TAKEN AT MIDNIGHT 
MIDNIGHT SUN
MIDNIGHT SUN IN LAPLAND
ME AT MIDNIGHT
WATCH OUT FOR REIN DEER SIGN
HELENA'S PARENTS HOUSE
REIN DEER ALSO HAVE TO GO TO THE TOILET
ONE IS HAVING A SCRATCH WITH HIS ANTLES
THEY ARE CHANGING THEIR FUR TO SUMMER FUR.
VIEW FROM LEVI
HELENA WATCHING THE VIEW
midnight sun, picture taken at midnight
why are we waiting? the sun won't go down.
SUN SHINING ON THE HOUSE AT 12.30 AM!!!
NEXT DAY, BIG CLOVER FLOWERS
VIEW FROM LEVI SKI RESORT HILL.
Today we had a nice BBQ lunch at Helena's parents. The father reminds me of a strong viking type , very nice, very strong, ( not the tall viking .) She looks more like her father. Her mother has very strong big arms, and is a bit smaller than Helena, also similar looks, a bit ruddy. Her brother is also a big boy. Looks similar to helena.
The father regulary hunts for moose, there are too many of them in Finland and in middle of Finland and Sweden also. You need a gun /hunters licence and they do a rough count each year from the air.
You can only hunt them by foot, through the forests, not allowed to shoot them from cars or helicopters.
In Sweden moose can get to 1000 kg, here only 700 kg.
There are also lots of big brown bears in these pine forests,in Finland and Sweden, they came from Russia; they are hard to see, they hear people first and then hide.
Only 5 people in the last year were killed by bears, basically their own fault, by getting too close to them.
Today went on top of the main hill in Levi, the ski resort. The views from the main hill in Levi is very wide and lots of pine forests and lakes and river. That hill is about 500 metres high.
Today I saw more wild( semi) rein deer. The wander throught the town ( Levi) in groups of 5. The actually belong to people but its all their policy to let them be half wild and twice a year they get herded in for the cull.( killing formeat) and to keep the number in proprtion. They have ear tags so they know who they belong to.
I am having my first sauna tonight. Helena has a sauna as well, in fact every house in Finland, no matter how small, has a sauna.
You sit there in the steam/heat till you sweat and then you take a cold shower, a bit like when you take a hot bath and then a cold shower, same idea, only you sit in hot steam, then the body pufiies itself through the sweating from the impurities in the body.
Wel, hope to get lots of reactions, comments etc.
lUCKY i HAVE internet here by satellite, no charge to me. Helena hasn't even got a phone line, all is by satellite including t.v. only 30 euro's per year for the 9 t.v channels, and 30 euro's per month for the internet.
Power is like NZ by power- poles. Most of Finland's power is from hydro, like in NZ.
Tomorrow we are visiting a rein deer farmer/park and also a husky dogs park, where the dogs are used for sledding in the winter.
Helena's dad has a boat and Friday we are going on his boat for a trip to the lake and river, catch some fresh fish and eat it. Salmon.
Got to go to the sauna now, love from Marianna. moi moi( bye bye)
PS This place you really feel that you are in a very very different world. by language, looks, and scenery, and the sun that doesn't set. like a different planet...
Although the houses are mostly wooden houses, from the outside they look like NZ houses but on the inside they are much better, well insulated and central heating and also an open fireplaces.
OK I did have the sauna, but I couldn't stand it for longer than 2 min as it is so hot. Then I took a cold shower, that was nice.
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