March 24: Rovaniemi to Inari

Just a few miles northeast of Rovaniemi, right about at the Arctic Circle, is Santa's Village. Of course we had to stop there. (By coincidence, I'm writing this text on Christmas Day.)

1609

Some sort of ice palace. I think you had to pay to get into it, so we didn't.

1614

This snowdome is pretty sweet, though.

1620

This is well done too.

1625

Watch out guys!

1635

I forget where this was, maybe in one of the gift shops, but it was pretty cool.

1641

Ah! The missing link between the Sámi and Greek polychromatic building traditions was right under our noses.

1646

An ice slide in the middle of the main yard. Very fun.

1648

Here's a fuller view of the main yard. I think that lamp isn't big enough.

1683

Now on the road toward Inari. We rented two small cars in Rovaniemi for the expedition.

1695

Lots of lakes, lots of evergreens. A few snowmobiles.

1697

We were lucky to have sunny weather just about the whole time. The crows (ravens?) were pleased with this situation as well. We did have to deal with a fair amount of snow drifting across the road.

1738

I think we did get some flurries on this leg, though, as you can see the clouds portending here, but it was cold enough not to create ice.

1742

Long lines.

1749

There goes the sun.

1767

There it goes further.

1781

The colors became quite nice.

1823

Since we were way north at this point, the sun's trajectory was fairly horizontal, so the sunset was rather drawn-out.

1841

Late glow.

1848

More late glow. Also: fence.

1851

At this point the country became more rolling and the views wider.

1878

I don't even know what that is.

1881

A little ways before Inari was the slightly larger village of Ivalo, which I think this is part of.

1884

An interesting modern church, in Ivalo.

1916

In Inari we stayed at a hostel, Vasatokka, a few miles up the road, on a lake called Mutusjärvi. The accommodations were wonderfully spacious; only two of us shared this whole room.

1923

The common areas were quite nice too. I highly recommend Vasatokka as a base for exploration around Inari.

1925

The night was clear and of course there is approximately zero light pollution there, so the stargazing was choice. We also saw the aurora borealis, faintly, which is the glow at bottom right here. We would see it to varying degrees every night we were in Lapland.

1926

A steadier star shot.