Lapland Trip!

Last Thursday my host brother, host sister and I left for their grandparents place in Tornio up in Lapland. It was a long 6 hour train trip there and another 2 hours by car after that. 

About 4 hours into the trip the secenery outside the window began to turn white and snow started falling from the sky! I was so excited and took a lot of photos. Everyone else on the train was obviously from FInland and very used to seeing snow. They looked at me strangely for being so excited over it. I guess its was like a tourist seeing a kangaroo in Australia, not that exciting for us but very exciting for them! 

For lunch on the train they were selling reindeer soup. We bought one to share between us. It started off tasting really good but after one or two mouthfuls it became not so great. I think it was just train quality that made the soup not so enticing. 

We arrived that evening. Before we went to the house we went straight for dinner at a 'steak house' like restaurant for steak and chips. It was freezing cold, around -1 but sadly there wasn't any snow. 

The next morning I awoke to this view outside the window. It had snowed! Since I was staying in the same room with Selma and Akseli, I instantly woke them up out excitement! I don't think they were that impressed...

After breakfast we went straight outside to take pictures and have my first ever snowball fight. It was freezing! 

Later that morning the grandma was making bread. Selma and I helped to roll them out into circles. It was a special type of bread only made in lapland. I liked it very much. 

In the grandparents house they had this huge fireplace. This is where we cooked the bread. It was like a massive pizza oven!

The grandma was also making lace for the bottom of curtains. She was very talented. 

Behind the house is a huge lake. On the other side of this lake is Sweden! Since it was so close the grandma took Akseli, Selma and I to the biggest candy shop in Europe, which was in Sweden. It took only 10 minutes to get there. 

It was massive!

There was even jumbo versions of everything.

I was tempted to buy some of these for the laughs but then I found out they were licorice and decided a photo was satisfying enough.

On the way home we drove to a big shopping centre and had drinks at a little smoothie shop with one of their older cousins. We then we went to another cousins house. The house looked picturesque with the snow. 

The next day was even colder reaching -7! Akseli went moouse hunting in the morning with the grandpa and the uncles. Sadly they didn't catch one. 

Later that day all the cousins came over. There was Selma, Akseli, Liisa (14 year old girl) and her brother (12 year old boy), and Miisa (almost 4 year old girl). We spent ages playing hide and seek and tip outside. We later went over to their house too. I got some great photos. 

 The trip was amazing, espicially with the snow! I was very lucky :)