Lisa Sabol-Sikorski's Blog

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Scandinavia and Finland Airfare Deals

SAS Airlines has just reduced its fares between certain US cities and the Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, and Finnish capitals for travel in the month of May 2007. For example, travel from New York, Chicago, or Washington, DC to Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Oslo is $498 round trip and to Helsinki $538 round trip. From Seattle you can fly to the Scandinavian capitals for $598 or $658 to Helsinki. Flights to other cities in Scandinavia and Finland are also reduced.

Fly June 1-22 for $40 more to Helsinki and $60 more to the other Scandinavian capitals. The fares don’t include taxes of $80-$120. The fares require a Saturday night stay. Flights will fill up quickly at prices these low. Book online with SAS.

Scandinavia and Finland Hotel Deals

The Nordic-owned Scandic Hotel chain (a Hilton Honors partner – don’t forget to become a member so you can get airline or hotel points!) are offering a 15-30% discount on their regular rates for those booking at least 7 days in advance. These “early” rates range from 62-122 euros in Stockholm; 94-164 euros in Helsinki; 93-190 euros in Copenhagen; 124-187 euros in Gothenborg, Sweden; from 80-110 euros in Malmö and Lund, Sweden,; and 123-155 euros in Oslo. Rates include a breakfast buffet and many of the hotels allow children under age 13 to stay in their parents’ room for free. The Scandic Copenhagen has a spa package for 152 euros/night, which includes a choice of four different spa themes (Finnish sauna, Turkish spa, Roman bath, or Indian Sweat Lodge), an upgrade to a superior double room and a free smoothie.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

May 1 in Finland is known as Vappu Day, a combination of workers’ day and a celebration of spring. While meteorological spring starts on March 21, May 1st is the real start of spring in Finland, when the days are longer, the mercury reliably stays above the freezing mark, and the snow has melted (hopefully). The Vappu-related reverie actually starts on April 30, when students in Helsinki parade through town and spray the naked Havis Amanda statue near Market Square with champagne while perching a white graduation cap on her head. With 16.5 hours of daylight and a 9:30pm sunset, the parks fill up with partiers drinking, playing music, and playing games well into the night.

On May 1 everyone goes outside to spend time eating, drinking, and socializing. Finns don their own white cap with a black brim and an insignia in front from their graduation day, no matter what their age or how long ago they matriculated from school. To this American, it looks like a sea of festive boat captains walking around. In Helsinki’s popular park along the Baltic Sea, Kaivopuisto, people stake out a spot early in the day, pitch a tent and tables to prepare for their day of celebration. Acoutrements and fare range from pickled herring served on fine china under an elegant tent, to beer in a cooler and sausages on the grill, to wandering bands of young revelers eating a sandwich and carrying a 6 pack of Karjala, Lapin Kulta, or some other Finnish brand of beer. The ice cream huts along the water are open, regardless of whether the temperature is 5 degrees or 20 degrees, and people queue up, eating their ice cream and walking along the waterfront.

Vappu falls on a Tuesday this year. It would be fair to predict that fewer people will be going to work on Wednesday May 2, trying to dodge the splatters of aging vomit peppering the sidewalks on their morning commute. There will probably be many people “calling in sick” Wednesday or taking the day as a holiday, since Vappu only comes once a year.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Easter celebrations in Finland tend to be subdued and reserved for families to spend time together, eat sweets, perhaps have an Easter sauna, and enjoy nature. The weather has been uncharacteristically warm lately, with temperatures ranging between 40-50 degrees F (5-13 degrees Celsius), so people are outside enjoying the sunny (albeit windy) weather, sans the snow and ice that normally cover the ground this time of year. Buying ice cream from one of the outdoor stands that have flung open their shutters since the weather turned warm and walking along Helsinki’s seaside is a popular activity for those who have not left town to spend the weekend at their countryside cottages. Business and shops close on Good Friday and stay closed through Easter Monday, although some grocery stores and restaurants open Saturday and or Monday. Unlike in the US and other countries, there are no “Easter sales” in the stores.

Witches and Sweets

On Palm Sunday, the week before Easter Sunday, children dress up as “Easter witches” and go door to door to collect candy. The Fazer Mignon egg, which is a mass of solid chocolate inside a real egg shell, is one of the most popular types of chocolate candy to eat this time of year. Pulla, a sweet, ball shaped pastry filled with cream and fruit jam, start appearing on bakery counters around Easter.

