Finland: Lapland, Rovaniemi: Meeting Santa at the Arctic Circle

If you wanted to meet the Santa in person at any time of the year, I suggest you travel to Finland, to Rovaniemi, Lapland.

There is a special place, right at the Arctic Circle where Joulupukki, as the locals call him, the Santa Claus or St Nicolaus, whichever you prefer has built his base. It's been there all the time I remember. I was born in that city so I know and have visited Napapiiri many, many times since my childhood.

It is a magical place, where you can meet the Santa, talk to him, get to know his elves and the reindeer. You can relax in the festive atmosphere, shop to your heart's content or just browse around.

Most of all you can visit the Santa's main post office, write to your friends and order them a letter from the Santa. And what is really cool, the letters and cards you ordered will come to them right at Christmas, if you want.


Bellow is the line of the Arctic Circle. You can stand on it and also get a certificate that you have crossed it. Pretty impressive. To the North of this line, it is guarantied that the sun will stay up for at least 24 hours for one period in the summer and it won't rise at all for a least one 24 hour period in winter.

In practice, if you happen to be in Lapland for the summer, you think the sun never goes down, because it is no possible to stay up and check when you sleep, although you might not want to sleep at all. In winter, however (which the local call Kaamos-time) you think that it is always dark and the lights have to be on at all hours. And it will be cold, too. But very exotic. That I can attest to.

Take a trip to Rovaniemi at Christmas and you are able to experience all of the magic of the winter wonderland with Santa and his helpers.


The last time I visited Napapiiri or the Arctic Circle was in early October. It was a long time since my last visit and I had totally forgotten the vividness of the autumn colouring in Lapland. It is every brightest colour imaginable. It was so exciting to experience once again. Any time of the year is a good time for the Santa Claus.


What we did was to visit all the shops at the Santa's Village. You can get good bargains there as all the major retailers have their factory outlets right at the village.

We also spent at least two hours at the Santa's main post office, writing cards and looking into all sorts of displays trying to see from which countries all the letters came from. They are saying that Santa gets letters from all over the world and you better believe that is true from all the evidence around the place.


There is also a little exhibition on the history of Christmas and the Santa himself seems to be in a few places at one time or the other, so you can be sure to meet him. You can get a video and pictures as proof, too to share around with friends and family.


My granddaughter was very excited. She happily ran around the village, never getting tired and had such great fun spotting elves, and other things and choosing her own souvenirs. Mostly pink, of course. She was not afraid of the Santa, either.


Now, if you cannot get to Lapland at this present time, all is not lost. You will still have the Internet. It is so cool!

At this time of the year visit www.santaclauslive.com and you are able to find two cameras, one inside the Santa's sanctuary where you can witness him greeting visitors from all over the world and one outside, where you can check the snow situation in Lapland while listening to whatever Christmas song is playing at the village at any one time.

There is also the Santatelevision.com where you can watch lots of small videos about the life at the Santa's Village at the Arctic Circle. I especially recommend those about Santa and the magic of Aurora Borealis. You are sure to want to start planning a trip there after that.

I ensure you will have lots of fun and maybe if you are good the Santa will ensure that at Christmas you will get the present you wished for.
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UK, London: Lessons in History at Hampton Court Palace and at the Maze

I have been planning to visit the Hampton Court Palace while in London for quite some time now. Finally, on my recent stay in London I got that opportunity.

One of the reasons, I especially wanted to explore it is that The Wilderness Garden there houses the oldest maze known in Britain. It was built for King William III and Queen Mary II in 1690. I have longed to 'get lost' in it for a bit.


I chose my visiting day according to the weather report. And accordingly, it was a really fine day in London when I boarded a train at the Waterloo station for The Hampton Court Palace. It pays off to choose a good day against a rainy one as the gardens there are such a huge part of the visitor experience. My day was also a bank holiday in UK, so there were some extra attractions, like a big picnic on the lawn that made the visit really pleasurable for me and other visitors.

Since I did not really know much about the palace beforehand, I was very pleasantly surprised to find such splendor. It really homed on me how the history can be told in so many interesting ways to make it alive even for today.


What I learned is that actually there are two palaces there; first one a Manor house developed into a palace by Thomas Wolsey, who was a powerful administrator for Henry VIII. He entertained the king there as well as a huge number of foreign dignitaries. In reality the place was a genuine hotel with kitchens servicing 1200 guests per day.


The second palace is a lovely baroque building built for Mary II and William III. They made the palace in what it is today.


And then there are the gardens from different eras kept with great dedications and research of which the Wilderness and the Maze (originally there were four of them) is the most popular.


My day at Hampton Court was all about understanding the dedication and the compassion of the people who have preserved the history for us in a way that speaks to a modern visitor. Even just seeing half of it convinces me that how we relate to history is through well written and illustrated storytelling. Learning about the young king Henry VIII certainly proves that.

