Category: Travel
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Ounasvaara Skiing (Finland)
Near the town of Rovaniemi in Lapland, is the ski resort of Ounasvaara. It is a small hill, with three lifts and a few ski runs. Nothing at all for an experienced skier, but a great area for beginners. The location is in Finland, and was intended as a key part of our Northern Europe… Read more
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Helsinki
The frozen capital city of Finland was next on our Northern European tour. The city was just really a stopping off point for us to get other forms of transport out of the city. We visited Helsinki twice – first for a day to get the Santa Claus Express train to Lapland, and the second… Read more
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Husky Dog Sled ride
On Christian’s bucket list of things to do, was to ride in a sled on the snow, pulled by a team of huskies as a part of our Finland Experience. We booked the experience on the day that the timeslots became available, and we found out that a week later, it was fully booked. We… Read more
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Santa Claus Village and Arctic Circle
Of course, when you go all the way to Lapland, you have to meet Santa Claus! Just north of Rovaniemi is the ‘official’ home of Santa, in a village located on the Arctic Circle. Getting there We were staying in Rovaniemi town centre, so we just hopped on the bus for €3.50 each person, each… Read more
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Santa Claus Express overnight train
A highlight of our holiday was to go from Helsinki to Rovaniemi on the overnight train called the “Santa Claus Express”. This train takes around 12 hours to cross most of Finland. Catching the train We were surprised to find the train is not obviously marked, and it just arrived at a platform like a… Read more
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Viking Restaurant Harald, Helsinki
If you are reading this blog, you will know that we love to eat at interesting and different restaurants. As a part of our mammoth round-Northern Europe tour, whilst in Finland, we went to the Harald Viking Restaurant in Helsinki. The restaurant The restaurant Harald is located on the first floor in the middle of… Read more
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Edinburgh, Scotland
On our grand north-european tour, our last stop in the UK was to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh. Neither of us had been to Scotland before, so this really kicked off the new locations for us! We flew from Bristol airport to Edinburgh, and took the Airport Transfer bus (line 100) for only £16 for… Read more
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Edinburgh Castle
Our visit to Edinburgh Castle was a part of our Northern Europe tour in 2024-2025, and was the second castle that we visited (after Windsor Castle). The Castle can be found at the top end of The Royal Mile, on top of an extinct volcano. Tickets to The Castle need to be bought online for… Read more
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Dartmoor and Plymouth
Christian went to University in Plymouth, so the city was a prominent part of his youth, and so a visit was in order! To get to Plymouth, there is the main road (boring!) or the more scenic route through one of England’s most wild and barren areas – Dartmoor. Dartmoor – forest or wilderness? As… Read more
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Exmouth, Sidmouth, and Otterton
Christian’s mother has decided to call Exmouth home, after trying various towns across the south coast of England. The town of Exmouth is … wait for it … located at the mouth of the river Exe. At the bottom corner of East Devon, the town is a major hub for the area. We visited Exmouth,… Read more
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Exeter Christmas Market and Cathedral
Our visit to the capital city of Devon in South West England was a part of our grand Northern European tour, after visiting London and before going to Edinburgh. The city is in the heart of Devon, and is the main commercial centre and historical core to the county. Historic Exeter The city of Exeter… Read more
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Windsor Castle
After departing London, we dropped in to Christian’s birthplace – Windsor. The town is dominated by the Castle, and for good reason – it is magnificent. One of the World’s largest and most continuously occupied castles, it is a favourite! Outside The approach to the castle is obvious, as it dominates the town, as it… Read more
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Camden Market, London
In our amazing odyssey around Northern Europe, we took a little trip to Camden Town, to explore the markets. Arrival Camden Town is renowned for the markets, and it pretty much dominates the entire area. Get off the Northern Line on the London Underground at Camden Town. The exit from the Tube will take you… Read more
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London
The most vibrant and historic city in the world, London, was our first city on our great North European odyssey. We arrived before 6am, and after all the airport formalities and getting on to the Heathrow Express to Paddington and then to our hotel, and we were able to start exploring London by 9am. Early… Read more
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Churchill War Rooms
A tourist location that I have never been to is the Churchill War Rooms bunker under the back of some government buildings at Westminster, opposite St James’s Park. It is a relatively new attraction, for a site that had been unavailable since the end of the Second World War. History In the Second World War… Read more