Easter Events

Finland is not a particularly religious country, but all of the churches have an Easter celebrations, whether they are Lutheran (Finland’s official religion), Eastern Rite Orthodox, or Catholic. Helsinki’s outdoor museum, Seurasaari, has an Easter bonfire where children dress up as trolls, sing songs, and recite poems. The Via Crucis dramatization (also known as the Way of the Cross) on Easter Sunday starts from Helsinki’s main church on the Senate Square and continues through downtown Helsinki, to the delight of spectators lining the streets. Over 100 volunteer actors take part. On Suomenlinna, Helsinki’s island fortress, the Toy Museum opens its doors to visitors after being closed all winter. There are thousands of toys on display, with the oldest dating from the 19th century.

Easter in Finland is a good time to relax and enjoy the slow pace.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Long flights in coach class, with cramped seats, surly flight attendants, and (on some airlines) having to pay for a drink of water, can be uncomfortable and trying on your nerves. Business class seats, which can cost four times more than coach seats, not only offer more room to stretch but they have other amenities to make your journey more comfortable. I recently had the opportunity to travel in business class on trans-Atlantic and inter-European flights, which got me thinking – how can I re-create this more civilized travel experience the next time I fly coach?

Goody Bag

Business class travelers get a bag of goodies for the flight, like socks to keep your tootsies warm when they crank up the re-circulated air, travel sized hand lotion, a teeny tooth brush and toothpaste, ear plugs, and eye shades. These things are easy to get before you travel and bring onboard. Besides, at least you’ll get the brands you like. Put the liquids in a clear, plastic bag before you go through the security checkpoint so they don’t end up in the trash bin.

Drinks

You never get enough water in coach class. After the security check, buy two bottles of water (or your drink of choice) to bring with you. I don’t drink on airplanes (who wants to be dehydrated or running to the stinky airplane bathroom anyway?), but you could certainly bring little travel sized bottles of alcohol to make your own rum and coke mid-flight.

Food

Airplane food is disappointing, regardless of the class. It is cooked 24-48 hours in advance and re-heated on the plane so you can’t expect much, regardless of how much you paid for the flight. The business class menu may say steak with béarnaise sauce, but the steak is usually an overcooked piece of shoe leather. Choose the pasta, usually the least offensive option, and know that savvy travelers in business class are doing the same. So what you’re using a plastic fork in coach instead of a metal one in business class?

Attitude

Those who pay seem to get the nicest service. Perhaps it was just the individuals on my flights, but I was surprised at how much nicer the flight attendants treated passengers in business class. Do they adopt a different personality once they get past the business class curtain to treat the coach travelers like the uncouth cattle they think they are? Either way, I try to be polite when flying coach but ignore the attitude.

Seats

There is nothing you can do to about the small coach seats on trans-Atlantic flights that offer little leg room for those of us over 5”4 tall. You can try your luck and call the airline 48 hours before your flight on the off chance you are able to reserve an exit row seat. But, if you are taking a short haul inter-European flight from Copenhagen to Helsinki on SAS Airlines, for example, you’re not missing anything in the spaciousness department. Business class seats on short haul flights don’t have any more room than the coach seats, making the exhorbitant business class fares not worth it at all, in my opinion. Know that your coach experience is virtually the same!

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Copenhagen’s Phoenix Hotel is a good choice for travelers not on a budget looking for comfortable accommodations in the center of Copenhagen, Denmark. The hotel is decorated in the neo-classical style, with soft colors, white pointed furniture with gold trim, and watercolors depicting 18th and 19th century Danish life.

Rooms

The rooms are not big but they are elegantly furnished and the beds are comfortable. The rooms have safes and a selection of international TV programming. Soaking in the large bathtub after a long day of sightseeing was just what I needed.

Location

In addition to being a comfortable place to stay, one of the best features of the hotel is the location. Within five minutes, you can walk to Kungens Nytorv square, Nyhavn, Amelienborg Castle, Frederick’s Church, and Stroget (the main shopping street). Design hounds will like the location on Bredgade Street, steps away from the Danish Design Museum and Danish design shops.

