But, what and where is Lapland? This is a tough question. This territory, above the Artic circle is divided between Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia. However, officially Lapland is where the Sami live. Generally, people refers to Lapland in Finland or Sweden, neither Norway or Russia refer to their territory under this name, and usually Lapland (or Laponian region) is the name used to the union of the Swedish and Finnish areas.

For the matter of this post, we should go to the north of Finland, in the Finnish Lapland. The capital is Rovaniemi, an iconic place in which the line of the Artic circle passes across. This is an area to start wild adventures, among thick forests and wooden houses (mökki) there is the highest mountain in the country, some of its fjords and one of the best places in Finland to see Northern lights and enjoy the amazing view of the sun at midnight.

This area is known for being Santa Claus hometown (Santa in Finnish is Joulupukki). The translation is quite confusing: “Joulu” means Christmas, all right, but “pukki” means, literally, deer or goat. Years ago, people was afraid of him and nobody knows when, eventually, he became the charming elder he is now. The tradition of Joulupukki is from the beginning of the 19th century, even most of the Finnish tradition was lost after the story of Santa Claus was Americanized.

Thousands of letters are sent to the postal code of this town with tones of Christmas whises. They are collected and arranged by Santa’s hard-working assistants, the elfs. Attention! The address is: Santa Claus, 96930 Polar Circle, Finland. When Santa Claus gets to people’s houses he asks "Onkos täällä kilttejä lapsia?" (There are well-behaved kids here?), and kids should answer a convincing yes to receive the gifts.

It’s not only Santa Claus who makes Rovaniemi one of the most visited places in Finland. Around his figure and Christmas traditions, Santa Claus village was built, about 8 kilometers northeast from Rovaniemi. This is a theme park to do some shopping, participate in gifts workshops or simply enjoy a great variety of activities.

You can also visit Joulukka, the place where elves prepare the trip for Santa Claus. You will find out how elves live, you’ll be able to help them bake ginger cookies with Christmas decoration and they will guide you to meet Santa Clause.

Do you want to see what is Santa Claus doing right now? Easy! Santa is so updated on new technologies and he has cameras streaming live his daily work. One camera is outside the office and the other is inside to watch how he gets ready for this special day.

A good option to go from Helsinki to Rovaniemi is taking the high-speed train, which takes only 10 hours. You’ll feel like the main character in the animation movie “Polar Express” who takes this train on Christmas Eve to meet Santa.

But, besides the visit to the land of Santa Clause, there are many other things to do while you are in Helsinki for your winter trip.

Even Finnish people use the sauna all the year, the contrast with the freezing cold outside is the best way to enjoy a hot sauna to get over the cold. Or, for those looking for unforgettable experiences, you should try avantouinti. What is that? There a clubs in Finland to practice ice swimming. They make a hole in the ice of a lake (the hole is called ‘avanto’) and they get in the freezing water after the sauna. They state it has beneficial effects for your health but be careful or you’ll get a cold.

The winter in Finland is the greatest time to take stunning nature photos. The snowy landscapes are unforgettable memories from your trip and the whole country is covered in white most of the winder. Take advantage to the opportunity of practicing winter sports too. Skiing or skating over iced lakes is such a unique experience.

Pictures by Tarja Ryhannen

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The river-and-sea route along the Arousa estuary and the river Ulla commemorates the sea landing in Galicia of the mortal remains of the Apostle, James the Elder, after his martyrdom in Jerusalem in the year AD 44. James was a fisherman of Galilee, an apostle of Christ, and a preacher of the Gospel in the West. Herod ordered his assassination in the year AD 44.

This is undoubtedly one of the less trodden pilgrim’s routes to Santiago. No ordinary route, it is negotiated mainly by boat, against the magnificent backdrop of the Arousa estuary. The subsequent stretch negotiated on foot is only 26 km long, the distance separating Pontecesures from the holy point of arrival in Santiago de Compostela.

The Sea Route

The route starts in the O Grove fishing village. It has pleasure boats that make most of the journey, with stopovers at mussel rafts, tastings included. But, if you’re hankering after a more genuine adventure, the best approach is to make friends with a local fisherman to negotiate the stretch on a small boat. This is the best way to hear the scores of tales about a route celebrated the world over. And, the shallow draught of the vessel means that reaching the picturesque village of Pontecesures does not involve any major difficulty. It is safest to sail up the river during high tide.

