos for the social media like we do on every step. Estella Elisheva posted a video to her Insta story (@Estella.Elisheva) and I posted to my Insta feed (@helenareetennet) where one could follow our entire journey in live. For those of you who snoozed that instant – no worries. The full overview of the trip, in four languages, will be published in NordenBladet portals (NordenBladet.ee; NordenBladet.com, Ohmygossip.fi and Ohmygossip.se). The present blog is fifth in line and it pictures the fourth day of our 12-day adventure. 🙂







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Once we arrived in Kolari it was already dark outside. Also, I was exhausted from driving. For one day more than 500km of driving would be more than enough, especially when you are coming from another four days of driving. I was comforting myself that in Levi we would remain for many days so that I can be calm and have a rest. Well, in Kolari we experienced a most beautiful moment in our lives – the road sides were full of reindeer, lots of them were right on the road so I dared drive no more than 20km/h… Soooooo totally cute! First we were slightly scared that, uh oh, reindeer on the road, but then Estella Elisheva who is such a lover of wildlife already started taking pictures with them in five minutes. FROM THIS MOMENT BEGAN our miraculous real life fairy tale of Lapland! ?✨❄ How we finally got to Levi and what enormous surprise awaited us there that same night – I will write about that already in my next blog! Hugs!

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Helena-Reet: With children on a road trip around Finland (VOL4: Journey from Vöyri near Vaasa and through Kokkola and Kalajoki Oulu and the evening in SPA) + PHOTOS!

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Monday morning (October 22) was again sunny and beautiful in Finland. Our lovely little rent house that we got via Airbnb was filled with sunshine and a wonderful view to the lake opened from the window. We had breakfast and at around ten started off from Vöyri to Oulu. Like I already described in the previous blog (read HERE), Finland’s west coast is very beautiful and it just invites one to spend a vacation there – be it then in Turku, Vaasa, Oulu, Kemi or somewhere in smaller towns in between these cities. Beautiful views to the Baltic Sea, beautiful pine and fir forests, lively little villages…

First we headed along E8 (Vöyri -> Kaitsor -> Karvat -> Oravais -> Ytterjeppo -> Kovjoki -> Pedersöre -> Edsevö -> Lepplax -> Kruunupyy e. Kronoby) to Kruunupyy where I had a hasty business dinner in Botnia hotel (Kirkkotie 8). In Botnia one can have a super favourable smorgasbord – 9EUR per person). Kruunupyy is exactly between Edsevö and Kokkola. The next time I spend time there I definitely wish to see the Larsmo area. From Edsevö turn to left and take road nr 68 (Edsevö -> Sandsund -> Jakobstad -> Larsmo -> Hästgrundet -> Gertruds -> Bosund ->Kuivakanta -> Nuolipuro -> Kokkola). There is an abundance of small islands and lakes – around a couple hundred in one bunch for sure. I can imagine how beautiful pictures of nature one could take there! Also it would be a great place for everyone who likes to take a walk in the forest, ride a bike, go fishing, canoeing or go for a boat trip. There is plenty to discover and there are plenty of activities to do there!

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From there we continued the journey from Kronoby -> Kokkola -> Vitsari -> Peltokorpi -> Maunumäki -> Marinkainen -> Ala-Viirre -> Himanka -> Rahja -> Siipo -> Kalajoen Hiekkasärkät -> Meinala -> Kalajoki. The road was full of traffic cameras and it made me think about the possible fines that might have been sent to me by the end of the road trip (until today there are luckily none…. huh! 😀 )

In Kalajoki I once again had a meeting and we visited a shop where I would like to launch the sale of Elisheva & Shoshana pharmacy cosmetics series (handicraft soaps, bathing salt, etc). Kalajoen Hiekkasärkat and Kalajoki are a tourism centre with a beach line of ca 4.5 km, there one can find an adventure park, swimming centre, golf fields, a hotel, camping, restaurants, shops, etc. In the surrounding there are kilometres of pine forests! We got a nice vibe from the place – a beautiful an cool place!

