NordenBladet – Finland is number one in the newest Good Country Index, which seeks to measure “what each country on earth contributes to the good of humanity.” We talk to the index’s creator, Simon Anholt, about what it means to be “goodest.”
So many international rankings and reports exist. What sets the Good Country Index apart from the Global Competitiveness Index, the Prosperity Index, the World Happiness Report, the Environmental Performance Index and all the others?
The Good Country Index takes stock of 35 measurements that show countries’ contributions in seven different categories: science and technology; culture; peace and security; world order; planet and climate; prosperity and equality; and health and wellbeing.
In addition, and perhaps most importantly, the Good Country Index is all about what nations do for the rest of the world, not about what happens within their own borders.
“Pretty much every single one of [the other indexes] looks at countries’ internal performance in one way or another,” says Anholt. “Consequently, [they] treat the world as if it were made of entirely separate independent islands of humanity that have nothing to do with each other.”
Since the 1990s, London-based Anholt has advised the leaders of more than 50 countries in what became known as nation branding. In 2005 he founded the Anholt Nation Brands Index. Gradually perceiving a need for a new kind of study, he inaugurated the Good Country Index in 2014. (Finland was second that year.)
“Because we live in a massively interconnected, interdependent age, an age of advanced globalisation, it also made a lot of sense to look at how countries affect each other and affect the whole system,” he says.
While the Good Country Index gathers an immense amount of data, he characterises it as “a toe in the water;” it has limitations. “Reducing a country’s impact on the world to 35 data sets is obviously just a hint.”
The index also offers opportunities: “It is supposed to be the start of a new kind of conversation. The reason for it is to get people to start asking new questions about countries.”
This holds true no matter where your country ranks. In fact, the word “ranking” is misleading. The Good Country Index aims to encourage conversation, collaboration and cooperation, rather than competition to see who “wins” the rankings race.
“I’m not judging,” says Anholt. For this reason, the various categories of data aren’t weighted in the overall results. “I publish it in the form of a ranking because that’s the easiest way to crunch all of that data and present people with an overall picture.” A comparative listing gets people discussing the results.
After the release of the first edition of the index, Australian political activists told him they used the data matrix of the Good Country Index to focus questions for election candidates about how they would address certain categories in which the country was underperforming. “It’s a tool,” says Anholt. “If people do choose to use it to hold their governments to account, then that’s great. That means it’s working.” Finland is holding parliamentary elections in April 2019, and European Parliament elections happen in May 2019.
While the Good Country Index aims to encourage discussion and cooperation, it’s not against the idea of competition. If countries vie to be the “goodest,” that’s healthy.
“Competition is fine,” says Anholt. “It’s a very effective driver, but it only becomes a problem when it’s the only altar at which we worship, and that’s the case for most countries most of the time.” He believes that “the culture of governance worldwide” can shift from fundamentally competitive to fundamentally collaborative.
Work together a little more, compete against each other a little less; this is his straightforward suggestion. The Nordic countries, who possess a long history of regional cooperation, often find themselves at the top of the index (the newest results put Sweden, Denmark and Norway in third, fifth and seventh place).
What’s good for your neighbours and the rest of the world is frequently good for you, too. “You often end up doing better work domestically because you’re drawing inspiration and experience from other countries,” Anholt says. “You’re sharing good ideas.”
Out of the seven categories in the Good Country Index, Finland places highest in prosperity and equality, in which it is second. The 35 subcategories include birth rate; ecological footprint; renewable energy; giving to charity; accumulated Noble Prizes; creative goods exports; humanitarian aid donations; and number of UN volunteers sent abroad.
Finland’s strong suits are freedom of movement; press freedom; number of patents; number of international publications; foreign direct investment outflow; food aid funding; compliance with environmental agreements; and cybersecurity. One area for improvement is international students: Finland is famous for its education system, but figures indicate it should do more to attract foreign students.
“My message to Finland is the same message I would give to any country that comes top of the index,” says Anholt. “This is not a reward. Who am I to reward a country for its behaviour? This is a message about your obligations.”
Doing well in the Good Country Index indicates that a nation is good at collaborating and has “figured out a few things” that some of the others haven’t, says Anholt. It should “continue to demonstrate the benefit – domestic and international – of enhanced cooperation and collaboration.”
It’s about countries “making [themselves] willing and available to work with other countries,” says Anholt. “So it’s an opportunity for Finland to start working with other countries in a new way.”
“Countries working together” has hardly been a common rallying cry among politicians in recent years. We constantly hear the word “polarisation” in the news.
“If this isn’t the most obvious case for more cooperation and more collaboration, then what is?” asks Anholt. He’s talking about cooperation between people who are concerned about the world as a whole and those who focus more on their own countries. Both have validity, he says. “It’s very important that the Good Country Index doesn’t become another piece of tribalism.”
The measurements in the index point to difficult questions about climate change, human migration, healthcare, poverty and more. How do you stay positive when your work involves delving into these stats?
You create a country. In Anholt’s newest project, he and American Madeline Hung have co-founded the Good Country, most easily described as a virtual country, “to prove that if countries learn to work together, then we will start to make real progress.” Anyone who wants to participate in solving global challenges can sign up online and become a citizen.
In real life, Finland will continue to consider how its actions can contribute to humanity. At the moment, that’s the “goodest” thing to do.
Source: Finland.fi (By Peter Marten, January 2019)
NordenBladet – If you have participated in the Foreign Correspondents’ Programme or Young Journalists, as it was first called in the 90’s, now you might have a chance for another Finland-packed experience. Foreign Correspondents’ Programme – Alumni Edition 2019 starts on June 10th and ends on June 16th, 2019.
Come and spend a week learning about Finland today, Finnish society and the Finnish way of life – not forgetting meeting friends that have had the same original and mind-blowing FCP experience in their lives!
Who’s eligible for the 2019 FCP alumni edition? This year’s Foreign Correspondents’ Programme – Alumni Edition is definitely for you, if you are:
a) A media professional that has participated in the programme of FCP or Young Journalists 1990 – 2015.
b) Has participated from or is currently living in Europe.
c) Is an active media professional working in a media house (TV, print or Web) or in social media, for example as an accomplished blogger or vlogger, or otherwise involved in the communications sphere or politics.
d) Is still interested in learning new things, meeting new people from different cultures and spending a week in Finland (full-time attendance required).
e) Is excited to meet Finland again and continue to be a lifelong friend of ours.
How to apply? Applicants must fill an application in English and upload an English language CV including photo as an attachment.
The closing date for applications is 21st March 2019 at 24:00 hrs (Finnish time). Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. The online application will be functional during 26th February at 00:00 hrs – 21st March 2019 at 24:00 hrs (Finnish time)
Selection process? All together 10 representatives will be chosen from European coutries. The embassies in each country will make the selection, that is then confirmed at the Communications Department in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
The chosen alumni will be contacted by 8th April 2019 with travel arrangement information.
What does the programme include? The Foreign Correspondents’ Program starts on 22th August and ends on 28 August 2016. Tentatively the program will be built around the following current topics: Finnish EU presidency, domestic and foreign politics, economical situation and business strengths, nature/forest, education and top science/research, media house visit, creative industries, food culture and urban culture, visit outside of Helsinki and a host-family weekend.
The alumni meeting’s short duration sets limitations to the program. Therefore any changes are possible.
There is an intention to include half-a-day for the participants own meetings and interviews. If the participant wishes to add extra days in the beginning or end of the program, it is very much possible but unfortunately the accommodation for those days is by her/his own expense.
What costs are covered? The program covers the costs of travel to and from Finland, local travel in Helsinki, accommodation and the daily program, including transportation and some meals. The program does not cover medical insurance, per diem allowance or meals not listed as part of the program.
