Finland 2016: Only a few days away now...

Thursday 30 June 2016

Only a few days away now...

For the 5th year running, we're returning to this sensational house by Lake Palvajarvi next week, and it's no exaggeration to say we can't wait to be back. It almost feels like we are returning home, and I'm definitely looking forward to the drive north from Helsinki after we arrive. It might be a three hour journey but it's worth it, there's no doubt about that!
These photos were taken at the house last weekend, and it looks as gorgeous as ever!

The front of the house.

Looking down to the lake and the sauna.

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2016 will mark the 10th anniversary of our first trip to Finland in 2006, when we first ventured to, and fell in love with this wonderfully beautiful and tranquil Nordic country.

This will be our second winter holiday to Finland, where we will ski again at Levi, which is the biggest resort in Lapland, (about 170km inside the Arctic Circle, and close to Kittilä on the map) as well as our 9th summer visit to this hidden gem of a country in the far north of Europe.

We fell in love with Finland in 2006 when we stayed at Santalahti Holiday Resort in the southern town of Kotka. We were back in 2008, flying to Helsinki, then staying in both Kotka and Varkaus, around 300 kms north east of the capital city. This gave us our first taste of the lakeland areas inland, and we loved swimming in the beautiful warm lakes!
In 2010 we returned by car from Scotland in a heatwave to the areas close to Juva and Puumala, renting our first cottages by lakes that were incredibly warm to swim in. After such fantastic weather in 2010, we had high hopes of the same in 2011, and incredibly, we were again very lucky to have a real heatwave! We stayed in two cottages close to Juva again, and fell further in love with the tranquil solitude you experience in this spectacular lakeland area.
By 2012, we wanted to try some new areas and cottages, so we planned a 24 day holiday, staying for a week in three different cottages as well as staying in a beautiful Helsinki aparthotel for 3 nights. It was lovely to discover the eastern town of Parikkala, as well as the western town of Ruovesi, and in between, we stayed for a week in what has become our firm favourite cottage of all our trips, close to Jyväskylä. We loved our stay on Lake Palvajarvi so much in 2012, that we returned to the same cottage again in 2013 and 2014 for two weeks, as well as in 2015.
Now, in 2016, we are looking forward very much to our 5th year at what is definitely a real home-from-home!

Heating a Smoke Sauna

We've usually spent our time in wood-burning saunas while in Finland, but there is a different type of sauna that requires many hours of preparation, but which provides the "Rolls Royce" of sauna experiences once it's ready! Yes, the Smoke Sauna - and this short film describes the process for heating one! This year, after 10 years of wood-burning and electric saunas, we are going to try a Smoke Sauna for the first time, at the beautiful Taulu Manor which is only a short drive from our cottage.

Winter - in Levi, Lapland

Around 170 km north of the Arctic Circle in Lapland, the town of Levi is the largest ski resort in Finland. It is situated around 15 minutes from Kittilä and its airport. Skiing takes place on all sides of Levi fell, the peak of which is 531m above sea level. There are 43 ski slopes (17 of which are floodlit for winter skiing) and a total of 27 lifts, including a brand new 6 seater chairlift with heated seats on the south slopes.
Levi is used each year as a stop on the ski World cup circuit, with slaloms being held in mid-November.

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Thursday 30 June 2016

Only a few days away now...

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