Amenities

The Phoenix Hotel has free Internet access and a selection of international newspapers in the lobby. Eating at the breakfast buffet in the hotel’s Restaurant Von Plessen is a wonderful way to start your day, with a selection of eggs, danishes (called wienerbrod in Danish), meats, cheeses, fruits, cereals, and juices/coffee/tea.

Cost

I paid 990 kroner (around 180 USD) for a double room in March. Prices can be higher in the summer months. Check their website for specials, including a Tivoli package (the park opens April 13, 2007), an Opera package, and a romance package.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

This time last year, my husband and I were driving from Helsinki to Lahti, Finland for a weekend of winter sports and saunas. The sun was shining but temperatures were in the 20s (-3 to -6 Celsius) during the day and not much different at night. We had a great weekend navigating snow covered, frozen lakes on nordic skis, walking our dog through snowy forest trails, and taking saunas at night to stay warm. This year, Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Oslo are seeing sunny days, spring-like temperatures in the 40s and 50s, and the snow is virtually gone from the landscape.

Weather is a huge topic of conversation in these parts, mostly because it is so cold for most of the year, and it is incredibly dark for a good three or four months per year. I noticed last year, and I am noticing this year, that when the weather breaks people come out of their shells a bit. Their moods seem lighter, they seem slightly less dour, and people spend more time outside basking in the sunlight. When spring finally descended upon us last year I thought they were making a big deal out of nothing, but this year I totally get it! Four months of darkness was more than enough. While it didn’t snow as much this year as last year, I welcome the warmer temperatures, which melt the ice that stubbornly cling to the sidewalks and parks until normally mid-April, making a walk to the store a treacherous undertaking.

This morning at the dog park I was talking with a fellow dog owner about the wonderful weather we’ve been having. He predicted that winter will try to rear its ugly head one last time, because that’s what always happens whenever spring tries to arrive in March. Last year I spent the mid-April Easter weekend skiing in Lahti, enjoying the sun and the snow. Let’s hope this Easter morning that when I invite friends for brunch, it will be warm enough for us to sit in my glass enclosed balcony with the sun streaming in the windows, listening to the birds sing.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Don’t expect perfect strangers in Finland to be talkative or effusive. In customer service situations, whether in a store, restaurant, or office, there are certain rules most Finns follow when interacting with customers, who are essentially strangers with whom a Finn needs to engage. There are exceptions to every rule, but in my experience the generalizations I make below apply to most customer service interactions in Finland.

.If you are in a Finnish store or an office and you are looking for information, you should know the right question to ask to get the answer you need. Open ended questions generally don’t work so you need to be specific. For example, I once asked a travel agent if she had a phone number of another branch office. She responded “yes.” Full stop. She didn’t volunteer the phone number. I had to ask her if she would please give me the phone number. While this example is extreme and most people are much more helpful than that travel agent, I think it demonstrates a mentality that people in customer service situations can be very literal. People will not freely volunteer information. When I am trying to get an answer to something, I’ve taken to asking, “is there anything else I need to know to get this done/make this work?” Finns don’t view their attitude as being unhelpful, they view it as not interfering or being bossy, so don’t take it personally.

Another obvious difference is that the clerk who is helping you probably won’t make any small talk. If you attempt to engage him /her in a conversation about the weather, whether or not they are having a nice day, or any other seemingly harmless subject, chances are you will make the person very uncomfortable. They’ll likely shoot you a look that I reserve for crazy people.

A benefit of dealing with Finns in customer service situations is that they are generally honest when they are selling you something. They won’t try to talk you into buying a more expensive model of something if it seems to be frivolous, nor will they try to sell you a bunch of unnecessary add-ons to a product or service. Unlike certain stores or restaurants in the US, people don’t jump on you as soon as you walk into a store or interrupt you mid conversation during a meal to ask you if you need anything else.. Sometimes Finnish customer service can be frustrating, but sometimes I welcome their low key approach because it can be unhurried and relaxed.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Every year, the Economist publishes its’ Big Mac index. The philosophy behind the index is that the price of a Big Mac is an equalizer representing the purchasing power of different currencies, including those in Scandinavia. The Economist researched the price of a Big Mac in 46 different countries and compared those prices to the price of a Big Mac in the US.