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From Kalajoki we headed on to Liminka (Kalajoki -> Vasankari -> Yppäri -> Pyhäjoki -> Parhalahti -> Siuvatti -> Piehinki -> Haapajoki -> Arkkukari -> Raahe -> Pattijoki -> Revonlahti -> Liminka) where we visited the Liminganportti centre, took a brief coffee break and I also let my eyes rest from driving – it was around 300km back to Vöyri where we started off and yet another 30km to reach Oulu. In Oulu we drove directly to the hotel since the kids were eager to go to Eden SPA (Holstinsalmentie 29, 90510). We enjoyed ourselves there for many hours and then had supper in Aro restaurant – I had an Alla Casetta pizza (15.90), Estella Elisheva had Nizza salmon salad (14.90), Ivanka Shoshana didn’t want anything while she had already eaten in Liminka. Oulu is a place where I would definitely like to go also in the summer – the Nallikari resort in Toppilansaari and the sand beach are so inviting, whereas even now in autumn it seemed really nice. The Finns are eager to visit SPAs and all the SPAs are thus cramped with visitors. Now having visited so many of the bigger SPAs in Finland as well as the SPA hotels, I am already kind of an expert on SPA culture and I can quite convincingly assure you that there is a fine market niche for SPAs in Finland. In the Nordic cold climate a warm swimming pool and hot sauna suit so well!

We got back to our hotel room quite late, I still did some work in my computer, then took the kids in a nice cuddle and fell asleep. For the next day we had planned many meetings and a long trip from Oulu through Kemi, Haparanda and Kolari to Levi (over 500km).

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8 EXPERT ways to help any child get better sleep

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Up to 70% of children under age five have sleep problems. Sleep issues are complicated and have many causes. They’re hard to deal with because when children aren’t sleeping, parents aren’t sleeping, and that lack of sleep affects every minute of every day for every person in the family because lack of sleep isn’t just about being tired. Sleep has a role in everything—dawdling, temper tantrums, hyperactivity, growth, health and even learning to tie his shoes and recite the ABCs. Sleep affects everything.

The following ideas are of value to almost any sleeper, of any age. These tips can bring improvement not only in your child’s sleep, but also in her daytime mood and last, but not least, improvements in your own sleep and outlook as well.

1. A consistent bedtime and waking time
Your child’s biological clock has a strong influence on her wakefulness and sleepiness. When you establish a set time for bedtime and wake up time you “set” your child’s clock so that it functions smoothly.
Aim for an early bedtime. Young children respond best with a bedtime between 6:30 and 7:30 P.M. Most children will sleep better and longer when they go to bed early.

2. Encourage regular daily naps
Daily naps are important. An energetic child can find it difficult to go through the day without a rest break. A nap-less child will often wake up cheerful and become progressively fussier or hyper-alert as the day goes on.

Also, the length and quality of naps affects night sleep—good naps equal better night sleep.

3. Set your child’s biological clock
Take advantage of your child’s biology so that he’s actually tired when bedtime arrives. Darkness causes an increase in the release of the body’s sleep hormone—the biological “stop” button. You can align your child’s sleepiness with bedtime by dimming the lights during the hour before bedtime.

Exposing your child to morning light is pushing the “go” button in her brain—one that says, “Time to wake up and be active.” So keep your mornings bright!

4. Develop a consistent bedtime routine
Routines create security. A consistent, peaceful bedtime routine allows your child to transition from the motion of the day to the tranquil state of sleep.

An organized routine helps you coordinate the specifics: bath, pajamas, tooth-brushing. It helps you to function on auto-pilot at the time when you are most tired and least creative.

5. Create a cozy sleep environment
Where your child sleeps can be a key to quality sleep. Make certain the mattress is comfortable, the blankets are warm, the room temperature is right, pajamas are comfy and the bedroom is welcoming.

6. Provide the right nutrition
Foods can affect energy level and sleepiness. Carbohydrates can have a calming effect on the body, while foods high in protein or sugar generate alertness, particularly when eaten alone.

A few ideas for pre-bed snacks are:

whole wheat toast and cheese
bagel and peanut butter
oatmeal with bananas
yogurt and low-sugar granola.

Vitamin deficiencies due to unhealthy foods can affect a child’s sleep. Provide your child with a daily assortment of healthy foods.

7. Help your child to be healthy and fit
Many children don’t get enough daily physical activity. Too much TV watching and a lack of activity prevents good sleep. Children who get ample daily exercise fall asleep more quickly, sleep better, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling refreshed.

Avoid activity in the hour before bedtime though, since exercise is stimulating —they’ll be jumping on the bed instead of sleeping in it!

8 Teach your child how to relax
Many children get in bed but aren’t sure what to do when they get there! It can help to follow a soothing pre-bed routine that creates sleepiness.
A good pre-bed ritual is story time. A child who is listening to a parent read a book or tell a tale will tend to lie still and listen. This quiet stillness allows him to become sleepy.