NordenBladet —A new assessment of threatened species indicates an increasing loss of biodiversity in Finnish nature. Of the 22 000 species evaluated, 11.9% were classified as threatened, compared to 10.5% in the previous assessment. All species groups include threatened species, and the highest proportion can be found among birds and bryophytes (mosses). The primary cause of threat is the decline and deterioration of natural habitat. Much can be done to stop this development, but urgent action is needed.
Largest proportion of threatened species among birds and bryophytes
Approximately one third of Finnish bird and bryophyte species are under threat. The proportion of threatened species is also large among lichens, vascular plants, butterflies and moths, and hymenopterans. The situation has deteriorated in all of these groups since the previous evaluation. Almost one third of vertebrate animals are endangered. Critically endangered species include, for example, the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), Landlocked salmon (Salmon salar m. sebago) and Ortolan bunting (Emberiza hortulana), among twenty other species.
Approximately 10% of Finnish insect species are threatened. For some insects, the situation has improved, as many of the southern species have benefited from climate warming. On the other hand, over 200 butterfly and moth species are even more endangered than before, even if the situation has improved for 152 species.
Species becoming more threatened in all habitats
Species are becoming threatened the fastest in fell areas, mires, aquatic habitats and rock outcrops. Only some improvements have occurred among species living in such areas. The threatened species in fell areas include particularly butterflies, moths and vascular plants suffering from, for example, the effects of climate change.
The majority of threatened species live in forests and rural biotopes, as well as other environments established as a result of human activity. Part of the species in such habitats have become threatened, but at the same time, the situation has improved for other species. As a whole, species in such habitats are declining at a slower pace than in fell areas and mires. The forests and rural biotopes are home to the largest number of species, which partly explains the large number of threatened species.
The biggest threat is the decline and degradation of habitat
Changes in the forest environment are the most significant cause of threat to species, as is the case with 733 threatened species. These changes include forest management activities, as well as the reduction of old-growth forests and large trees, as well as decreasing amounts of dead and decaying wood.
The second most common threat to species is the overgrowing of open habitats, which is the primary cause of threat to 639 species. Climate change poses a threat to, in particular, species in fell areas.
Concrete actions to improve the situation for species
Much can be done to stop the decline of species. In the Red List of Finnish Species, both broad and targeted measures are presented to improve the living conditions of species. Conservation areas alone cannot ensure the protection of species. Instead, biodiversity must be taken into account in all use of natural resources and areas.
Active conservation, restoration and management measures should be significantly increased, in particular, to protect species in mires and bird wetlands. In addition, more information about the occurrence of species and observations on their way of life are also required. Also the availability and usability of information should be improved.
The fifth assessment of threatened species in Finland
The assessment of threatened species in Finland was carried out for the fifth time. The work was coordinated by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), and it involved 180 experts from universities, museums of natural history, Natural Resources Institute Finland, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Metsähallitus and the Finnish Mammalogical Society. In addition, expert enthusiasts and retired natural scientists gave their valuable contribution to the assessment. A steering group appointed by the Ministry of the Environment guided the work and approved the assessments.
Further information:
Senior Ministerial Adviser Esko Hyvärinen, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 400 143 876, firstname.o.lastname@ym.fi
Senior Researcher Ulla-Maija Liukko, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), tel. +358 295 251 387, firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi
Unit Director Aino Juslén, Finnish Museum of Natural History, tel. +358 50 310 9703, firstname.lastname@helsinki.fi
Biodiversity & Communication Expert Riku Lumiaro, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), tel. +358 40 509 8654, firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi
A new assessment of threatened species indicates an increasing loss of biodiversity in Finnish nature. Of the 22 000 species evaluated, 11.9% were classified as threatened, compared to 10.5% in the previous assessment. All species groups include threatened species, and the highest proportion can be found among birds and bryophytes (mosses). The primary cause of threat is the decline and deterioration of natural habitat. Much can be done to stop this development, but urgent action is needed.
NordenBladet —Perseverance in the voluntary restoration of the urban brook of Longinoja in the Malmi suburb of Helsinki won the Finnish Biodiversity Award 2017-2018. The winner was chosen by the National Committee of Finland of IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature. The award was given out in Helsinki on 25 February 2019 by Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing Kimmo Tiilikainen.
Together with other countries in the world, Finland is committed to halting the loss of natural diversity by 2020. The Finnish Biodiversity Award was created to find innovative solutions that help reach the national and international goals.
The Biodiversity Award 2017-2018 goes to Mr Juha Salonen, the focal character in Longinoja Brook restoration, and the active brook restauration volunteers. Situated next to a major railroad, the urban Longinoja Brook was restored by a group of volunteers working together with many other actors, during a period of over 15 years.
“Thanks to active restoration work, the brook has now revived, and large numbers of threatened sea trout come again to spawn in the Longinoja Brook. This kind of hands-on work is important in the conservation of species. The volunteer work has opened the eyes of many city dwellers to the importance of urban nature areas,” says Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing Kimmo Tiilikainen.
Visitors to Longinoja Brook can enjoy the diverse stream landscape because of the volunteer efforts. The restoration work has increased the knowledge of the participants on streams and the importance of the whole stream ecosystem. Longinoja’s nature trail with information boards was opened in late 2018, and thousands of people have already visited the stream nature trail. Information on Longinoja Brook is easily available on a website and in social media. Longinoja has also been able to get lots of media attention.
The Finnish Biodiversity Award was given out now for the seventh time. This time the competition attracted twenty-one high-level proposals. Two years ago, the award went to the Wolf Ambassadors of the Finnish Nature League – Luonto-Liitto for dispelling the fear of wolves among children and youngsters by disseminating science-based information.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the oldest and largest environmental organisation and network in the world. The Finnish IUCN member organisations include the Finnish Government (represented by the Ministry of the Environment), the Finnish Association of Nature Conservation, WWF Finland, the Finnish Society for Nature and Environment (Natur och Miljö), BirdLife Finland, the Finnish Wildlife Agency and the Helsinki Zoo. Next to these members, the IUCN National Committee of Finland also includes the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Finnish Environment Institute and Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland. A total of over 60 Finns volunteer in IUCN Commission work.
More information:
Senior Ministerial Adviser Marina von Weissenberg, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 50 307 0806, firstname.lastname@ym.fi
Senior Advisor Liisa Nikula, IUCN National Committee of Finland, tel. +358 40 528 8467, firstname.lastname@metsa.fi
Perseverance in the voluntary restoration of the urban brook of Longinoja in the Malmi suburb of Helsinki won the Finnish Biodiversity Award 2017-2018. The winner was chosen by the National Committee of Finland of IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature. The award was given out in Helsinki on 25 February 2019 by Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing Kimmo Tiilikainen.
NordenBladet – An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), sometimes referred to as polar lights, northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in the Earth’s sky, predominantly seen in the high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic).
Auroras are produced when the magnetosphere is sufficiently disturbed by the solar wind that the trajectories of charged particles in both solar wind and magnetospheric plasma, mainly in the form of electrons and protons, precipitate them into the upper atmosphere (thermosphere/exosphere) due to Earth’s magnetic field, where their energy is lost.
The resulting ionization and excitation of atmospheric constituents emits light of varying color and complexity. The form of the aurora, occurring within bands around both polar regions, is also dependent on the amount of acceleration imparted to the precipitating particles. Precipitating protons generally produce optical emissions as incident hydrogen atoms after gaining electrons from the atmosphere. Proton auroras are usually observed at lower latitudes.
Etymology
The word “aurora” comes from the Latin word for “dawn, morning light”, since auroras were formerly thought to be the first light of dawn.
Occurrence of terrestrial auroras
Most auroras occur in a band known as the “auroral zone”, which is typically 3° to 6° wide in latitude and between 10° and 20° from the geomagnetic poles at all local times (or longitudes), most clearly seen at night against a dark sky. A region that currently displays an aurora is called the “auroral oval”, a band displaced towards the night side of the Earth. Early evidence for a geomagnetic connection comes from the statistics of auroral observations. Elias Loomis (1860), and later Hermann Fritz (1881) and S. Tromholt (1882) in more detail, established that the aurora appeared mainly in the auroral zone. Day-to-day positions of the auroral ovals are posted on the Internet.