What we remember from our history books is a completely different picture we get from the beautifully told story at Hampton Court Palace. There you come to understand the tragedy, the intrigue and the romance gone wrong that you otherwise might miss between Henry VIII and his first wife of more than 20 years, Catherine of Aragon.

I was walking through the rooms that depicted the young Henry VIII and came to a stop at the end. "This is a really sad room", I heard a father telling his son beside me.

On the wall there are all the names of their stillborn children (mostly boys) as well as the names of those children who died at birth. And of course Mary I and the little boy who lived for six weeks is there, also. The explanations on the chairs named Catherine, Henry and Thomas tell about the decision Henry made to divorce Catherine and how it affected the nation. Their individual stories.

This is real history lovingly brought to life for us in the modern world. I was left thinking how important it is to know those stories today. Now 20 years of their life and all those children has not gone unnoticed just because history has preferred hero stories instead of real life stories.


I really liked walking through the baroque palace with its wonderful ceiling art and small details, including bits and pieces of the Mary's famous porcelain collection.


There was an exhibition there about the the secrets of the State beds. Unfortunately no pictures were allowed otherwise I would have photographed the queen's bed that reminded me of the fairytale of the 'Princess and the Pea' with its layers upon layers of silk mattresses, just like in all the illustrations I have seen. What a story it turned out to be, firmly grounded in the historic reality.


Finally, it was really fun 'getting lost' in the maze for a while, walking the old paths with lots of laughing families. And of course we found 'the heart'. It was not a very difficult task at all:


And the gardens were lovely, especially the Wilderness, that called the visitor to sit a while on a bench while taking in the atmosphere.


All in all, a day at the Hampton Court Palace was a success and I must go back since I missed the famous kitchens and the King Henry VIII's apartments and much more, I am sure.

But it was a start and a lovely day at that! I recommend it very warmly for anyone wanting a flash back to the long gone eras of royal life in Britain.
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Africa, Swaziland: My Introduction to Swaziland

I spent last week in Swaziland. It was my first ever trip to Africa. I was there getting to know the countryside, the people and a huge philanthropic initiative my Swazi-friends have taken on to help their local communities.

I flew to Johannesburg in South Africa and from there I was picked up by my friends and we drove five hours on a very good road to Mbabane, the capital of Swaziland.

I wasn't a tourist, so there were no safaris or other kinds of touristy things on my schedule. I was there to get acquainted with a grass roots level organisation, helping the communities in Swaziland in six centres situated in the main cities and in the rural area. I was there to see how I could share my leadership experience with community development and lend a fresh perspective to overseeing the organisational operations my friends have undertaken. This is what I have always wanted to do as a compassionate world traveler. Really practical application of compassionate action.

What I found was short of breathtaking:


The population of Swaziland is around one million mark in the country. Around 3.5 million Swazi-people are living on the South-African side in the immediate area to their country, all under the leadership of a king and his mother. I was touring with the best possible people so I had an opportunity to get an understanding of the Swazi culture from the inside.

I found it very fascinating and would recommend that a newcomer would take care and practice his/her cultural intelligence carefully by leaving their pre consisting attitudes behind and only after listening make judgements about the culture they encounter.

The Swazi-culture is dual in its every facet. There is the traditional tribal culture intertwined with the modern civilian laws which take some absorption to understand but in the end can make good sense. All Swazi-people love their King to bits, undivided.


Coming from Australia, I found it most fascinating that there is so much red rock and earth around. Iron ore is mined and transported in huge trucks to Mozambique for shipping to wherever it will be developed.


This looks so much like walking in the bush in the Australian outback.


There is plenty of scenic variation in the country from very high country to low lands. The huge lake in the previous picture is actually a dam that provides irrigation to a large highland region of the north Swaziland.


I met lots of local people. Here are some women from a women's group at the Kuphila (to have life) Centre at Mbombotha. They meet every Tuesday to produce whatever is decided as a weekly product for co-operative sale. Here with newly cooked floor polish that is used to protect and polish the concrete floors in their homes. Many other products are also produced from peanut butter to crocheted shoes.


Floor polish


Traditional crafts made from crass


Vaseline from Aloe Vera and shoes.


However, the most urgent need in Swaziland is to help the orphans, whose parents have died of AIDS to a better future. My friends help them on the crass roots level, directly in their local communities by feeding them daily, by education, activities and skilling.

Here is the coordinator at the Kuphila Centre at Emkhuzweni cooking what might be the only daily meal the vulnerable children and youth get in the area. There might be some adults there also.


These children really need your support. There are pre-schools that can take orphans in with other children. The term fee is around $50 AUS or €45. There are three terms in a school-year. Just email me on ejuusola@bigpond.net.au if you want information on how to directly support orphans in Swaziland through my consultancy's 'immediate relief fund'.


You can see this type of huts at every house in the country. They are used as dwellings but at least one is there for the family meetings. The attached roof is made from the ordinary crass that grows everywhere. The sun and the rain turns it black.