Work with these eight ideas and you’ll see improvements in your child’s sleep, and yours too.

Source: mother.ly

Helena-Reet: With children on a road trip around Finland (VOL3: Vaasa – ruins of Korsholm castle, Mannerheim, Airbnb renthouse etc) + PHOTOS!

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – After the exciting morning in Tampere (read about it HERE) we started off towards Vaasa. It is ca 260 km from Tampere to Vaasa. Most of the distance I covered on E12 road yet here and there we turned off from the main road to see the around. On our route we crossed Teivo, Ylojärvi, Rakkakoski, Kalalahti, Hämeenkyrö, Kyrökoski, Järvenkylä, Kostula, Jouti, Kilvakkala, Mansoniemi, Riitiala, Parkano, Jalasjärvi, Jokipii, Luopa, Kurikka, Tuiskula, Koskenkorva, Jakkula, Laihia, Helsingby and Runsor.

In about two hours time we took a small lunchbreak on the way and then headed on again. While many people have asked about the gas prices and the road taxes, then I will add these here. Petrol E95 costs ca 1.56 eur in Finland, E98 1.64 and diesel 1.45 – these are Neste prices. The tariffs may vary a bit from station to station but in general these were the prices almost everywhere. There is no need to worry about being trapped on a road – there are plenty of petrol stations on the roads and most of them enable self service (you pay with the card and fuel. To my knowledge there are no road taxes in Finland, at least on our trip around Finland we never crossed a fee based road and we did travel numerous large highways, smaller roads and village roads. However, there were many speed controlling cameras.

Vaasa is a town on Finland’s west coast in Pohjanmaa county, the narrow part of Merenkurkku (Kvarken) where Finland and Sweden are separated by a mere 80 km. About a quarter of the population are Finnish Swedes. It is a pleasant seaside industry and university town. I really like Finland’s west coast, there is plenty to see and visit. The history of Old Vaasa dates back to the 14th century. Ca 4 km from the current city centre of Vaasa there are the Old Vaasa ruins (Kauppiaankatu 5, 65380 Vaasa). There is also the castle of Korsholm that apparently belonged to a wealthy Swedish politician and magnate Bo Johnsson Grip.

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The best known sightseeing in Vaasa is the Statue of Liberty, 14 m high and weighing 3.6 tons, located in Vaasa market square (Hovioikeudenpuistikko 15, 65100 Vaasa), created by the sculptors Yrjo Liipolan and Jussi Mäntysen. The statue also depicts the 30-year-old Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim that studied in St Petersburg military school and served in the Russian army and who has been featured in history books as Finland’s most famous commander and statesman, the commander-in-chief in three wars and a two-time statesman. Mannerheim is the man who not only conquered back the territories lost by Moscow peace treaty but who also led the white army in Finland’s Civil War and all of Finland’s armed forces in Winter War and had the greatest merits in maintaining Finland’s independence.

The Nordic countries have such beautiful old towns! I like the historical market places and central squares, houses with beautiful architecture, cobble-stone pavements in the old town. There is history in every step. We took photos and Estella Elisheva posted to her friends the live-videos in her Insta story (@estella.elisheva) as well as Snapchat. During the entire journey we posted live also to my Instagram account (@helenareetennet). It was so sweet that whenever there was a longer pause, the acquaintances started inquiring by phone: Where are you? Is everything alright? etc… 🙂

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Then we went shopping and I bought something to eat for dinner. I had booked a lake house via Airbnb about 20-30 km in the direction of Oulu in Vöyri and we decided to cook at home. While staying in the hotel we usually eat out or dine in the hotel restaurant. For me finding accommodation via Airbnb was something new, earlier i had just once stayed in Israel but then there were many people in a room and it was arranged by someone else. So for me it was a new experience and I was quite happy about it.

Should anybody wish for purchasing a luxurious summer house in Finland then it is definitely worth considering the surroundings in Vöyri. Maxmo, Tottesund, Brudsund, Särkimö, Österö, Oxkangar, Ulot, Kvimo, Lilloxkangar, Kaitsor, etc… Overall, the region on the banks from E8 towards the Gulf of Botnia is simply wonderful!


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Salary growth in the Baltic States. Estonia leads, Lithuania is not far behind

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – According to the biggest remuneration survey in the Baltics, conducted by “Baltic Salary Survey”, this year the highest salary growth was recorder in Estonia. Lithuania and Latvia were not far behind, states the company’s press release.