Not surprisingly, the Icelandic kroner is the most overvalued currency based on this index, which is 131 percent overvalued when compared to the US dollar. The most undervalued currency in the list is the Chinese yuan, at 56% below the dollar. Other Scandinavian countries faired slightly better than Norway, but all of them are overvalued compared to the dollar using this index. In second place out of 46 countries is the Norwegian kroner, at 106% above. Currencies in Denmark and Sweden were slightly less overvalued, at 50% and 43%, respectively. The euro zone amounted to being only 19% overvalued while newer European Union members like Poland and Estonia came in at 29% and 23% undervalued when compared to the US dollar.

What does this mean for the traveler? According to this measuring stick, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland are the more expensive travel destinations in the world. Be prepared for sticker shock for everything from a cup of coffee, to an Icelandic wool sweater, and everything in between. But, you only live once, and seeing the northern lights, staying at the Swedish Icehotel in the Arctic Circle, riding Icelandic horses in Iceland, taking a sauna where they were in invented, and traveling through the majestic fjords of Norway are such unique experiences, so spending a little bit of extra money to do these things is worth it, in my humble opinion.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Finns are affluent people due to their well developed economy, strong welfare state that virtually prevents the development of an underclass, and excellent education and health care systems. Even with all of this affluence, my opinion is that shopping behavior and consumer spending patterns are different from those in North America. As an American who has lived in Finland for 18 months, I believe that there are fewer opportunities and temptations to spend money in Finland.

Why? It is hard to say for sure. One simplistic reason is that shops are not open very long so you have less time to spend your money. Most shops are open Mon. – Fri. from 10:00 to 6 or 7pm, Sat. from 10-3, and closed on Sunday. This includes grocery stores. During the summer and before Christmas, stores have “Sunday hours,” meaning they open from maybe noon until 6pm.

While there are shopping malls and multinational chain stores, I think there are fewer than in other Western capitals. Finland has a few “big box” stores like IKEA, Bauhaus (hardware chain), and ONOFF (electronics) located in one or two areas outside the city, so it is less convenient to stop by regularly. People usually travel there to get something specific. Also, Finland lacks stores like Target or Wal-Mart, catch all retailers selling a million different things, where it is easy to walk in for some batteries and walk out with $50 of stuff you didn’t even know you wanted or needed before it enticed you with its low price and perceived usefulness.

The larger baby stores in Helsinki pale in comparison to Babies R Us (American chain) in terms of selection, attractiveness of the store, and price variation. While there are sales in Finland, they don’t occur often and my impression is that merchandise does not turn over quickly. Maybe people don’t buy so much may be because many apartments and homes tend to be smaller than those in the US, making it hard to store the 48 rolls of toilet paper you got at a great price from a bulk warehouse.

It is not that people don’t consume or have nice things – look at all of the nice cars driving around Helsinki, the trips to warm weather resorts during the long, bleak winter, or the cell phones glued to the ears of teenagers. It’s just that consumerism is low key and there aren’t flashing neon signs, sale circulars in the newspaper, coupons in the mail, and round the clock shopping opportunities tempting you to buy that bread machine, foot massager, or other item that seemed like a great time saver/life enhancer but eventually sits unused in a closet, collecting dust and creating so much clutter it prompts you to give it away four years later during a fit of organization and streamlined living. But, sometimes you just want to go to a store on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 and have such a wide selection that you stand there, studying the features on different variations of the same product for twenty minutes before heading to the checkout, finding the store club card, and rubbing the coupon with a coin to see if your discount will be 5%, 10%, or 20%.

It’s a cultural difference.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

During my travels and my time living abroad, I try to keep in mind that certain things I take for granted as “normal” are really the result of my cultural upbringing and the accepted norms of the society in which I was raised. Thus, some of the things that strike me as “odd” when I travel or deal with people from other cultures have to be viewed in that context, so if I find something odd from an American prism or point of reference it is possible that it is considered completely normal in another culture.

