How would I describe my lovely home country Finland to someone from abroad? First I’d probably confirm some of their prejudices: yes, it is very cold. Yes, people don’t talk much and sometimes can even seem rude. After this I would also deny some of the prejudices like “you have polar bears in Finland right?” and “you are always drinking tons of alcohol”. Not everything you read on the internet is true….
About the winters: yes they are actually cold, dark and long and I probably wouldn’t recommend visiting Finland between november and march or at least not the eastern part as the eastern parts might not even have snow. But there are some good things about the cold winters like going to sauna few times a week to warm up. Finnish people are well known sauna fanatics and I can say I’m one of those people who are crazy about going to the sauna. Sauna is a perfect place to relax and enjoy the warmth and even have a conversation with a stranger.
What’s better than going to the sauna? Ice swimming and then going to the sauna obviously. Ice swimming has gained lot of popularity during the past few years and new ice swimming spots are opening up.
So what about the summer then? Well, usually it’s really nice. Sun is shining non-stop and even the finns start to smile and even talk to strangers! Temperatures don’t go that high but sometimes they do and then everybody literally runs to the beaches to enjoy the warmth. Only downside of summer is the fact that it’s so short. So better enjoy every day of summer before it’s cold again.
Comments