In northern latitudes, the effect is known as the aurora borealis or the northern lights. The former term was coined by Galileo in 1619, from the Roman goddess of the dawn and the Greek name for the north wind. The southern counterpart, the aurora australis or the southern lights, has features almost identical to the aurora borealis and changes simultaneously with changes in the northern auroral zone. The Aurora Australis is visible from high southern latitudes in Antarctica, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, and Australia.
A geomagnetic storm causes the auroral ovals (north and south) to expand, and bring the aurora to lower latitudes. The instantaneous distribution of auroras (“auroral oval”) is slightly different, being centered about 3–5° nightward of the magnetic pole, so that auroral arcs reach furthest toward the equator when the magnetic pole in question is in between the observer and the Sun. The aurora can be seen best at this time, which is called magnetic midnight.
Auroras seen within the auroral oval may be directly overhead, but from farther away, they illuminate the poleward horizon as a greenish glow, or sometimes a faint red, as if the Sun were rising from an unusual direction. Auroras also occur pole ward of the auroral zone as either diffuse patches or arcs, which can be sub visual.
Auroras are occasionally seen in latitudes below the auroral zone, when a geomagnetic storm temporarily enlarges the auroral oval. Large geomagnetic storms are most common during the peak of the 11-year sunspot cycle or during the three years after the peak. An aurora may appear overhead as a “corona” of rays, radiating from a distant and apparent central location, which results from perspective. An electron spirals (gyrates) about a field line at an angle that is determined by its velocity vectors, parallel and perpendicular, respectively, to the local geomagnetic field vector B. This angle is known as the “pitch angle” of the particle. The distance, or radius, of the electron from the field line at any time is known as its Larmor radius. The pitch angle increases as the electron travels to a region of greater field strength nearer to the atmosphere. Thus, it is possible for some particles to return, or mirror, if the angle becomes 90° before entering the atmosphere to collide with the denser molecules there. Other particles that do not mirror enter the atmosphere and contribute to the auroral display over a range of altitudes. Other types of auroras have been observed from space, e.g.”poleward arcs” stretching sunward across the polar cap, the related “theta aurora”, and “dayside arcs” near noon. These are relatively infrequent and poorly understood. Other interesting effects occur such as flickering aurora, “black aurora” and subvisual red arcs. In addition to all these, a weak glow (often deep red) observed around the two polar cusps, the field lines separating the ones that close through the Earth from those that are swept into the tail and close remotely.
Aurora borealis. Each appearance of the northern lights is unique. Often you see three green bands across the night sky. Or the lights come as flickering curtains or rolling smoke. The color is a luminous green, often with a hint of pink along the edge, and occasionally with a deep violet centre. If there is a lot of activity up there, the northern lights explode for a minute or two in a corona. (Photos: NordenBladet)
The science behind the northern lights
What exactly is the northern lights? It is the sun that lies behind the formation of the auroras.During large solar explosions and flares, huge quantities of particles are thrown out ofthe sun and into deep space. When the particles meet the Earth’s magnetic shield, they areled towards a circle around the magnetic North Pole, where they interact with the upper layers of the atmosphere. The energy which is then released is the northern lights. All this happens approximately 100 kilometres above our heads.
Living legend
Perhaps not so surprisingly, the northern lights’ spectacle has given rise to as many legends as there have been people watching. Symbols linked to the northern lights are found on the Sami shamanistic drum. The phenomenon has several different names in Sami. It is, for instance, known as Guovssahas, which means “the light which can be heard”. The northern lights were traditionally associated with sound by the Sami, the indigenous people of Norway. And during the Viking Age (793–1066 AD), the northern lights were said to be the armour of the Valkyrie warrior virgins, shedding a strange flickering light.
Be patient
When dreaming about seeing the northern lights, you must remember that you are at the complete mercy of nature. The northern lights love to play hide and seek. Observing the Aurora borealis is often a tug of war between your patience and the aurora itself. Stay in the northern lights area at least a week, preferably two, and you will be rewarded – unless local weather suddenly decides to obstruct your view with clouds.
1. Do the Northern Lights really exist?
The bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth’s atmosphere. The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres.
2. What is the best time of year to see the northern lights?
In this period of time, no Northern Lights can be observed. In the most intense Northern Lights area (notably Alaska, Iceland, Northern Scandinavia and Yukon), the lights are observed from late August to mid April. However, from late September to late March, it is dark after 6pm, and one enjoys maximum chances.
3. Can you see northern lights with naked eyes?
The Aurora Borealis appears in a spectrum of colors. … Our naked eye can most easily see the green-yellow part of the spectrum where the sun emits most of its light. Green is the most common color observed but the Northern Lights can also appear white-gray.
4. Are the Northern Lights dangerous?
The Northern Lights occur so high up in the atmosphere that they don’t pose any threat to people watching them from the ground. The aurora itself is not harmful to humans but the electrically charged particles produced could have some potentially negative effects to infrastructure and technology.
5. Do the Northern Lights give off radiation?
“Northern Lights appear when high energy particles from the sun collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, causing them to emit light. … And no, the Northern Lights themselves are no source of radiation but a manifestation of what is happening all the time (the sun emits energy).
6. Can you see northern lights if cloudy?
The best conditions for seeing the Northern Lights include a few key factors: Mainly dark skies without any clouds. And, usually, the less light pollution in the sky, the better. … While it’s true that a full moon can dim the Lights a bit, it certainly doesn’t negate your chances of seeing them.
7. How often do the northern lights occur?
April to August. To see the Northern Lights you need dark skies and from early-April until late-August, the Aurora may be blazing across the Arctic firmament but it is visible only to scientific equipment, as the skies are just too light for the human eye to see the show.
8. When can I see northern lights in Norway? Can northern lights be seen in Norway?
The northern lights are therefore always present. Historically, the chances of seeing the northern lights are best viewed in Northern Norway between October and March, because the polar night makes them easier to see. The northern lights are visible in a belt around the magnetic North Pole.
9. Where is the best place to see northern lights Norway?
Tromsø Tromso is “the capital of the Arctic”, and it’s location 217 miles north of the Arctic Circle makes it one of the best places on earth to observe the northern lights. This is the largest city in Northern Norway, and operates as a hub for Safaris and nightly visits to northern light camps.
10. What month is best to see the northern lights in Norway?
The weather in November, December and January can be brutal, so a lot of people say that the best months to see the Northern Lights in Norway are late September, October, February, and March.
11. Can you see Northern Lights from Oslo?
Of course, if the conditions are right, there’s nothing to stop you catching the lights well outside that area. It’s not unheard of to see them as far north as Svalbard or as far south as Oslo – but realistically, the chances of you seeing green skies over the Norwegian capital are very low indeed.
12. Can you see the Northern Lights from the Norwegian fjords?
The Northern Lights are visible between October and March when the sky is clear, depending on the Northern Lights activity. The best place to see the Northern Lights is in the Northern, Arctic parts of Norway.
13. Can you see Northern Lights from Reykjavik?
Can You See The Northern Lights in Reykjavik? … You may be able to see the Northern Lights in the city but a few criteria would have to be met. You will need darkness and clear skies and northern light activity, all three of which only appear together mostly during the winter months.
14. Do the Northern Lights happen every night?
The Northern Lights are unpredictable. In order to see the Northern Lights, you need a dark, clear night. There also needs to be solar flares on the sun or solar wind; the Aurora Borealis happens when particles from the sun enter Earth’s atmosphere and collide violently with gas atoms.
