REFLEKTOR / SPOTLIGHT
ARCTIC ADVENTURE From Tromsø to Santa Claus Landing in the capital of Norway’s Arctic zone also provides the perfect launchpad for a phenomenal winter adventure that requires crossing the border and entering Finland’s Lapland R eaching Rovaniemi takes an approximately eight- hour drive through spec- tacular snowy landscapes, or a ride on the direct win- ter bus line (Arctic Route). Here, directly in line with the North Pole, is the official Santa Claus Village, where the worldwide myth is transformed into an impeccably organised reality. This village in the Lapland capital of Rovaniemi isn’t an amusement park with fake scenery, but rather a seriously con- ceived operation that celebrates the arc- tic winter. At the heart of the complex is the Office of Santa Claus, who sets time aside for every visitor, converses in an im- pressive number of languages and possess- es that specific Scandinavian serenity. The conversation itself is free of charge, while professional photos of the meeting can be bought and form part of the precise economic calculation that keeps this phe- nomenon alive. Still, the most fascinating part of the
village is Santa‘s Main Post Office. And it isn’t a simulation, but a legitimate branch of the Finnish national post office, which receives around half a million letters annu- ally from all over the world. Inside, “elves” (who are actually serious postal workers in costumes) meticulously sort the mail ac- cording to country of origin. Every postcard or letter sent from here receives a unique, official Arctic Circle stamp. The system is so elaborate that you can post your mail in the special red box that guarantees de- livery in time for the next Christmas, re- gardless of when you send it. Reindeer are also an integral part of this arctic ecosystem. Although popular culture associates them exclusively with flying, in Lapland they are deeply rooted in the tra-
ditions of the Sámi – the indigenous peo- ple of northern Europe. Reindeer-drawn sleigh rides through snowy forests offer an authentic experience of the slow pace of the North. There’s no rush here, with everything revolving around the crunch of the snow and the steady rhythm of these animals that have evolved to be perfectly adapted to extremely low temperatures. An excursion from Tromsø to Rovaniemi is actually a journey through the two faces of the Arctic. While Tromsø offers the urban and rugged beauty of the Norwegian fjords, Rovaniemi offers some- thing completely different: a brilliantly maintained illusion that’s so well imple- mented in terms of infrastructure that even the most cynical are happy to believe.
Legitimna ispostava finske nacionalne pošte godišnje primi oko pola miliona pisama Santa’s Main Post Office is a legitimate branch of the Finnish national post office that receives roughly half a million letters from all over the world
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