Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Trip to Rovaniemi

The trip to Rovaniemi went smooth. As usual, Sleepyhead Me even managed to take a short nap in the car HUE HE HE HE HE...

However, I didn't expect the day to be HOT HOT HOT!!! In the morning the temperature was -17'C, so I was dressed accordingly. We went to Kelujärvi to have lunch together with the kids, then we left to Rovaniemi at around 12.30 pm. By then the temperature came up to only -1'C. I should've taken off some layers of clothes since we wouldn't be outside too much, but I didn't do it. So in the car I was ROASTED by the HOT sun. It was such a cloudless day that the sun was really scorching for me. It was also blinding me and making my throat SO SO SO SO dry!!!

Gladly I managed to sleep for a bit hi hi hi...thus the trip didn't feel too long. I took off my shoes and my leg warmers in the car, but I couldn't have taken off my woolen shorts that I had put on over my regular long john he he he...

When we arrived in downtown Rovaniemi, we went straight to the malls. That day was also a graduation day for some students there, so they were dressed up in different costumes. Here's a picture of astronauts in downtown Rovanemi he he he...



And art lovers, can you please explain to me what this is?!?!?!?!?!?! For the life of me, I can't imagine what this looks like hmmm...



And here are some more pics of downtown Rovaniemi...













Then we went to a Pizza Buffet restaurant where we could eat anything we wanted with one price only. It was OK. After that we went to another shopping mall and I found a T-shirt on a discount (it was only €5), so I bought it. Arttu also found a big bundle of Donald Duck on a discount. Yes, he's a HUGE fan of Donald Duck (in Finnish he's called Aku Ankka - Ankka = Duck. Funnily enough, in Indonesian the word "aku" means "I" or "me"). Arttu was SO HAPPY to get that book he he he he...After all, he doesn't really like window shopping HA HA HA HA...Gladly he could tag along with the nephews while my sis-in-law and I went to women's clothes stores he he he...

Here's a pic of the bookstore.



After that we had to go to the train station. It was the first time I ever went to that train station. Here are some pictures.







The last picture is Arttu near the parking lot of the train station.



I must say that going to Rovaniemi felt like going back to "civilization" again ha ha ha ha...Because there were FAR MANY more people and cars there. I don't know what I'm going to feel when I'm back in Indo. I'm a bit apprehensive that I'll be SHOCKED by the amount of traffic and people and traffic jam there he he he...

Oh well...I'll blog-hop tomorrow, OK? Now I'm a bit tired and I still have homework to do and I need to prepare myself for the upcoming test. ;-D

15 comments:

  1. Um, I think that the art on the red brick wall is a piece of Joan River's forehead. From her first face lift. I say that because they appear to have copper plated it to save it's structure. You know how copper looks when it is aged. he he he he

    Looks and sounds like a FABUOLOUS trip.

    Oh, and I have put you in charge of the Indo/Chinese food for my online party, to be held....hopefully soon.
    See my 1001 post.

    Take care and hope to see you soon!

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Amel,

    That looks like an artists rendition of the Aurora Borealis to me. The smaller piece underneath looks like land to me, like a small forest for example.. Although I have no reasoning as to why they would chose this piece of land - to me, its shape reminds me of the holy Island of Ukko (Ukonsaari) in Lake Inari!

    I cant believe that you were wearing so much in the car! I have only worn my thermals once this winter. I think that you will get used to it and it takes a while. Gee you must have been hot girl...I know you like your sauna, but you didnt have to take it with you!!! LOL....

    The piece with photos of the railway station was interesting. As you may remember, Marks best friend revisited us this winter (his 3rd visit here!) and this time he came from Tampere by train. Mark had said that when he collected him at Rovaniemi the place was MUCH smaller than he'd expected..and so it is! I couldnt find any pics of it online, so I appreciate seeing your pics.

    Looked more icy there than snow... but then it starts to go warmer there as its only just on the Arctic Circle. It was all brown and slushy the day we took my Mum to Rovaniemi airport to go home, so I think you were lucky it was relatively white.

    I find it funny how the Finns are so mad about Donald Duck. Theres no interest in it in the UK at all. I know so many Finns that love it.

    Glad you had fun!

