Finland: bicycles on the snow…
From height of plane flight Finland seems such gray and ordinary that flying up to Helsinki, you may involuntarily imagine boring and monotonous days which expect you within forthcoming two weeks in this country.
At the air terminal you will a little dispelle your fears, but the present delight is left for airport limits. Snowdrifts above your growth, the very tall fir-trees, which branches tend under snow weight, – the ones that you have never imagined to yourself earlier!
Finland is so well-groomed and pure that for the first time it can seem to the tourists who have arrived there as if Finns have prepared for celebrating someone’s anniversary. Streets and stations, not to mention woods and lakes, look faultlessly.
Few corners of the world can brag of such faultless cleanliness, still their smaller quantity – the same safety. Finland is one of those states where it is not terrible for someone to appear in the suburb of a city late at night or to wait for the bus in a deserted street. Until recently here it was absolutely not accepted to close cars for the night or to lock holiday apartments. In the trains transporting among cities, it is possible to leave easy luggage on a regiment and to leave on your affairs. Nobody will touch it.
Finland is very silent and quiet: anywhere you will not hear loud voices, Finns are polite, fair and opened. Cleanliness of streets will amaze you. The country is similar to a huge clockwork: buses come in due time, snow is cleaned in time, being transformed into snowdrifts, work becomes very quick and imperceptibly for others.
Thanks to affinity exhausting winter is not such frosty as in Russia.
Cities in Finland are small, they seem got lost in wood, – each city is surrounded with some ten square kilometers of fir-trees, pines, and other evergreen breeds of trees. Finland is named also the country of lakes. In winter from the plane huge large forests and white rags of lakes can be seen. Distances between cities are also small: the road from one Finnish city to another occupies an hour, and even less than that. But going is possible day and night, roads are lighty at the night time.
By the way, skiing is very popular in Finland, each Finn has some ski sets, the majority of them begins morning with jog on skis. Ski tracks specially lay and are updated some times by the municipal services in the daytime, and at night they are specially lighted, so at any time it is possible to walk on skis a kilometer.
Finland is a country of seasons. In winter it is possible to visit village of Santa Claus and to go to a safari on deer or to drive on the dog teams. And it is possible simply to relax in a summer cottage with a sauna on the bank of lake in summer or go to a camping on kayaks.
Deers in Finland are national pride. If you arrive to the north of the country you will hear many various stories connected with these animals. Aboriginals of the north of Finland – Samis – ahave been tamed horned handsome men since ancient times. They have all application of everything connected woth deer, from horns to hoofs.
In general, it is impossible not to fall in love or cease to admire the nature of Finland. Finns have improbably solicitous attitude to environment. From here, probably, come the very harmonious coexistence of the nature and people (for example, squirrels, hares, hedgehogs – the normal phenomenon for park in the center of Helsinki). Many travel by bicycles, even in winter snow.
Among the European neighbors Finns have the highest standard of living. And if you like civilized rest, it will be interesting for you to visit this country.
