It was time to pack our bags and move again, today we were heading for Äkäslompolo and the Ylläs ski resort. We dropped our luggage at the cabin and headed for the slopes. From the car park we could see the weather was really bad so we decided not to snowboard. David was keen to get his board on northern hemisphere snow so opted for a single run down the kiddie slope at the side of the car park.

It's always the same in Venejarvi, you eat about six times a day and one meal seems to continue into the next. We decided to break the schedule and go snow shoeing in the forest for a bit of exercise. In Finland, they have 'Kotas' all over the forest. They are like little huts with open fireplaces and some will have benches for sleeping (in the summer). There is always some firewood on hand so what better way to have a break mid trek than make a fire and cook som...

Valentines Day but no cards or little gifts to wake up to, only a blanket of thick snow that was waiting for us. We had being staying in the guest house and the chore of the day was to dig our way into the family cabin- no mean feat when the cabin is 30 metres off the road sitting under knee deep snow. A big breakfast was going to be required before this mammoth 'gym' session - coffee, buns, porridge, bread, meat, cheese - ok, so that is the norm but we felt good...

We had spent the night with Maria's Grandma in Sieppijärvi and after a good breakfast, it was time for some chores. We had to clear the snow from the steps, the paths, the driveway and the garage roof. Yep, even the garage roof. Roofs in Finland are generally built stronger to cope with the weight of snow in the winter but there are limits and when it gets over knee deep, it's probably time to clear it. It's an interesting exercise for those not used to it -...

We've been in Finland for nearly 2 weeks now and whilst we've been tantalisingly close to the Arctic Circle, only 7km away, we hadn't actually crossed it - today would be the day. We took a short drive to the Santa Claus Village and Post Office, which sits directly on top of the Arctic Circle. Once you step across that line there is an air of enchantment, things just seem different. Our timing was a bit lousy because it coincided with Santa's half hour lunch brea...