Escape to the Canary Islands

Unfortunately, I haven't had as much time to keep blogging on a regular basis.  I think this is the longest I have gone between posts since I first created my blog in 2011.  Hopefully, I can post with more regularity, but no promises. :) My family went on a trip to the Canary Islands for the Christmas and New Year Holidays and it was our first time getting away from Finland for a warm weather winter trip since we moved here almost four years ago.

I had heard about the Canary Islands from various people and they had always been high on my curiosity list.  They are a chain of 7 Islands which are owned by Spain and just 100km from the coast of Northern Africa.  The Canary Islands get approximately 12 million tourists per year. They are specially popular amongst Scandinavians and other Northern Europeans who want to get away from their cold winter climates.  We had many choices among the 5-6 main Islands that you can travel too. It seems the most popular destinations are The Gran Canaria and Tenerife Islands.  We decided to get off the beaten path a bit and picked both Lanzarote and Fuertaventura.  Most people tend to book these trips directly through a travel agent and usually have their travel plans already laid out for them.  In our case we decided to be a bit more adventuresome, so we agreed to book everything on our own.  We thought we would save some money and have some added flexibility doing it this way.  This might be the case, but all the extra hassles of travel (shuttles, buses, ferries, airplanes) hardly made it worth our time for the little savings.

Camels of Lanzarote

We ended up flying directly into Madrid, Spain and then spending one night there before flying to Lanzarote.  We didn't really have time to enjoy Madrid, so the first night consisted of just a nice dinner near the hotel.  We would get 2 more nights in Madrid en route back to Helsinki.  Even though our flight was directly into Lanzarote, we needed to journey down to Fuertaventura via the Ferry for our first 3 nights.  So, after a shuttle, ferry ride, bus and taxi we finally arrived to our hotel.  Fuertaventura is one of the larger islands and is most famous for it's long white sand beaches, sand dunes and goats.  We made sure to visit one of the more popular beaches on the island.  During that excursion we noticed that many people were hanging (literally) at the beach Au-natural.  :)  I guess it was a clothing optional beach much to the children's shocked look on their faces.   We also really enjoyed visiting the Sand Dunes which are supposedly very similar to those in the Sahara Desert of Africa which is just 100km away.

Volcanic park in Lanzarote

Our final stop was the volcanic island of Lanzarote.  It is famous for it's varied volcanic architecture and has been compared to a mini version of Hawaii's big Island.  It also features an annual Iron Man triathlon.  We saw many cyclists riding all over the Island and perhaps they were training for the coming Iron Man event. We had a bit more time to tour around this Island and the highlights of the visit were seeing the main volcanic craters and participating in a camel ride.  The kids really enjoyed both of those activities.  This Island has it's own beauty but is definitely not as sandy beach oriented as Fuertaventura.

Having been to the Hawaiian Islands several times in my life, I wasn't sure the Canary Islands could live up to my high expectations.  We did enjoy our trip and the varied landscapes though I would have to give the edge to Hawaii if you are looking for more lush, waterfall filled landscapes.  I still think the Islands are worth visiting and would definitely go back and see the more popular Islands of Tenerife or Gran Canarias. These islands are welcoming during the dark, cold days of winter in Finland.  Speaking of old man winter, Finland enjoyed one of the warmest Februaries in a long time and Spring came early as the beginning of March saw the end of the snow pack. 

Fuertaventura

Happy New Year!

I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and wonderful 2014.  The Finns says "Hyvää uutta voutta"!  New Year's Eve is a bit different from Christmas in Finland.  Seems that Christmas is a very peaceful family Holiday where no one appears to run around to multiple gathering, but stays local with the family. I was told that on New Year's Eve in Finland, from the time the sun goes down till midnight, fireworks become legal.  Since moving to Finland we have practiced a family tradition where we light off fireworks from our front yard. There are no legal problems doing this and police do not interfere on this night.  We light actual rockets, streamers and ground sparklers.  The kids are always excited for this and it reminds me of my childhood back in the States when we had fireworks on the 4th of July celebration.  However, I think in most places in the States, the use of fireworks is not always permitted, maybe just restricted to certain areas and types of fireworks.  It is interesting how many families in the small neighborhoods in Finland take part in the New Year's fireworks.  I think the cacophony from the fireworks last year began around 8pm and didn't let up till past midnight in our little neighborhood in Espoo.  This seems to be the general theme around the country.

There is still a distinct lack of snow on the ground here in Southern Finland and also no signs of the first major snow storm.  Most people have expected the snow to fall by this time of year; however it just hasn't been cold enough. The last week or so we have had about 5C (41F).  The snow is actually welcomed this time of year since it brightens up things nicely in the dark and allows for snow activities.  The days are still very short now and will be until early February when it starts to get noticeably lighter with each day.  The sun rises about 9:15am now and sets at 3:22pm.  However short and dark the days might be at this moment, staying positive and knowing that it will eventually change helps one get through the dark, dog days of winter in Finland.

As another year races by I have much to be thankful for and reflect on. 2013 was another busy year filled with fun, work, adventure, traveling and learning.  Our family hasn't let go of the travel bug as we plan on visiting several more countries in Europe this coming year, 2014. Whether you live in Finland, The United States or any other place in the world, I appreciate the fact that you stopped by my blog and I hope you find some of my previous posts interesting.  As always, I appreciate comments on my page and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

A traditional Finnish New Year's Eve

Like most countries, Finland also celebrates on New Year's Eve.  Beyond the typical drinking and late night parties, Finland has a specific custom practiced on New Year's eve which tries to predict the following year.  This involves melting down a tin horseshoe with a specialized ladle over the stove.   One places the small tin horseshoe in the spoon and then lifts it over the hot stove top.  Once the tin is melted, it is then dropped into a cold bucket of water where it will change from liquid to solid again.  It is any one's guess what shape will transform once the tin turns solid again and it is safe to say there will never be two identical ones.  This is the second New Year's eve our family has spent in Finland and the second time we have practiced this tradition.  We have uncovered shapes from the melted down tins, such as leaves, dragons and even a lady.  However, many times the shape is just a inanimate blob of melted down tin.  Let's just hope these are not exactly accurate predictions of the upcoming year.  :)

Unlike in the USA where fireworks are illegal in most States, fireworks are legal between certain hours on New Year's eve in Finland.  Anyone over 18 can purchase and light fireworks in Finland.  Our family typically buys a few packages of fireworks to shoot off .  Starting at about 6pm, until just after midnight is a constant cacophony of various fireworks.  We started the children off with some sparklers, which were followed by some actual rockets and roman candles.  Like myself in the middle of my childhood years, my children love to watch colorful rockets exploding in the sky.  Luckily with all the snow covering the ground, shooting off the rockets was a safe and enjoyable experience.

As in most Holidays in Finland, store and services are usually closed or have very limited hours.  New Year's eve was a short day for most business and New Years Day everything (including food stores) are closed.   In the USA, New Years Eve is a normal day and you can still find some store and restaurants open on New Years Day. Here's to a happy and prosperous 2013!