15. Is it a good night to see the northern lights?
The Best Time of Day. First and foremost, to see the Northern Lights, the skies must be dark. Once darkness falls, the Aurora can be visible at any time of day and we have seen them as early as 4pm and as late as 6am (that was quite a night!).
16. What is the auroral oval?
When we look up and see the Northern Lights, we are only seeing a tiny section of a huge auroral oval. The geomagnetic field surrounds the Earth and extends into space as the magnetosphere, and the Geomagnetic Pole is the centre of the region around which the Northern Lights can be seen.
17. What is the auroral zone?
The auroral zone is a ring of light emission created by the precipitation of particles in the atmosphere and centred around the magnetic pole. The cusp and boundary layers on the dayside, and the plasma sheet and plasma sheet boundary layer on the nightside are the sources of these precipitations.
18. Why is it called aurora borealis?
In northern latitudes, the effect is known as the aurora borealis or the northern lights. The former term was coined by Galileo in 1619, from the Roman goddess of the dawn and the Greek name for the north wind. … The aurora can be seen best at this time, which is called magnetic midnight.
NordenBladet —At their meeting in Helsinki on Friday 25 January, the Prime Ministers and ministers responsible for climate issues of the Nordic countries decided to speed up their climate actions. The Nordic countries aim to follow the 1.5 Degree Report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC in October even more closely when deciding on their policies. To tackle the climate crisis, the countries will raise the level of their climate ambition by 2020 and aim to achieve carbon neutrality sooner than other countries.
”We want to show Nordic leadership and set an example. The Nordic countries are taking the IPCC’s 1.5 Degree Report very seriously, and we will also base our policies on this”, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä says.
According to the joint declaration given by the countries, cooperation will be increased in disseminating Nordic emissions abatement solutions, developing of technologies such as those for carbon capture and storage (CCS), curbing emissions in the transport sector, and maintaining and enhancing carbon sinks. The countries will also enhance their joint climate diplomacy and look for means to facilitate climate-friendly consumer choices.
“Together we are more than a sum of our parts. This is equally true with respect to making an impact on international forums and in developing and disseminating technology solutions. We have the expertise that we can – and are obliged to – offer even more effectively to be used by the rest of the world”, says Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing Kimmo Tiilikainen.
The Nordic ministers were invited to Helsinki by Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing Kimmo Tiilikainen. The progress of the measures included in the Declaration and the follow-up procedures will be discussed at the Nordic climate ministers’ meeting in October 2019.
Inquiries:
Jani Raappana, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, tel. +358 295 160 306
Taru Savolainen, Special Adviser to the Minister of the Environment, tel. +358 40 535 8622
Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU Affairs, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 40 537 0733
Riikka Lamminmäki, Communications Specialist, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 29 525 0343
Johanna Kaprio, Chief Communications Specialist, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 50 412 7506
At their meeting in Helsinki on Friday 25 January, the Prime Ministers and ministers responsible for climate issues of the Nordic countries decided to speed up their climate actions. The Nordic countries aim to follow the 1.5 Degree Report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC in October even more closely when deciding on their policies.
NordenBladet – Having had our breakfast in Kajaani (read HERE) we started off towards Kuopio. To my mind, travelling by car is pure luxury – you are not bound by time limits, the cars will carry all your belongings, you can stop wherever you please, etc. Extremely comfortable and maintains the privacy.. You need not be seated next to a stranger like on the airbus, wait in the airport check-in line, etc.
From Kajaani through Sukeva, Soinlahti, Iisalmi, Peltosalmi, Kirma, Nerkoo, Lapinlahti, Mäntylahti, Alapitkä, Pöljä, Aappola, Siilinjärvi and Sorsasalo it is 170 km vi E63 road to Kuopio (ca 2 hours driving).
With its 118 434 inhabitants Kuopio is today the ninth biggest town in Finland. The Swedish lord and governer Per Brahe the Younger founded Kuopio town in the year 1653, yet officially Kuopio was recognized as a town from November 1775 on when the Swedish king Gustav III insisted on recognizing Kuopio as a town. Almost a quarter of the territory of Kuopio is covered by water bodies and half is covered by forest – thus the overall impression is very beautiful. I really like nature! Kuopio also enjoys having a lovely old town (a nice market place, an interesting market and a historical city hall). We spent two days with children in Kuopio. I had booked Sokos Puijonsarvi for two nights, but the children wanted so much to visit the SPA (we hadn’t visited a SPA already for a while… haha) and so I cancelled one reservation and we went to Rauhalahti SPA for one night. Kids were clapping their hands from joy and we did have a very pleasant evening.
On the second day we went shopping in Kuopio city center (I bought a short coat, a jacket, two cardigans and a new travel case), we were looking around to find new business partners for the cosmetics brand Elisheva & Shoshana (currently we are negotiating with a city center boutique… so probably soon one can purchase E&S handmade cosmetics products also from Kuopio!), then I also met an old friend of mine and in the evening we took photos with Estella Elisheva in Puijonsarvi Hotel for OHMYGOSSIP Teen in Ohmygossip Couture tank tops. I hope to upload the gallery soon enough.
There are various sightseeings in Kuopio, so it will depend on what one wishes to see. The best known sightseeings are for example the 75m high Puijo Tower with its rotating restaurant that accommodates 100 guests, designed by the architect Seppo Ruotsalainen (Puijontie 135, 70300) and Kuopio Art Museum (Kuopion taidesmuseo – Kauppakatu 35, 70100). We were already rather fed up with new information and all the sightseeings, so we simply enjoyed our vacation. It would have been great to visit Joensuu that is located east from Kuopio and Ilomantsi that is quite close to the Russian border, but we kind od started missing home and thus decided not to expand our travel route any further. We had covered 3000 kilometres already! In the next around-Finland blog already new towns and new cool experiences!
