It is now 23:16 in Rovaniemi and I am sitting on my bed accompanied by the occasional sound of people talking and vehicles driving by.
For some reason today felt very long to me.
We left home a little after 8:00, a bit later than planned. There were a few occasional traffic hindrances and once the radio informed that due to the weather there were several flights being delayed.
Once we got to Schiphol everything went pretty smoothly - from parking the car to getting to the terminal and checking in. We even managed to walk to the panoramic deck, have a drink and go to our gate.
The flight to Helsinki left 15 minutes late but fortunately we made the connecting flight to Rovaniemi.
The flight was quiet (I guess Finnish people do not like to be noisy) and the service was quite good. They served you a sandwich, a glass of softdrink/juice and tea/coffee. I did find that the seat was a bit on the small side.
It was quite busy at Helsinki Vantaa airport. The amazing thing was that, considering the amount of people there was, the aiport was not noisy at all.
The flight to Rovaniemi also left late by about 20 minutes. Although the space was a bit bigger, the meal service was very lacking to none. You could get free water but for the rest you had to pay. I paid 2 euro for a can of 0.33 l coke.
Rovaniemi airport felt, to me, very informal, unlike any other airports I have been to. Once I got off the shuttle bus that took us from the plane to the terminal, I saw the baggage belt with some winter decorations on it. To the left of the belt, I saw people holding paper/cartoon with someone's name on it. These were people that, at any other airports, you normally see after the passengers go through the douane. These were people who were supposed to pick up guests.
I did find it strange but took no more notice until I walked to the exit. There was no other doors or barriers between the arrival area and the exit door. The exit door really led you into the road, the parking and the stop for the airport express (mini)bus. So, in theory, someone could just walk in, grab any suitcase and walk out again.
Hmm... maybe because it was Friday night? Well, I'll keep an eye on it when it is time to fly back.
We took the airport express (mini)bus for 7 eur per person. There was no other way to get to town except by taxi or hitchhiking.
At around 18:15 we arrived at our hotel and went straight to the receptionist. We were both beat up and a bit hungry. After putting our belongings in the room we went to the supermarket across the street. Sadly for A there was almost no bread left. For me, dinner was no problem. I still had leftover meal from last night - yes, it went with us from the Netherlands to Rovaniemi on an almost 12-hour trip.
Our first dinner in Rovaniemi. Me with my leftover food and A with his two croissants and one AH waffle.
After dinner we went for a short walk around the block to get a feel of the city. The city was very quiet. I guess the fact that it was at night and that it was -12 centigrade contributed to the condition. We found Hesburger, Subway, another supermarket and a few places to eat. Other than those, the center is quite small and straightforward. But, maybe tomorrow, seeing it during the day, I would change my mind.
Before we went back to the hotel we bought one ice cream each and ate it under the tall temperature sign in the middle of the square in front of the tourist information center.
We got a room at the 5th floor at end of one of the corridors facing the street. The room certainly does not boast luxury. One can even call it sparsely done. Simple table and chairs. Bulky TV. No tea-making facility. Fortunately it does have a fridge. The size of the room is very sufficient. I can not say the same about the bathroom. It is on the small side and does not come with toiletries except two liquid soap dispensers. Now I regret not carrying my moisturizing body lotion.
Well, it could be worse like the bathroom at Generator Hostel in Berlin. It would be nice to come back to a bathtub but we are here to enjoy the nature and do some winter activities. So, we'll live with a small bathroom with a shower for these coming few days.
It's past midnight here. Time for me to sleep. Tomorrow is another day.