I have been living in Helsinki, Finland for 18 months and something that I find to be odd, unsettling, and difficult to get used to is the Finnish concept of personal space in public places. On many occasions when I am walking down a busy Helsinki sidewalk in what I consider to be a fairly quick gait, people come up behind me, getting so close to me that I sense their presence and I react by turning around to see who is there and why. They usually don’t see me turn around and as soon as there is room to pass me, the do so. I feel they have invaded my personal space. If I were to pause for even a second, they would collide with me, since there is only 5 inches of space between us. My uncomfortable surprise does not even register with the offending Finn. They don’t look at the situation the same way and they don’t see the look of alarm or irritation on my face. They are merely doing what they need to do to pass me on a busy sidewalk.

The first few times this happened I became angry because I felt the person was rude to me for no reason. Then I noticed this happening often and that these people don’t appear to be exhibiting aggressiveness toward me or others whom they are passing, I came to the conclusion that they aren’t being rude to me. Their behavior is a norm in their society. When I’ve brought this up with Finnish friends, especially those who have traveled to Western Europe or the US, they acknowledge this behavior. They usually say that Finland has traditionally been a rural society and that people aren’t used to dealing with crowds. Or, they’ll tell me that Finns are straightforward when they want something or more trusting of their compatriots, so this behavior is not seen in a negative light.

Whatever the reason, I’ll accept it as a cultural difference instead of a personal affront. But, I’ll admit that I still have a hard time not becoming even slightly irritated when this happens now. No one’s perfect.

For more on this topic, see the Cultural Differences: Consumerism or Cultural Differences: Customer Service blog. Or, read about cultural differences others have experienced or share your own stories in our discussion.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Yesterday was a beautiful day for skiing in Lahti – six inches of fresh powder, no wind, and no real crowds. I was able to go to the top of the 120 meter ski jumping tower, affording me awesome views of the city, the snow covered forests, and the frozen Bay of Lahti. Not only did I take in the natural beauty, but standing at the top of the tower, above the ski jumper’s starting point, was amazing and gave me a real appreciation for the nerves of steel that the ski jumpers, lean, athletic looking aliens in their helmets and brightly colored spandex suits, must possess.

Only groups can go into the ski jump tower, but there are lots of other things to do in Lahti (see this week’s article), like downhill skiing, horseback riding, and snowmobiling. In Lahti, you can stay in a cabin in the woods on the cross country ski slopes, so all you have to do is wake up, have a hearty breakfast, and ski out your back door to start your day of skiing. Or, there are smaller cabins with kitchenettes close to the downhill slopes and ski rental center.

If you are visiting Helsinki and want to do a bit of skiing in the Finnish countryside, Lahti is a convenient choice. It is only an 1.5 hours from Helsinki, accessible by car and train. Now that the snow has arrived in Northern Europe, everyone is outside, taking advantage of the great weather and some of the best of what the Nordic countries have to offer – nature and winter sports.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Regular readers will be familiar with my…comments…musings…complaining?…on the unusually mild winter weather and dreary grey skies. Well, all of that has changed. Last week, the temperatures have dipped below the freezing mark in Helsinki and snow has been falling almost every day. Stockholm, Oslo, and most of the Swedish/Norwegian/Finnish peninsula are experiencing the same thing. Excited children have dug out their plastic disks and sleds to take to the hills of Helsinki parks. Hard-core cyclists have changed their tires from regular to snow tires, complete with chains. Everyone is sporting their snow boots and their warmest winter coats. Finally, conditions are ripe for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and other winter activities.

Besides being able to enjoy the winter wonderland outside, people crave a white covering of snow on the ground to brighten up the world around them, literally. As of January 26, it still stays dark until 8:45 in the morning and the sun sets around 4:00. We have about7.5 hours of real daylight. The days are getting longer by less than five minutes per day, so that means it will be another 3 weeks or so before we get another hour of daylight. Any bit of brightening helps a lot.

The topic of conversation lately has been whether or not the Baltic Sea will become cold enough to completely freeze. Normally, by this time of year, the sea is totally frozen and people are strolling across the sea to the islands surrounding Helsinki, or cross country skiing on the perfectly flat, snowy surface a frozen sea offers. I have even heard of people driving their cars on the frozen sea in winters past. There are a few precarious ice blocks floating on the sea, but by watching the pigeons stand on these little floating ice disks, it doesn’t appear that they could support the weight of any heavier life forms.