“After surveying 850 companies and examining changes in remuneration, we can conclude that the monthly salary before taxes this year in Lithuania grew for 81.8% of the surveyed employees and, on average, increased by 7.7%, while the annual salary, including the bonuses – by 10.5%. From a pure statistical standpoint, Latvia slightly overtook us – there was a higher increase in the annual remuneration there, but, as in Estonia, a smaller number of employees experienced it”, – says Povilas Blusius, a representative of “Baltic Salary Survey”, and adds, that these general growth trends are often a good reflection of the general economic health of the country, but various other and more precise indicators should be used when discussing the real increase in compensation levels.

Fastest growth recorded in Estonia
Even though in Latvia and Estonia the proportions of employees that experienced the salary growth were lower than in Lithuania, the increases were higher. In Latvia, 71% of the surveyed employees received higher annual salaries compared to last year’s, with an average increase of 11%. In Estonia, remuneration grew for 73% of the incumbents and, on average, increased by 13%.

The general salary growth trends can be strongly influenced by the changes in the sample of the surveyed employees. As more and more organizations participate in the survey each year, the sample changes, which can often dilute the statistics. Because of that, “Baltic Salary Survey” also calculates the changes for the so-called unchanged sample – those employees who have not changed their position during this year and did not receive promotions. The annual salary in Lithuania for the unchanged sample increased by 8.8%, also, the payout of bonuses was more popular here than in other Baltic countries. In the neighboring Latvia, the growth of annual remuneration for the unchanged sample was much lower, only 3.6%. Estonia is leading the way in this regard as well, growth of monthly salary for the same sample was 6%, annual – 9%.

According to the compensation research specialist, such tendencies often depend or coincide with the general economic indicators of the country: inflation or GDP growth, their forecasts, the monetary policy or the prevailing market sentiments. For example, predictions about the upcoming economic crisis discourages businesses from hiring new workers or investing in the existing ones. The most dominant and fastest-growing sectors of the country, such as IT, construction or pharmaceuticals, can also have a much higher impact on the general statistics and overshadow more subtle changes.

The biggest tax burden falls on the Latvian employees
When comparing remuneration growth, it is important to consider the different tax systems in these countries. In Latvia, employees pay the largest part of their wages in taxes – 31 or 34 percent, which can increase to 42.4 percent for high-earners. Meanwhile in Lithuania there is a constant 24% tax tariff, therefore, even with the higher salary growth in Latvia, after the taxation the employees might have the same or even lower increase. In Estonia, the tax rate is slightly lower than in Lithuania – 23.6%, making it the cheapest in the Baltic States.

IT sector the most competitive salaries
According to the research, in all three Baltic States, no matter the level of the position, IT specialists of various kinds remain among the best paid professionals. The opposite is true with retail specialists – market indexes for this sector are among the lowest, meaning that employees earn lower than the market average.

This year, the highest growth of compensation was recorded in senior engineering positions, as well as in risk management. Rapid remuneration growth was not exclusive to these positions as some of the already competitive IT position saw significant increases – a large part of the organizations upped the monthly salaries of their information security specialists by nearly 14%. Meanwhile, salaries in retail sector stagnated. Some retail companies have successfully implemented new remuneration policies that, with a subsequent increase in bonus payouts, pushed the growth of the annual salary to about 2%.

According to the compensation specialists, wage growth usually reflects the demand for specialists of the specific profession. With the steady and consistent salary growth, system analysts continue to be among the most desired specialists in the Baltic States.

Helena-Reet: Around Finland on a road trip with children (VOL2: Impressions from Tampere – sightseeings and a lot more) + TRAVEL PHOTOS!

By
Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Tampere, at first glance, is an ordinary big city – the chimneys are fuming, cars are racing by and people are bustling to and fro. In the morning while taking a walk through the city we could see a broken bar window and there was trash thrown on the ground from Saturday night. Yet taking into account that it is the second largest city in the country, the general impression was still that it is a sweet and peaceful place.

Tampere (Tammerfors) is located between Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi, which are connected by Tammerkoski canal, running through the city centre and dividing the city into two – eastern and western Tampere. I have heard that each side is breathing in their own rhythm and many local people that have been born on one side needn’t ever go on the other side. Also, the famous ice hockey teams working on either side are competing against each other – Tampere Lynx and Tampere Tappara.