    Love Michelle x

    ReplyDelete
  3. I felt it when i was for the first time back to indo, too much noisy hehe.... :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. That warning guy came several times to my blog as well.. I delete all his comment.. scary of spreading virus or something..

    will read this post and be back again to comment..

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hah? More traffic and more people there? My first impression seeing your picture is... so quiet!! like no one there!! I can count the people with my fingers! hahaha..and in your place, there are less people than this? tsk..tsk..tsk.. I think you must deliver many babies to fill the earth! kakakakaka..that's God's order!

    ReplyDelete
  6. The art looks like a dinosaur fossil site.

    I love those little stalls in the markets in Europe. Always reminds me of festive markets.

    Wah, you're syaing it's hot while being surrounded by snow? It's going to be insufferable when you return to Indonesia!

    ReplyDelete
  7. That's funny the students dressed as astronauts, I've never heard of that before.

    I have no clue what the art is, but it sounds like you had a fun day. Fish x

    ReplyDelete
  8. You sound as if you had fun on your trip. I must say you look so cute standing next to your Hubby. I would have loved to be at that book store but you would have never got me to leave. Have a great day and God Bless.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hola Amelia! Thanks for sharing your pics with us. They are very nice!

    Re the art picture...I don't know...it looks like shells to me.

    I can't imagine -17 or -1 degrees...I think I would freeze :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think the artwork is a giant banana skin after a car has driven over it. ;-)

    Gosh it looks cold there, but very pretty. Yes, I suspect Indo is going to feel very weird now that you are used to Finland.

    oh and GOOD LUCK with your studies! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. You look so cute in that big umm coat hahaha.

    Amazing pics as usual. I wish I was going on a trip like that, I'm suffering terribly from workoverload...

    Getting so damned sick of my jobs, you make me envious haha.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I think the broken pieces that are attached to the wall has something to do with the history of that specific location. Hmmm... what could it be?! He he...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hey Amel,

    Ahh Spring time is arriving to Finland!!! :D
    That art work reminds me shells. I don't know if that was the artist's intention, but it reminds me of shells...

    Rovaniemi is a cute town; I like it! And you look smashing as always :D!
    I also think that you will be a bit shocked at Indo, which is quite natural :)! The same happened to me whenever I went to Africa and then came back to Portugal....cultural clashes lol!

    Good luck with your test, girl! Knock them out :D!

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  14. Everybody, THANKS for sharing your POV on the artwork he he he...It's VERY interesting to read different types of POV he he he...But same as Blur Ting, when I first saw it, it did remind me of a dinosaur fossil or something he he...

    Liquid: HAPPY Easter and take care, as well!!! THANKS for the visit! ;-D

    Mrs Arctic Rainbow: LOL!!! Yeah, many Finns ADORE Donald Duck. I've never seen so many people love it, either. Interesting! ;-D

    Jeanne: Yeah, I bet I'll feel the same he he...

    Mother Hen: Glad you enjoyed the pics! ;-D

    Trinity: HA HA HA HA HA HA...Well, believe me that in reality, there were MANY more people in Rovaniemi than in my pictures...not as many as the people in Bandung, of course, or in BSM when it's really full HI HI HI...

    Blur Ting: Yeah, I also love small stalls he he he...I'll report later in my blog how I feel when I'm back to Indo hi hi hi...

    Fish: Well, some of them dressed as Hula girls. Of course they wore more than just bikinis HE HE HE HE...

    Sindi: THANKS for your complimenttttt!!! ;-D Well, THANK GOD there are online bookstores these days, right? So you don't have to leave your house to buy books he he...

    La delirante: Well, once you live long enough in such a cold place, your body gets used to it bit by bit he he...

    Michelle: INTERESTING perspective on the artwork he he he...;-D THANKS for your well-wishes on my studies!!! ;-D

    Shan: THANKS for your compliment! ;-D SORRY to hear about your work overload, Shan. :-((( Hope you get some RR during Easter holiday! ;-D

    Choc Mint Girl: Yeah, beats me about the artwork he he he...

    Max: Shells, eh? Yeah, might be true. ;-D

    THANKS for your compliment! ;-D And I trust you, Girl...since you've been around here and there and everywhere he he...I'll write on it later after I get back he he...

    THANKS for your well-wishes on the test, as well. ;-D

    ReplyDelete