Keywords: kuopio, what to do in kuopio, with children in kuopio. with children on a road trip around finland, with children on a road trip, around finland, car trip in finland, with car in finland, with family in finland, with kids in finland, finland road trip, finland tourist attractions, finnish road trip, finland travel, rovaniemi northern lights, visit lapland, places to visit in finland, lapland finland christmas, europe road trip, finland tour, roadtrip suomi, lapland finland, finland trip, finland tourism, finland vacation, finland itinerary, things to do in finland, scandinavia trip, finland tour itinerary, finland train, day trips from helsinki to lapland, helsinki to rovaniemi train, driving in finland in winter, finland destinations, things to see in finland, lapland map, finland map, finland travel blog, finnish travel blogger, finnish travel bloggers, travelblog, what to do in finland, auto finland, things to do in lapland, ice hotel rovaniemi, best places to visit in finland, finland winter, helsinki finland points of interest, norwegian finland, finland, norway sweden finland vacation, things to do in rovaniemi, lapland norway, trip to sweden, road trip north finland, helsinki winter, finland google map, things to do in helsinki in winter, finland winter itinerary, driving in helsinki, cars tour, finland travel itinerary, day trips from helsinki in winter, scandinavian road trip, around finland road trip, lapland tours from helsinki, visit lapland finland, finland travel guide, lapland road trip, cities in finland, visit finland in winter, finland self drive, helsinki to lapland, finlands road trip itinerary, best time to visit finland for northern lights, time in finland, visit finland, finland lapland itinerary, blogger road trip, northern lights helsinki, what to do in kuopio, kuopio blogger, kuopio website, kuopio blog, finland fly drive holidays, best time to visit finland, scandinavian road trip itinerary, planning a trip to finland, what to see in finland, finland itinerary winter, finland travel blog, finland lakes, suggested itinerary for finland, bycar, norway sweden finland itinerary, things to do in finland in winter, where to go in finland, trains in finland, arctic circle finland, finland lapland tour, finland by car, finland self drive tours, travel from helsinki to lapland, day trip to lapland finland, travel finland northern lights, norway sweden finland trip, touring finland, travel to finland northern lights, where to go in finland in winter, finland itinerary summer, scandinavia road trip, finland in december, places in finland, driving in finland winter, rovaniemi itinerary, finland guide book, finland cars, driving to finland, maps finland, road trip to lapland, finland sweden norway trip, finland visiting places, sweden norway finland trip, winter driving finland, finland driving, finnish trains, places to visit in finland in winter, motorhome finland, helsinki to rovaniemi by car, sweden road trip, how many lakes in finland, finland attractions, wheres lapland, best places to visit in finland in winter, afinn, trips to norway sweden and finland, travel norway sweden finland, campervan finland, how to go to finland, nordic blogger, nordic bloggers, scandinavian blogger, scandinavian blogger, top scandinavian bloggers, top scandinavian travel blogger, lakeland finland, finland train map, arctic circle rovaniemi, driving in finland, best road trips in scandinavia, finland tourist destinations, where is finland on the map, finland travel advice, finland scenic routes, finland sightseeing tours, scandinavian roadtrip, finnish map, trips to finland winter, touring scandinavia by car, finland day tours, where to travel in finland, finland scenery, savo, savonlinna, best cars finland, road trip finlande, how to travel to finland, driving in finland in december, finland where to go, car visit, finlandia, fly and drive finlandia, cars in finland, finland guide, finland 5 day itinerary, roadtrip scandinavia, finland road map, finland backpacking routes, go to finland, driving in rovaniemi, helsinki driving, helsinki winter itinerary, touring sweden by car, road trip through finland, auto in finland, scandinavia by car, road trip through scandinavia, finland road, travel finland on a budget, helena-reet, helena-reet ennet, estella elisheva, ivanka shoshana, models who travel, travel influencer, travel influencers, scandinavian influencers, travel article, travel writer, digital nomad, scandinavian writer, travel from finland to sweden, rent a camper finland, planning a trip to lapland, scandinavian road trip route, finland itinerary blog, lapland travel blog, helsinki to kuopio train, rv finland, travel helsinki finland, travel to lapland finland, dr helsinki, finland sites to visit, a week in finland, roadtrip finland, finland trip blog, nordic road trip, day trip to finland, how to travel from helsinki to lapland, trip in finland, road trip around scandinavia, road trip en finlande, finland tour blog, finland tourist map, travel blog finland, travel from sweden to finland, finland free and easy, visiting finland in november, finland snow driving, getting from helsinki to lapland, where to go finland, what to do in finland in october, finland tourism brochure, finnish tour, how to go to lapland from helsinki, how much is a trip to finland, road trip norway sweden finland, finland motorcycle, capital of finland map, finland travel tips, road trip denmark sweden norway finland, rovaniemi travel blog, roadtrip finnland, visiting finland in november, helsinki finland travel guide, a trip to finland, day trips in finland, travelling around finland, 4 days in finland, 5 days in finland, finnland roadtrip, rovaniemi finland things to do, norway sweden finland road trip, suomi road trip, road trip suomi, finland offroad tour, things to do in finland in october, finlan travel, 10 days in finland, is it safe to travel to finland, travel finland blog, how to go kuopio from rovaniemi, when to go to finland, one week in finland, finland travel map, finland in 7 days, e75 finland, how far is helsinki from kuopio, drive from helsinki to savo, visiting finland in november, train helsinki to levi, byer i finnland, why travel to finland, winter driving in finland, suomi roadtrip, finnish roads, finland when to go, best road trips in scandinavia, getting to lapland from helsinki, finland road conditions, helsinki road, scandinavia driving tours, road trip finland, finland road trip itinerary, road trip in finland, finland round trip, finland santa trip, finland igloo trip, a road trip, finland road cameras, visiting finland with kids, in finland with children
NordenBladet – Kajaani in Central Finland is the centre and capital city of Kainuu area. The town with 37039 inhabitants was founded in the 17th century when the industry and trade of tar produced from pine trees started to flourish. The town was founded in the year 1651 by the Swedish attorney general Per Brahe. In later days the town’s economy has been run by timber and paper industry, until the Kajaani paper factory that had been working from 1907-2008 was closed down. Kajaani has reached the headlines with the oil catastrophe, namely in 2012 there was an extensive oil pollution and 110 000 litres of oil poured into the river and drifted to Oulujärvi.
Kajaani is actually a junction for trade roads and with an interesting location, surrounded by hundreds of little lakes. For hikers, cyclists and canooers this is a pleasant spot to go in for sports. The lovely little city centre with the shops and the town hall that was built in 1831 both contribute to the coxy feeling.
We spent in Kajaani one day and one night. We were in the most expensive hotel of the neighborhood, yet the night was a nightmare. People were shouting in the hotel hallways until late at night, dogs were barking and the insect repellent that had been sprayed to the hotel wardrobes, was breathtaking. Hadn’t it been a perfectly wonderful and friendly reception-lady earlier on welcoming us and checking us in the hotel, we would probably have decided to go somewher else. We were thinking to ourselves, whether the hotel star-standards that have been awarded still hold after a few years and wheather there is someone in charge of maintaining the initial standards?! The hotel facade and the reception floor were wonderful and freshly renovated, yet the hotel rooms were as if from another era. However, the breakfast in the hotel was very-very delightful (among the best during the entire journey)! For example cold salmon – my favourite! Yummmm… For children there was a large selection of various food that they could serve in Moomin dishes. Ahh, how I like the Moomins. Such a nice and friendly family, and the entire Moomin-world image is so friendly and nice. By the way, Ivanka Shoshana affectionately calls me Muuminmamma, she herself is Snork Maiden and Estella Elisheva is Little My – this is our game. A few years ago we visited the Moomin world in Naantali and the surroundings of Turku – Väsk island, the Finnish president’s summer residence in Kultaranta, etc. I posted many blogs about that (see HERE) 🙂
But what then is there to do in Kajaani? When you search online for Kajaani sightseeings then the list is rather short. The more interesting tourist magnets-sightseeings that have been brought out are Kajaani town hall, Kajaani and Paltaniemi church, the ruins of Kajaani stronghold (Linnankatu 27, Kajaani 87100), Kajaani art museum (Linnankatu 14, 87100), and Kajaani town theatre (Kauppakatu 14, 87100 Kajaani), the Pietari Brahen monument and Hoyrylaiva Kouta (address: Kalkkisillantie 4, Kajaani 87200), the ship that takes tours on Oulujärvi. Urho Kekkonen who during the years 1956-1982 was the Finnish president, was born in Lepikko farm Pielavesi village where at the age of 11 he moved to Kajaani. In the kajaani park that is located between Koivukoskenkatu and Kirkkokatu a monument has been erected in his honour. In the same park (on the address Väinämöisenkatu 18, 87100 Kajaani) there is also the “Isänmaan puolesta” memorial.
Having driven through all of western Finland and northern Finland this way and that way, one could say that central Finland and western Finland have a very different wealth standard and architecture. As it often is, the western side tends to be wealthier and the eastern side less well off. Many little towns in Finland have in a way frozen, the re is little of the Scandinavian welfare and wealth really in those places – like for example Puolanka and Pudasjärvi that have been described in the previous travel post (see HERE) and quite many other central and eastern towns in Finland, too. Also, it is rather strongly felt in Kajaani that the town would not suffer at all from a nice financial boost. In order to attract tourists in the town and keep the interested, I guess it would be necessary to promote the town far more. Certainly there are a lot more pearls in that region to be discovered. Overall, I am super overwhelmed about our road trip and I am already planning new jpurneys. It is possible to see so many places! At some point I would like to see the eastern side of Finland (Nurme surroundings, Joensuu region, Ilomantsi region, etc). Finland is a safe country and it is convenient to travel by car there. The next blog post will take us to Kuopio!