The first few paces of the journey are incredible, sailing right past the shellfish harvesters rummaging between the rocks for clams and velvet crabs on the riverbank. You then wend your way among the mussel rafts, a veritable tangle of floating platforms beneath which you can make out sizeable loads of delicious mussels. From Cortegada Island on, a number of pilgrim’s crosses set on islets and on the shores of the Ulla estuary show the way, traversing the mythical Western Towers of Catoira and the nature reserve of Brañas de Laíño, until you reach Padrón and then on to Compostela.

Feet! You’re Now Required!

The half-ruined towers of the Catoira fortification mark the end of the most maritime estuary. From here on, the two riverbanks start moving together, as if to form a river. The stretch up to Padrón is no longer navigable after the river Sar channelling works were undertaken, but you can reach Pontecesures along the river Ulla. This is the landing point. According to ancient Christian traditions, reworked in medieval texts, after his martyrdom, some of St James’ disciples recovered his decapitated body and took it across the Mediterranean and up the Atlantic coast of Iberia as far as Iria Flavia, in the vicinity of present-day Padrón. They made the voyage in a celebrated “stone boat”, which might have been one of the vessels used for transporting minerals between Galicia and other areas of the Roman Empire. The stone or “Pedrón” is housed in the Church of Santiago de Padrón. Tradition has it that the Apostle’s boat was moored to the stone after its long voyage.

Padrón is a modern town. The boat was moored to a stone or pedrón, which is actually an altar stone that can now be seen under the altar at the Church of Santiago. Padrón, the former Iria Flavia, was one of the great Roman metropoli in Galicia. There are also vestiges of St James at the Fuente de Santiago (Fountain of St James) and in Santiaguiño do Monte, where a shrine and megalithic complexes recollect the Apostle’s early preachings. This maritime route was also plied by the Portuguese, who also celebrate it as the route taken by disciples who brought St James’ relics with them.

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Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Photos by Turismo de Galicia, Turismo de Santiago

As in much of Spain, Holy Week unfolds with great intensity in most of Sicily. This comes as no surprise – the processions of penitents commemorating Christ’s Passion and Death were brought to the island by the Spanish in the 16th century.  While they abound across Sicily, the processions that arouse the greatest expectation are those held in villages like Enna and Caltanissetta, both of which lie about an hour’s drive away from Catania.

But all Sicily’s beautiful, timeless villages preserve their deep-rooted traditions, each with its own character. A holiday on the island during Holy Week could combine sightseeing in coastal towns, discovering local architecture and tasting their delicious cuisine. And, during the festivities, the religious guilds stage spectacular Easter processions in which the Baroque aesthetic prevails.

If you want to savour some of these ancient festivals, go to Prizzi on Easter morning. There they celebrate the Ballo dei diavoli (dance of the devils). In this folk tradition from the Middle Ages, death, dressed in yellow, accompanied by devils clad in red, roam the town heckling the passers-by, who can only get rid of their tormentors by giving them a donation. This takes place just when the madonna and child make their entry. This curious form of revelry, a mix of the religious and the profane, represents the eternal struggle between good and evil.

A similar event known as the Diavolatais held in Adrano.The main square or Piazza Umberto provides the backdrop for this battle between good and evil, represented by Lucifer and his devils on one side and St Michael the Archangel on the other.

Another picturesque celebration is the Madonna Vasa Vasa,in Modica, in which the faithful crowd around the floats on their way to the church of St Mary of Bethlehem to witness the traditional bacio di mezzogiorno (the noon kiss) between the Virgin Mary and the resurrected Christ. Vasa means “kiss”. Dressed in mourning, the Madonna is carried through the streets of Modica in search of her son, to the rhythm of drumming. Throughout the procession, the people sing, dance and drink to celebrate the event. While strolling through the winding streets of Modica’s charming historical centre, visitors will eventually come across the striking Baroque architecture in the area around the Castle of the Counts of Modica, listed as a World Heritage site since 2002.

