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From Helsinki to the Arctic Circle: A Photographer's Journal
By chewie
I'm sitting in the back of a small bus with my fellow travelers, enjoying a Lapin Kulta beer, listening to what sounds like polka music blare over the radio, and watching the orange sunset flicker through the passing trees. We're heading further north than I've ever traveled, to a small town called Saariselkä, 30 degrees north of the Arctic Circle. This is the Finnish winter experience we all came for...
I was sent to Finland in March to photograph Helsinki and Lapland. Two short days in Helsinki gave me an introductory taste for Finnish city life, one that coexists between tradition and modern sensibility. I followed our guide's advice and attempted to get a sense of this city by walking and discovering Helsinki on my own. Old cobblestone streets and grand architecture mingle with simple, modern design works. Along the main street, the Esplanade, signature Finnish stores like Marimekko and Arabia are housed in historic buildings. On the Esplanade's south end lies the kauppatori, also known as the market square, a focal point for local fur and produce vendors, as well as the fish market. North towards the city's center, there are more typical signs of city life: museums, cafés and department stores. After two exhausting days of exploration and two relaxing nights at the luxurious Hotel Kamp, my journey continued on to Lapland.
My plane touched down in Kemi, a seaside industrial town less than two hours away from Helsinki. Kemi served as the gateway to our Lapland adventure. Known for its Lumi Linna Snow Castle, it is also home to another major Finnish attraction - the Sampo Icebreaker. After a 45-minute snowmobile ride out through a seemingly infinite ice field, we finally reached the Sampo and had the opportunity to experience being on a 3,540-ton ship breaking through ice up to 120cm thick. As if that weren't amazing enough, people are allowed to swim in the ice-cold seawater. Next thing I knew, I was floating in my orange wetsuit against the backdrop of the massive ship and broken ice. This was the experience and the photo opportunity of a lifetime.
Twenty-four hours later, I'm defrosting myself and sitting in a hot smoke sauna at Hotel Kakslauttanen in Saariselkä village (located above the Arctic Circle), debating if I should "do as the Finnish do" and jump into the freezing ice pool...my rational judgment prevails and decides against it. The prospect of running down a snow-covered hill and shocking my body in ice water seems unappealing. Maybe I'll have enough courage or more beers next time.
The cold weather was more bearable than I had thought it would be, as daylight hours become longer in mid-March. Temperatures still hung around the freezing mark, but clear, sunny days and unbelievably blue, star-filled night skies made me forget the cold. Brilliant sunrises and sunsets make magic of the landscape. This is Lapland in all of its natural glory.
For me, Lapland came to life not only in its landscape, but also through the people we met: Lintu-Antii, the man skilled in carving intricate birds out of wood, the Sami couple who invited us on their reindeer farm for the ultimate reindeer adventure and who shared their many humorous stories, and even the carefree Finnish men who invited me to dance with them in a sea of enthusiastic Finnish dancers...I quickly discovered that the Finns love to dance.
I only scratched the surface of what life in Finland really means. In this land of the 24-hour summer day and the 24-hour winter night, Finland is a place of opposing forces and dramatic extremes. Perhaps this is where Finland's mysteries lie, and perhaps these mysteries are what make me want to visit again.
City Life - Helsinki, Finland
With approximately 500,000 people living in Helsinki, Finland’s capital, the city maintains its “old-world” charm with modern influences. Main attractions revolve around the harbor, the city’s epicenter of activity, from the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art and the Ateneum Museum of traditional Finnish art to the Market Square to the stores along the Esplanade.
LumiLinna Snow Castle - Kemi, Finland
It’s a chilly -2 degrees Celsius inside this famous snow castle in Kemi. Made entirely of ice, the castle houses a chapel, art gallery, hotel, ice bar and restaurant.
Sampo Ice Breaker - Kemi, Finland
In winter, tourists from around the world head toward the industrial town of Kemi to experience a true Arctic adventure: the Sampo icebreaker. Weighing 3,540 tons and the capacity to break up to 120 cm of ice, Sampo is the only passenger icebreaker in the world.
A Finnish Craftsman - Saariselkä, Finland
Lintu-Antii, the “Bird Man,” is famous among locals in Lapland for the beautiful and intricate birds he carves out of wood. He is a craftsman, having studied this art for thirty years. He gives bird-carving demonstrations, as well as serves up delicious grilled fish to customers at his restaurant.
The Sami People - Saariselka, Finland
Traditionally nomadic reindeer herders indigenous to Finland, Samis live in northern Lapland. Riita and Penti live the traditional Sami lifestyle with a few modern amenities. Instead of the traditional kota (the traditional dwelling made of reindeer skin which resembles a teepee), they live in a modest wood-paneled house with electricity but no running water. They continue to raise and slaughter reindeer, as well as provide tours of their farm and reindeer rides.
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