–
Keywords: kajaani, what to do in kajaani, best things to do in kajaani, best things to see in kajaani, hotels in kajaani, with children on a road trip around finland, with children on a road trip, around finland, car trip in finland, with car in finland, with family in finland, with kids in finland, finland road trip, finland tourist attractions, finnish road trip, finland travel, rovaniemi northern lights, visit lapland, places to visit in finland, lapland finland christmas, europe road trip, finland tour, roadtrip suomi, lapland finland, finland trip, finland tourism, finland vacation, finland itinerary, things to do in finland, scandinavia trip, finland tour itinerary, finland train, day trips from helsinki to lapland, helsinki to rovaniemi train, driving in finland in winter, finland destinations, things to see in finland, lapland map, finland map, finland travel blog, finnish travel blogger, finnish travel bloggers, travelblog, what to do in finland, auto finland, things to do in lapland, ice hotel rovaniemi, best places to visit in finland, finland winter, helsinki finland points of interest, norwegian finland, finland, norway sweden finland vacation, things to do in rovaniemi, lapland norway, trip to sweden, road trip north finland, helsinki winter, finland google map, things to do in helsinki in winter, finland winter itinerary, driving in helsinki, cars tour, finland travel itinerary, day trips from helsinki in winter, scandinavian road trip, around finland road trip, lapland tours from helsinki, visit lapland finland, finland travel guide, lapland road trip, cities in finland, visit finland in winter, finland self drive, helsinki to lapland, finlands road trip itinerary, best time to visit finland for northern lights, time in finland, visit finland, finland lapland itinerary, blogger road trip, northern lights helsinki, what to do in rovaniemi, finland fly drive holidays, best time to visit finland, scandinavian road trip itinerary, planning a trip to finland, what to see in finland, finland itinerary winter, finland travel blog, finland lakes, suggested itinerary for finland, bycar, norway sweden finland itinerary, things to do in finland in winter, where to go in finland, trains in finland, arctic circle finland, finland lapland tour, finland by car, finland self drive tours, travel from helsinki to lapland, day trip to lapland finland, travel finland northern lights, norway sweden finland trip, touring finland, travel to finland northern lights, where to go in finland in winter, finland itinerary summer, scandinavia road trip, finland in december, places in finland, driving in finland winter, rovaniemi itinerary, finland guide book, finland cars, driving to finland, maps finland, road trip to lapland, finland sweden norway trip, finland visiting places, sweden norway finland trip, winter driving finland, finland driving, finnish trains, places to visit in finland in winter, motorhome finland, helsinki to rovaniemi by car, sweden road trip, how many lakes in finland, finland attractions, wheres lapland, best places to visit in finland in winter, afinn, trips to norway sweden and finland, travel norway sweden finland, campervan finland, how to go to finland, nordic blogger, nordic bloggers, scandinavian blogger, scandinavian blogger, top scandinavian bloggers, top scandinavian travel blogger, lakeland finland, finland train map, arctic circle rovaniemi, driving in finland, best road trips in scandinavia, finland tourist destinations, where is finland on the map, finland travel advice, finland scenic routes, finland sightseeing tours, scandinavian roadtrip, finnish map, trips to finland winter, touring scandinavia by car, finland day tours, where to travel in finland, finland scenery, best cars finland, road trip finlande, how to travel to finland, driving in finland in december, finland where to go, car visit, finlandia, fly and drive finlandia, cars in finland, finland guide, finland 5 day itinerary, roadtrip scandinavia, finland road map, finland backpacking routes, go to finland, driving in rovaniemi, helsinki driving, helsinki winter itinerary, touring sweden by car, road trip through finland, auto in finland, scandinavia by car, road trip through scandinavia, finland road, travel finland on a budget, helena-reet, helena-reet ennet, estella elisheva, ivanka shoshana, models who travel, travel influencer, travel influencers, scandinavian influencers, travel article, travel writer, digital nomad, scandinavian writer, travel from finland to sweden, rent a camper finland, planning a trip to lapland, scandinavian road trip route, finland itinerary blog, lapland travel blog, helsinki to lapland train, rv finland, travel helsinki finland, travel to lapland finland, dr helsinki, finland sites to visit, a week in finland, roadtrip finland, finland trip blog, nordic road trip, day trip to finland, how to travel from helsinki to lapland, trip in finland, road trip around scandinavia, road trip en finlande, finland tour blog, finland tourist map, travel blog finland, travel from sweden to finland, finland free and easy, visiting finland in november, finland snow driving, getting from helsinki to lapland, where to go finland, what to do in finland in october, finland tourism brochure, finnish tour, how to go to lapland from helsinki, how much is a trip to finland, road trip norway sweden finland, finland motorcycle, capital of finland map, finland travel tips, road trip denmark sweden norway finland, rovaniemi travel blog, roadtrip finnland, visiting finland in november, helsinki finland travel guide, a trip to finland, day trips in finland, travelling around finland, 4 days in finland, 5 days in finland, finnland roadtrip, rovaniemi finland things to do, norway sweden finland road trip, suomi road trip, road trip suomi, finland offroad tour, things to do in finland in october, finlan travel, 10 days in finland, is it safe to travel to finland, travel finland blog, how to go lapland from helsinki, when to go to finland, one week in finland, finland travel map, finland in 7 days, e75 finland, how far is helsinki from lapland, drive from helsinki to rovaniemi, visiting finland in november, train helsinki to levi, byer i finnland, why travel to finland, winter driving in finland, suomi roadtrip, finnish roads, finland when to go, best road trips in scandinavia, getting to lapland from helsinki, finland road conditions, helsinki road, scandinavia driving tours, road trip finland, finland road trip itinerary, road trip in finland, finland round trip, finland santa trip, finland igloo trip, a road trip, finland road cameras, visiting finland with kids, in finland with children
NordenBladet – On the eighth day of our trip around Finland we headed from Rovaniemi (read the journey description HERE) towards Kajaani. Quite a long journey was ahead of us. Google distance measurer displayed ca 385km (4h 45min) when driving along E75 and E8. Since we were not in a hurry then we took our time and drove quietly, taking stops wherever we pleased.
From Rovaniemi to Kivitaipale, Narkaus, Ruonakoski, Portimo, Nuupas we drove towards Ranua. It was a small municipality in Lapland with less than 4000 inhabitants, 1.13 people per one square metre – very cool! I like it when people are not cramped together. The little municipality is divided into 21 small villages (Asmunti, Hosio, Impiö, Kelankylä, Kortteenperä, Kuha, Kuukasjärvi, Mauru, Nuupas, Petäjäjärvi, Pohjaslahti–Piittisjärvi, Portimo, Putkivaara, Raiskio, Rovastinaho, Saariharju, Saukkojärvi, Sääskilahti, Teerivaara, Telkkälä and Tolja). Ranua is known for its beautiful nature and large number of lakes – the little minicipality has as many as 569 of those! A source of popularity is also the Zoo of Ranua. It Europe’s northernmost zoo where one can see various arctic animals – for example the polar bear.
Further on our road took us from Ranua through Asmut, to Pudasjärvi. This is a small place, for some reason or other, at that moment is gave us a slightly depressive impression.
From Pudasjärvi we drove through Jatko, Hirvakoski, Ervasti and Auho Puolanka. Almost two hours of driving in complete abandonment… Perhaps a few cars passed us by during that time. A look to the right – there is forest, a look to the left – there is forest again. On the one hand this might be boring yet on the other hand it makes you happy. For once there are not factories and rubbish at every step where people have been. And in one place we also saw reindeer again, although I mentioned in the previous blog post that reindeer were not seen anymore. So now while reviewing the photos again I remembered that we still did see reindeer – these were tagged.