One of the oldest and most enigmatic celebrations is the Procession of the Mysteries, held in the historical centre of Trapani. Full of light and emotion, this procession consists of twenty float groups depicting the Passion and Death of Christ which parade through the streets for 24 hours, starting on Good Friday afternoon. The figures are borne on the shoulders of the massari to the rhythm of a traditional music known as annaccata.

As in all traditional festivities, Holy Week in Sicily has its characteristic confectionery. The colomba pasquale (Easter dove), also known as the palummeddi or pastifuorti, is eaten in the home. This typical sweet is usually shaped like a dove or rooster, although new shapes are emerging all the time. It consists of flour, sugar and cinnamon, topped off with a hard-boiled egg as a symbol of Easter and rebirth. A similar pastry is the cuddura, typical of the Calabria region. Based on flour and water, it is similarly adorned with hard-boiled eggs. The casatta siciliana is another cake eaten at Easter, although it is sold in pastry shops all year around. If you would like to taste some of these delicacies, the best assortment is to be had at Pasticceria Irrera, on the Piazza Cairoli 12 in Messina, and at Caffè Sicilia, on Corso Vittorio Emanuele III, 125 Noto de Siracusa.

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Text by ScannerFM

Image by Clemensfranz, Carmelo Giuseppe Colletti, Rmax75, Giovanni, Traktorminze

Up to Sardinia, the second largest island in the Mediterranean, comes all kinds of tourism attracted by its fantastic contrasts. Big claims are its magnificent landscapes, crystal clear waters and beaches – that nothing have to envy to the beaches of the Caribbean-, considered to be one of the most beautiful in the world. But up to Sardinia becomes also a tourism seeking to discover their valuable cultural legacy.

Ancestral traditions and rural ambiences that intermingle with modern cities and, in many areas, a luxurious tourism with big purchasing power. The fact that till not long ago, the island was a slightly exploited turísticamente, it does that the Sardinians still preserve predisposition is good towards the tourism. They always prove to be kind and ready to help and to advise.

Olbia is located in the North of the island. Olbia means ‘happy town’ and is not for less!. Here you will find that, for some, are the most beautiful beaches of the Mediterranean. It will cost you to choose between all of them, with its crystal clear waters and fine white sand. The beaches of Porto Istana, Lido del Sole, Li Cuncheddi, Bados, Il Pelikano happening by the 55 kilometres from the Coast Emerald in a postcard landscapes. And for the more daring, remember that it is an excellent area to practice the exciting kite surfing!

The Coast Emerald is a holiday place of jet set. The area of the gulf in which it places Olbia finds full luxurious yachts, and it is frequented by celebrities of all kinds that culture and history come attracted by the fascinating nature miscellany. And the fact is that Olbia preserves historical buildings and architectural value as the Town hall, the Romanesque iglésia of San Simplicio, the ruins cistenses or the Carthaginian wall.

The city of Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, is located on seven hills (Sant’Elia, Bonaria, Monte Urpinu, Castello, Monte Claro, Tuvixeddu San Michele), in the gulf south of Sardinia and surrounded by marshes. Cagliari, and the entire island of Cerdagne in general, retains important vestiges of the Phoenician and Roman civilizations, and a true medieval air. You ll marvel at their culture, and the taste of marinera capital.

The oldest district of the town is the Castello, in which are the main points of interest. Perched high on a hill, you can easily access, either from the elevator of the market of Santa Chiara, from which it is located near to the Torre di San Pancrazio or climbing the staircase of St Remy that comes out of the piazza Constituzione. This square is a very lively place at night, with performances and lively local.In the district of la Marina, more mediterranean atmosphere, with plenty of typical taverns to eat. And let’s not forget the beaches! The most popular is the of Poetto, and one of the most beautiful of all the Mediterranean, as well as the marshes where you can see a host of migratory birds such as flamingos.

Finally, mention her excellent gastronomy. As in the rest of the Mediterranean, Sardinia is an island rich in healthy products from land and sea. Starting with its typical bread, the pane pane Carasau – of thin mass and crunchy, which many times is served drizzled with olive oil or to which you add tomato, fried egg or cheese. If you want to apply for a rich incoming, choose between the octopus, tuna, soup of fish, squid, shrimp, a dish of pasta or the rich rice that so well prepared. To choose a wine, keep in mind that the best come from the area of Alghero or Oristan.

Imagen de Max.oppo

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