Without choosing sides and without background information, I found myself in western Tampere during my first visit to Tampere. We arrived in Tampere on Saturday evening (read about it HERE) and we didn’t hurry to get to know the nightlife. First, of course, because I was travelling with children and also because I find a good night’s sleep very important. While in my youth I was able to go straight to work or to school from a party then today I prefer a peaceful visit to the SPA in the evening, a pleasant dinner, a movie, or a book.

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Estella Elisheva was the first to wake in the morning. She had set her alarm clock so that she could work out 40 minutes before breakfast. Then we went to eat and already at 9 a.m. we went for a morning walk in the city. A lot grand and beautiful architecture met the eye and I liked the way the water bodies and parks succeeded one another, forming an integrated unity. There were hundreds of restaurants at hand as well as shops and hotels, music and concert halls, theatres and cinemas. We were walking, taking photos for NordenBladet and Insta (see @helenareetennet) and before we noticed it was 11 o’clock. At that time I was like fivepence in Sokos department store (Hämeenkatu 21, 33200 Tampere) going up the elevator to the second floor to visit Marks & Spencer (M&S) store where one can buy clothes even if one is not pursuing a modelling career nor intending to do the catwalk in a swimsuit.

There are many young people in Tampere thanks to two univesities and two polytechnics that are also offering higher education (from the total population of 234 441 there are 40 000 students) and the city is famous for its active cultural life. By the way, the well known writers Väino Linna, Kalle Päätalo, Hannu Salama and the poet Lauri Viita originally come from Tampere. In Tampere Ristimäki there are the studios of Yle TV2.

There are numerous sightseeings in Tampere worth visiting. Already the museums and art galleries are really for each preferance. The best known museums are Muumi Museum (Yliopistonkatu 55); the museum centre Vapriikki (Alaverstaanraikki 5); Finnish Ice Hockey Museum (Alaverstaanraitti 5); History and Work Museum Työväenmuseo Werstas (Väino Linnan aukio 8); History of Media Museum Rupriikki Media Museum (Alaverstaanraitti 5); Emil Aaltonen Museum (Mariankatu 40); Tampere Lenin Museum (Hämeenpuisto 28); Sara Hildén Art Museum (Laiturikatu 13); Amurini Employee Museum quarters or Amurin Työläismuseokortteli (Satakunnankatu 49); Spy Museum (Satakunnankatu 18); Tampere Art Museum or Tampereen taidemuseo (Tampere-talo, Yliopistonkatu 55). An interesting place for nature lovers as fans of esoterics would certainly be Tampereen Kivimuseo (Alaverstaanraitti 5), that displays stones and minerals originating from more that 80 countries, gathered by and granted to the museum by Paavo Korhonen. With children it would be interesting to visit besides the Muumi Museum also the exhibition dedicated to Haihara doll in Vapriikki museum centre – “The Doll Museum Jubilee Exhibition“. More info about Tampere as well as Finnish museums in general can be found on the page museot.fi.

Also, among the sightseeings another most known and visited is Tampere Cathedral (in Tuomiokirkonkatu), designed by Lars Sonck in romantic style and decorated by frescoes made by Hugo Simberg; then Pyynikki park and panorama tower (Näkötornintie 67); 167,9m Nasinneula tower designed by Pekka Ilveskoski (Laiturikatu 1); the great conference and concert centre Tampere Hall or Tampere talo (Yliopistonkatu 55 PL 16), etc. It is also worth while to visit the Finlayson region or Finlayson alue (Finlaysoninkatu). As homework I have taken notes that I wish to see Tampere Market Hall (Hämeenkatu 19) that is considered to be the largest indoor market in the Nordic countries, and Tampere Tallipiha Stable Yards (Kuninkaankatu 4b) that is located in the rooms built in the 1880s by the factory owner Wilhelm von Nottbeck for his horses, the rooms have now been finely renovated and built into a shopping centre. The centre accommodates plenty of interesting handicraft boutiques.

I will soon visit Tampere again in relation to business matters and then I will be able to find out new places there. I find it great to have my favourites in every city – the favourite hotel, the favourite restaurant/caffee, etc. At the moment I cannot put my finger on anything particular, since we were mostly passing by. It would be interesting to visit the Särkänniemi amusement park with children (Laiturikatu 1), where besides the merry-go-round there are also an aquarium, planetarium and a small zoo. This time we only took photos of it.

In the afternoon we headed towards Vaasa as the next chapter in our “Trip around Finland“. The road was full of traffic cameras and therefore the journey was a bit less pleasant than coming from Helsinki to Tampere. The GPS kept beeping. However, about Vaasa you can already read from the next blog post!






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