Puolanka (Puolango) is even less densely inhabited than Ranua municipality. In the 17 villages of Poulanka (Aittokylä, Auho, Joukokylä, Kivarinjärvi, Kotila, Kongasmäki, Leipivaara, Lylykylä, Naulaperä, Puokio, Puolanka, Rasinkylä, Suolijärvi, Vihajärvi, Väyrylä, Yli-Oterma, Törmänmäki) there are 2637 people according to the 31.08.2018 census, this would mean 1.07 people per one square kilometre. Like in Ranua, the municiplaity of Puolanka is only Finnish-speaking (as you may know, most of Finland is bilingual – the spoken languages are Finnish and Swedish. However, regardless of the latter fact you can hardly meet a genuine Finn in Finland. For some reason I had the idea that the countryside is untouched and not spoilt in that respect, that there are mainly Finns. But the streets are colourful in Helsinki as well as in Northenrn Finland. There are Iranians, Iraqi, Turks and people from other nationalities 50:50 with local people. The white Scandinavian porcelain skin is more and more rare, as well as the fair hair and blue eyes that used to be so common only 25 years ago. I guess the Nordic woman is alive only in folkrore and the epics a hundred years from now – provided there still remain people who value the culture. Nowadays everything has been mixed up. Even beside the two sexes, man and woman, there is the third gender. The social media has been praising robots, artificial intelligence, for many years already. Robot-influencers (i.e. @lilmiquela) have more followers than actual people. I am very curious about haw long it takes that people will say “now this is enough for me, I won’t go with the flow any more”. When do people start to appreciate reality?! Well, in some sense this is the society’s new reality. I guess VIP/Glamour versus Reality/Genuine have changed places and nowadays the actual things are luxurious products and everything that has been desirable and unattainable for years is now mass commodity.
But about Puolanka. Finland’s largest waterfall Hepoköngäs is located 16km from Puolanka centre, in the national park. There is plenty of beautiful, pure nature! An interesting fact about Puolanka is that Finland’s current Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, grew up there and spent his early days exactly there. This is a good example about a venturesome and ambitious person breaking through into big politics and business from this small place. I am glad that someone as high up the ladder has their roots in a small place and is aware of the life outside the capital city.
In Puolanka we briefly stopped for lunch. We stopped at the local Ester Restaurant (Ouluntie 4, 89200 Puolanka). The food was great and service was quick. We ordered a pizza (9.50), chicken salad (16.90), French fries (5.50), a jug of water (1.-) and coffee ( 1.60).
Now we were already looking forward to reaching our destination – Kajaani. There were a little less than 100km driving. We rolled through Leipivaara, Paltamo and Jormua to Kajaani where we parked the car and checked in to the hotel. I will write about Kajaani already in the next blog!
Keywords: what to do in pudasjärvi, what to do in ranua, with children on a road trip around finland, with children on a road trip, around finland, car trip in finland, with car in finland, with family in finland, with kids in finland, finland road trip, finland tourist attractions, finnish road trip, finland travel, rovaniemi northern lights, visit lapland, places to visit in finland, lapland finland christmas, europe road trip, finland tour, roadtrip suomi, lapland finland, finland trip, finland tourism, finland vacation, finland itinerary, things to do in finland, scandinavia trip, finland tour itinerary, finland train, day trips from helsinki to lapland, helsinki to rovaniemi train, driving in finland in winter, finland destinations, things to see in finland, lapland map, finland map, finland travel blog, finnish travel blogger, finnish travel bloggers, travelblog, what to do in finland, Finland Pudasjärvi, Puolanka, Ranua travel, zoo of ranua, what to do in kajaani, what to do in ranua, where is ranua, Asmunti, Hosio, Impiö, Kelankylä, Kortteenperä, Kuha, Kuukasjärvi, Mauru, Nuupas, Petäjäjärvi, Pohjaslahti, Piittisjärvi, Portimo, Putkivaara, Raiskio, Rovastinaho, Saariharju, Saukkojärvi, Sääskilahti, Teerivaara, Telkkälä, Tolja, finland zoo, Kivitaipale, Narkaus, Ruonakoski, Jatko, Hirvakoski, Ervasti, Auho, Aittokylä, Joukokylä, Kivarinjärvi, Kotila, Kongasmäki, Leipivaara, Lylykylä, Naulaperä, Puokio, Rasinkylä, Suolijärvi, Vihajärvi, Väyrylä, Yli-Oterma, Törmänmäki, waterfall Hepoköngäs, Hepoköngäs, auto finland, things to do in lapland, ice hotel rovaniemi, best places to visit in finland, finland winter, helsinki finland points of interest, norwegian finland, finland, norway sweden finland vacation, things to do in rovaniemi, lapland norway, trip to sweden, road trip north finland, helsinki winter, finland google map, things to do in helsinki in winter, finland winter itinerary, driving in helsinki, cars tour, finland travel itinerary, day trips from helsinki in winter, scandinavian road trip, around finland road trip, lapland tours from helsinki, visit lapland finland, finland travel guide, lapland road trip, cities in finland, visit finland in winter, finland self drive, helsinki to lapland, finlands road trip itinerary, best time to visit finland for northern lights, time in finland, visit finland, finland lapland itinerary, blogger road trip, northern lights helsinki, what to do in rovaniemi, finland fly drive holidays, best time to visit finland, scandinavian road trip itinerary, planning a trip to finland, what to see in finland, finland itinerary winter, finland travel blog, finland lakes, suggested itinerary for finland, bycar, norway sweden finland itinerary, things to do in finland in winter, where to go in finland, trains in finland, arctic circle finland, finland lapland tour, finland by car, finland self drive tours, travel from helsinki to lapland, day trip to lapland finland, travel finland northern lights. norway sweden finland trip, touring finland, travel to finland northern lights, where to go in finland in winter, finland itinerary summer, scandinavia road trip, finland in december, places in finland, driving in finland winter, rovaniemi itinerary; finland guide book, finland cars, driving to finland, maps finland, road trip to lapland, finland sweden norway trip, finland visiting places, sweden norway finland trip, winter driving finland, finland driving, finnish trains, places to visit in finland in winter, motorhome finland, helsinki to rovaniemi by car, sweden road trip, how many lakes in finland, finland attractions, wheres lapland, best places to visit in finland in winter, afinn, trips to norway sweden and finland, distance. travel norway sweden finland, campervan finland, how to go to finland, nordic blogger, nordic bloggers, scandinavian blogger, scandinavian blogger, top scandinavian bloggers, top scandinavian travel blogger, lakeland finland, finland train map, arctic circle rovaniemi, driving in finland, best road trips in scandinavia, finland tourist destinations, where is finland on the map, finland travel advice, finland scenic routes, finland sightseeing tours, scandinavian roadtrip, finnish map, trips to finland winter, touring scandinavia by car, finland day tours, where to travel in finland, finland scenery, best cars finland, road trip finlande, how to travel to finland, driving in finland in december, ranua zoo camping, camping. finland where to go, car visit, finlandia, fly and drive finlandia, cars in finland, finland guide, finland 5 day itinerary, roadtrip scandinavia, finland road map, finland backpacking routes, go to finland, driving in rovaniemi, helsinki driving, helsinki winter itinerary, touring sweden by car, road trip through finland; auto in finland, scandinavia by car, road trip through scandinavia, finland road, travel finland on a budget, helena-reet, helena-reet ennet, estella elisheva, ivanka shoshana, models who travel, travel influencer, travel influencers, scandinavian influencers, travel article, travel writer, digital nomad, scandinavian writer, travel from finland to sweden, rent a camper finland, planning a trip to lapland. scandinavian road trip route, finland itinerary blog, lapland travel blog, helsinki to lapland train. rv finland, travel helsinki finland, travel to lapland finland, dr helsinki, finland sites to visit, a week in finland, roadtrip finland, finland trip blog, nordic road trip, day trip to finland, how to travel from helsinki to lapland, trip in finland, road trip around scandinavia, road trip en finlande, finland tour blog, finland tourist map, travel blog finland, travel from sweden to finland, finland free and easy, visiting finland in november, finland snow driving, getting from helsinki to lapland, where to go finland, what to do in finland in october, finland tourism brochure, finnish tour, how to go to lapland from helsinki, how much is a trip to finland, road trip norway sweden finland, finland motorcycle, capital of finland map, finland travel tips, road trip denmark sweden norway finland, rovaniemi travel blog, roadtrip finnland, visiting finland in november, helsinki finland travel guide, a trip to finland, day trips in finland, travelling around finland, 4 days in finland, 5 days in finland, finnland roadtrip, rovaniemi finland things to do, go to finland with car, norway sweden finland road trip, suomi road trip, road trip suomi, finland offroad tour, things to do in finland in october, finlan travel, 10 days in finland, is it safe to travel to finland, travel finland blog, how to go lapland from helsinki, when to go to finland, one week in finland, finland travel map, finland in 7 days, e75 finland, how far is helsinki from lapland, drive from helsinki to rovaniemi, visiting finland in november, train helsinki to levi, byer i finnland, why travel to finland, winter driving in finland, suomi roadtrip, finnish roads, finland when to go, best road trips in scandinavia, getting to lapland from helsinki, finland road conditions, helsinki road, scandinavia driving tours, road trip finland, finland road trip itinerary, road trip in finland, finland round trip, finland santa trip, finland igloo trip, a road trip, finland road cameras, visiting finland with kids, in finland with children
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).