Here seen from the inside.


And here is the edge. It is really thick, about 30cms.


On the roadside, you may encounter local craft centers, where talented artists and other people sell their artworks and products. This man, for example has learned his trade from his grandfather and is now producing African animals carved from local wood and stone. He regularly attends national competitions and has won several prizes.


The roadside craft market at the north of Swaziland


At the chief's lands there are bush that can be turned into gardens to help with the food security of the community.


It is possible to grow crops also in winter, however, often the irrigation is a huge problem. Here, for example the irrigation could be lead from the nearby river, if there were some resources. My immediate relief fund can help you to support the gardening activity also. Just let me know by email and I will send more information.


Here is the recently built Mbombotha Centre, that has such potential for helping the people of the local community. A pre-school has already been founded and started here. But more needs to be done, especially by skilling youth and women to a better future.

There is space to expand to help orphans as well. Your direct support would be greatly appreciated in any form. Just let me know and I will be able to network with you about information. I can be befriended on LinkedIn as well.


This now an empty center was built by a Canadian person, who came here to help. She is gone now and the centre is idle but in prime condition. There are plans for its development as it would be ideal as an arts centre. Support is needed there, too.

Everywhere, I travel in Swaziland, I encounter huge possibilities and enormous need for co-operation with compassionate projects from abroad and such warmth from the local communities and especially my hosts, who coordinate voluntary teams that work in the communities, maybe only once a month. Lots of pastors are involved in the grass roots community work as is expected. My friends organisation for example provides skilling in how to psychologically manage the huge tasks taken on by direct voluntary or paid staff.


There are people who have developed very successful tourist businesses in Swaziland. The owners of this famous establishment came to visit the country and never left. Here they have a multi-purpose events area, an excellent restaurant, shops and tourist services under one roof, so to say.


Here is the restaurant where we had a fabulous meal.


In this area there will be a huge youth event just as I am leaving the country. Some wonderful craftsmanship and design ideas are used to create new environment for different purposes.


'Gone Rural' is one of the Swaziland's success stories in exporting high class designer items abroad. This is the local store right there.


The products are magnificent.


And the proof of the quality can be witnessed around the world in the most prestigious shops.


This is the Ematjeni Guest House courtyard. Such luxury is hard to find anywhere where the guests are so warmly and individually cared for. It is like being a visitor at someone's private home.


And here is the fabulous view, right from my window:


So, if you are planning a trip to Africa, why not plan on visiting Swaziland. You won't be disappointed. It will be interesting in a very wonderful way.

Next time around, I will do some 'touristy' things as well and see what more there is to offer. For now, I thank the compassionate people of Swaziland I have had a pleasure of getting to know and look forwards to my next visit there, which surely will be in an immediate future.
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Australia, Victoria, Macedon Range: Climbing The Hanging Rock

The Macedon Range in Victoria, Australia is just a place for a compassionate traveler to visit. The possibilities are great for a day in leisure combined with adventure for the whole family. The Hanging Rock (Formerly Mount Diogenes) with the hint of mystery should be at the top of the list for anyone wanting an outing spent with a friends and acquaintances.

The Hanging Rock is a former volcano, left from a few million (6.25) years as a monument on how a special kind of stiff lava can form peculiar sites. The formation is geologically called a 'mamelon' because it is formed from dense lava that does not flow away after eruption but instead forms a hill in the place.

In 1967, a novel 'Picnic at Hanging Rock', written by Joan Lindsay was published. It is a story of a party of schoolgirls and their teacher who went to a picnic at Hanging Rock in 1900. Some of the girls and later the teacher disappeared mysteriously while there. The case was never solved in anyone's satisfaction.

This story inspired a film:


'Picnic at Hanging Rock', in 1995, directed by Peter Weir. It was one of the first Australian films that truly created an international following.

The Hanging Rock has also inspired plenty of artists:


'At The Hanging Rock' by William Ford, 1885. (Picture from Wikipedia) is one of the earliest ones on display at the Victorian National Gallery.

I went looking for that particular place it was painted at and may just have found it here:


The Hanging Rock is quite a challenge to climb. I recommend sturdy shoes and great spirits.

There is a large picnic ground at the bottom, including a restaurant and a discovery centre. We found it really inspirational.

There are two ways up the rock, the stairs and the well made path. It should be easy to climb, being only 105m above the plain, even for the faint hearted, providing some rests can be had. Though, caution is recommended as always.


We found the rock really majestical and fun. The climb was vigorous activity and the discovery centre and the shop a real treat.


We inspected several cracks just to make sure that all has been done to solve the mystery of the Hanging Rock by now. Nothing suspicious was found.

At the end of the day, we had some ice-cream, the really fabulous kind, paid our $10 fee for the car to get out of the gate and left with great satisfaction.

A well recommended and enjoyable day for everyone.
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