Baby polar bear at Ranua Zoo

I love Ranua Zoo. I’m not normally much of a zoo person, I have little time for animals being kept in captivity. However, Ranua Zoo is one of the few zoos I’ve ever visited where the animals have homely looking enclosures, and really large spaces to move around in. There is plenty of natural habitat [...]

Pictures of the Northern Lights

This year we have been very fortunate to witness some of the strongest and brightest displays of the northern lights in over 20 years in the north of Finland. Sadly, I seem to have managed to be out of the country for every single one of them. However, last night they came out again in [...]

No heat without fire

Living in the frozen north of Lapland, heating ones house can be quite a challenge. Especially when the all heating comes from a log burning stove. But at least you’d think, wouldn’t you, that we’d make this as easy as possible. Do clever little things like store the logs near the house, to make this [...]

Northern Lights Time Lapse Video

The northern lights this last week have some of the strongest for years, amazing in dire hard locals who don’t go outside for anything less than a full on display. Typical, since this last week I have been in England and I have missed them completely. But never fear, here is a wonderful time lapse [...]

More Under Ice Madness

As if the unsettling under water ice fishing was strange enough, a group of divers in Austria it seems have come up with a new craze: underwater hockey. It’s only a matter of time before this takes off over here in Finland too!

More Snow Than You Can Shake A Stick At

I was going to write a post about how much snow we have here in Kuusamo, but a picture, as they say, paints a thousand words. So here’s three thousand words for you. And every single one of them is snow.

  • Baby polar bear at Ranua Zoo
  • Pictures of the Northern Lights
  • No heat without fire
  • Northern Lights Time Lapse Video
  • More Under Ice Madness
  • More Snow Than You Can Shake A Stick At

  • THE BLOG

  • How to enjoy travelling with children

    Travelling with children is something I’ve been doing on a regular basis for the last [...]
  • Baby polar bear at Ranua Zoo

    Baby polar bear at Ranua Zoo

    I love Ranua Zoo. I’m not normally much of a zoo person, I have little [...]

  • Getting fit for skiing

    The first time you ever go skiing you will struggle. Turning and stopping are two [...]
  • Pictures of the Northern Lights

    Pictures of the Northern Lights

    This year we have been very fortunate to witness some of the strongest and brightest [...]
  • No heat without fire

    No heat without fire

    Living in the frozen north of Lapland, heating ones house can be quite a challenge. [...]
  • The cat in the suitcase

    The cat in the suitcase

    Natasha French  Guest post You’re looking forward to a sunny break in these dark days [...]
  • More from THE BLOG

  • Things to do in summer

  • Kuusamo Park

    Kuusamo Park

    In the centre of Kuusamo, running parallel with Kitkantie, the main street, lies Kuusamo park. [...]
  • Horse Riding in Kuusamo

    Horse Riding in Kuusamo

    Year round horse and pony treks and lessons in the school, winter sleigh rides and [...]
  • A Visit to Ranua Zoo

    A Visit to Ranua Zoo

    Ranua Zoo is about a 2 ½ hour drive from Kuusamo (180km) and definitely worth [...]
  • Oulanka Canyon 6km Hike

    Oulanka Canyon 6km Hike

    A 6km circular hiking route to the Oulanka Canyon. [...]
  • Beautiful Kuusamo sunrise at 1am

    Beautiful Kuusamo sunrise at 1am

    After the long, dark winter months in Kuusamo, northern Finland, the bright summer days are [...]
  • Ruka Horse Riding

    Ruka Horse Riding

    Horse riding, pony trekking, sleigh rides and carriage rides. [...]
  • More from Things to do in summer

  • Things to do in winter

  • Fun on the snowy playground in Ruka

    Fun on the snowy playground in Ruka

    Yup, STILL snowing here in Kuusamo. At this rate we are going to have a [...]
  • Husky Safaris in Ruka Kuusamo

    Husky Safaris in Ruka Kuusamo

    The excitable yapping and barking of the dogs straining against their harness; your breath spiralling from your [...]
  • When to go skiing in Ruka

    When to go skiing in Ruka

    It’s that time of the year again: time to start thinking about your winter ski [...]
  • Horse Riding in Kuusamo

    Horse Riding in Kuusamo

    Year round horse and pony treks and lessons in the school, winter sleigh rides and [...]
  • A Visit to Ranua Zoo

    A Visit to Ranua Zoo

    Ranua Zoo is about a 2 ½ hour drive from Kuusamo (180km) and definitely worth [...]
  • Children’s Ski School

    Children’s Ski School

    Weneri children’s ski school in Ruka I’ve always held the view that Ruka is a [...]
  • More from Things to do in winter

  • Other Recent Articles

  • Under The Ice

    Under The Ice

    What happens when you mix a couple of bored fisherman, an iced over lake and an underwater video camera? This crazy and unsettling video. It took me a lot longer than it should to work out they were upside down.  

  • Light; the best way to travel

    Light; the best way to travel

    People who consider themselves a bit of a globetrotter will always tell you; moving light is the best way to travel. You won’t be burdened by heavy bags which can interfere with the enjoyment of your trip. When travelling anywhere – be it locally or internationally – you want the focus of the journey to [...]

  • Win A Holiday To Finland

    Win A Holiday To Finland

    Whether it’s to see the northern lights Visit Santa Sleep in an igloo Take a husky safari Or maybe go on a snowmobile trip through the pristine wilderness. Or perhaps you’d prefer summer to see the midnight sun Hike through the unspoilt forests and swim in lakes so clean you can drink them? Or perhaps [...]

  • Beautiful snowy pictures from Kuusamo Lapland

    Beautiful snowy pictures from Kuusamo Lapland

    Happy New Year to you all! 2012 looks set to be a very snowy one in Ruka and Kuusamo, we have had nothing but snow now for about 4 weeks; a continuous deluge of white stuff falling from the sky. And whilst it makes it things a little more difficult in every day life, things [...]

  • Elves Decorate AirBaltic Plane

    One of the AirBaltic  planes gets a festive make-over at Riga airport. I really wish I’d been at the airport to see this. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-UinluQJpE AirBaltic are a budget airline that fly from Riga, Latvia, all over Europe. They don’t fly to Kuusamo airport, sadly, but do fly to Oulu and Rovaniemi.  

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