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.
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.
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.
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!
Keywords: with children on a road trip around finland, with children on a road trip, around finland, car trip in finland, with car in finland, with family in finland, with kids in finland, finland road trip, finland tourist attractions, finnish road trip, finland travel, rovaniemi northern lights, visit lapland, places to visit in finland, lapland finland christmas, europe road trip, finland tour, roadtrip suomi, lapland finland, finland trip, finland tourism, finland vacation, finland itinerary, things to do in finland, scandinavia trip, finland tour itinerary, finland train, day trips from helsinki to lapland, helsinki to rovaniemi train, driving in finland in winter, finland destinations, things to see in finland, lapland map, finland map. finland travel blog, finnish travel blogger, finnish travel bloggers, travelblog, what to do in finland, auto finland, things to do in lapland, ice hotel rovaniemi, best places to visit in finland. finland winter, helsinki finland points of interest, norwegian finland, finland, norway sweden finland vacation, things to do in rovaniemi, lapland norway, trip to sweden, road trip north finland, helsinki winter, finland google map, things to do in helsinki in winter, finland winter itinerary, driving in helsinki, cars tour, finland travel itinerary, day trips from helsinki in winter. scandinavian road trip, around finland road trip, lapland tours from helsinki, visit lapland finland, finland travel guide, lapland road trip, cities in finland, visit finland in winter, finland self drive, helsinki to lapland, finlands road trip itinerary, best time to visit finland for northern lights, time in finland, visit finland, finland lapland itinerary, blogger road trip, northern lights helsinki, what to do in rovaniemi, finland fly drive holidays, best time to visit finland, scandinavian road trip itinerary, planning a trip to finland. what to see in finland, finland itinerary winter, finland travel blog, finland lakes, suggested itinerary for finland, bycar, norway sweden finland itinerary, things to do in finland in winter, where to go in finland, trains in finland, arctic circle finland, finland lapland tour, finland by car, finland self drive tours, travel from helsinki to lapland, day trip to lapland finland, travel finland northern lights, norway sweden finland trip, touring finland, travel to finland northern lights, where to go in finland in winter, finland itinerary summer, scandinavia road trip, finland in december, places in finland, driving in finland winter, rovaniemi itinerary, finland guide book, finland cars, driving to finland, maps finland, road trip to lapland, finland sweden norway trip. finland visiting places, sweden norway finland trip, winter driving finland, finland driving, finnish trains, places to visit in finland in winter, low season in rovaniemi. motorhome finland, helsinki to rovaniemi by car, sweden road trip, how many lakes in finland, finland attractions, wheres lapland, best places to visit in finland in winter, afinn, trips to norway sweden and finland, travel norway sweden finland, campervan finland, how to go to finland, nordic blogger, nordic bloggers, scandinavian blogger, scandinavian blogger, top scandinavian bloggers, top scandinavian travel blogger, lakeland finland, finland train map, arctic circle rovaniemi, driving in finland, best road trips in scandinavia, finland tourist destinations, where is finland on the map, finland travel advice, finland scenic routes, finland sightseeing tours, scandinavian roadtrip, finnish map, trips to finland winter, touring scandinavia by car, finland day tours, where to travel in finland, finland scenery, best cars finland, road trip finlande, how to travel to finland, driving in finland in december, finland where to go, car visit, finlandia, fly and drive finlandia, cars in finland, finland guide, finland 5 day itinerary, roadtrip scandinavia, finland road map, finland backpacking routes, go to finland, driving in rovaniemi, helsinki driving, helsinki winter itinerary, touring sweden by car, road trip through finland, auto in finland, scandinavia by car, road trip through scandinavia, finland road, travel finland on a budget, helena-reet, helena-reet ennet, estella elisheva, ivanka shoshana, models who travel, travel influencer, travel influencers, scandinavian influencers, Finland Rovaniemi, Rovaniemi Lapland, Lovable Lapland, Rovaniemi, Santa Claus, Santa Claus Holiday Village, Santa Park, travel, from Kittilä to Rovaniemi, where is santa claus holiday village, santa claus holiday village address, Särestöntie 880 99119 Kaukonen, reindeer, finnish nature, Kaukonen, Lohiniva, Molkojoki, Meltaus, Patokoski, Marraskoski, Tapionkylä, Sinettä, north finland. north finland nature, sami people, Tähtikuja 2 96930 Rovaniemi, Rovaniemi Centre, expensive places in rovaniemi, luxury places in rovaniemi, rovaniemi luxury, souvenirs, shops in rovaniemi, Arktikum Science Museum in rovaniemi, sightseeing rovaniemi, hotels in rovaniemi, luxury travel blogger, finnish luxury, luxury blogger, scandinavian luxury travel, travel article, travel writer, digital nomad, scandinavian writer, travel from finland to sweden, rent a camper finland, planning a trip to lapland. scandinavian road trip route, finland itinerary blog, lapland travel blog, helsinki to lapland train, rv finland, travel helsinki finland, travel to lapland finland, dr helsinki, finland sites to visit, a week in finland, roadtrip finland, finland trip blog, nordic road trip, day trip to finland, how to travel from helsinki to lapland, trip in finland, road trip around scandinavia, road trip en finlande, finland tour blog, finland tourist map, travel blog finland, travel from sweden to finland, finland free and easy, visiting finland in november, finland snow driving, getting from helsinki to lapland, where to go finland, what to do in finland in october, finland tourism brochure, finnish tour, how to go to lapland from helsinki, how much is a trip to finland, road trip norway sweden finland, finland motorcycle, capital of finland map, finland travel tips, road trip denmark sweden norway finland. rovaniemi travel blog, roadtrip finnland. visiting finland in november, helsinki finland travel guide, a trip to finland, day trips in finland, travelling around finland, 4 days in finland, 5 days in finland, finnland roadtrip, rovaniemi finland things to do, norway sweden finland road trip, suomi road trip, road trip suomi, finland offroad tour, things to do in finland in october, finlan travel, 10 days in finland, is it safe to travel to finland, travel finland blog, how to go lapland from helsinki, when to go to finland, one week in finland, finland travel map, finland in 7 days, e75 finland, how far is helsinki from lapland, drive from helsinki to rovaniemi, visiting finland in november, train helsinki to levi, byer i finnland, why travel to finland, winter driving in finland, suomi roadtrip, finnish roads, finland when to go, best road trips in scandinavia, getting to lapland from helsinki, finland road conditions, helsinki road, scandinavia driving tours, road trip finland, finland road trip itinerary, road trip in finland, finland round trip, finland santa trip, finland igloo trip, a road trip, finland road cameras, visiting finland with kids, in finland with children
–