Growing up in the northeastern corner of the US, I used to dream of tropical beach vacations during the cold, dreary months of January and February. I never thought I’d rejoice over blustery winter weather, but I guess I’ve been living in Northern Europe long enough to change my tune. Bring on the snow!

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Exhibits at the Nordic Travel Fair (Matka) 2007, held at Helsinki’s Fair Centre (Messukesus), were broken into the geographic categories of Southern Finland; East, Central, and Western Finland; Lapland, American, Asia, Africa, and Australia; and Europe. Some of the more interesting booths featured a woman wearing a country-western outfit to promote a country-western themed inn in Southern Finland (who knew that is popular enough to spawn an inn in Finland?); reindeer sausage samples at a booth in the Lapland section; an espresso bar in Italy’s booth, with a group of Italians striking a bella figura sipping espresso and chatting with colleagues; and free henna tattoos, courtesy of the Tunisian Tourist Board. Even Iran was there, promoting itself as a tourism destination.

All in all, it was a great opportunity to get information about places I've always wanted to visit and I've never heard of to inspire my travels in 2007.

Here are a few interesting facts about tourism in Finland, according to Matka 2007 press releases:

• Finnish states and municipalities spent 261 million euros in promoting the travel industry in 2004
• A third of the Helsinki travel marketing budget goes to marketing Helsinki as a travel destination among foreign audiences
• According to the Association of Finnish Travel Agents (SMAL), Spain continues to be the number one destination for package deal foreign vacations among Finns. Thailand and India are growing in popularity as package travel destinations.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

We are entering the third month of impossibly grey skies, above freezing temperatures, a complete absence of snow, and unyielding rain in Scandinavia. The sky has been a homely shade of slate grey day after day unlike any I have ever seen anywhere else. For those of us who have not had an opportunity to take a trip outside of the region since late October, we’ve seen maybe ten days of blue sky. No exaggeration. The grey weather is affecting everyone to some degree. It is topic number one in most conversations, which usually start something like “I’ve never experienced a winter in Finland as warm as this in my entire life,” “This weather has been incredible,” “I can’t believe we haven’t had snow yet,” or “I guess global warming is really happening NOW.” Whatever it is, it has inspired me to write this little ditty to extricate my feelings about the weather. Writing the poem has helped me to feel better in the moment, but the weather forecast tells me when I roll over tomorrow morning at 7:00, with the sky as dark as night, the sun will rise above the clouds around 8:50, but the sky will still be the color of grey mush all day.

Where is the snow?

Where did you go?

I’m sitting here in Helsinki

Curled up with my binky

Watching the rain drip down the windows

Seeing people fight to walk forward as the wind blows

Outside, it is slushy and icy

Traversing the sidewalks can be dicey

My skis are in the closet

Lonely and unused, with no waxy deposit

How many more months of this must we take?

I can only hope the weather will soon break

Then I’ll see the clear, blue sky

Even it is cold and dry

I’ll put on my multiple layers and warm boots

To soak up the sun and get back to my roots

Maybe experience a proper Nordic winter

Instead of this awkward, miserable, seasonal splinter.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

If there are two things Sweden is famous for around the world, it has to be ABBA and the Vikings. So why aren’t there any museums in Stockholm dedicated to these world famous Swedish exports? Well, that is about to change…in the future.

Organizers of the planned ABBA Museum say that they will open their museum in Stockholm in 2008. The museum will feature costumes, instruments, and handwritten song lyrics. Until then, ABBA fans visiting Stockholm will have to satiate their desire for more ABBA at the ABBA permanent exhibition in Stockholm’s Music Museum (Musikmuseet). This exhibition also features costumes, instruments, and other ABBA memorabilia. The Music Museum is located at Nybroplan behind the Royal Dramatic Theatre at Sibyllegatan 2.

It is believed that the Vikings sailed from Sweden to Britain, Ireland, Russia, Turkey, and North America. They have been romanticized throughout time and there are many myths about their lifestyle and their exploits. The planned Viking Museum in Stockholm will examine those myths and compare them to the realities of Viking life. According to the Local, Sweden’s English language newspaper, organizers are probably four years away from getting any funding for the museum. The Viking Museum is expected to draw more tourists to Stockholm, the capital of their homeland.

See Museums in Stockholm, Stockholm's Maritime Museums, Stockholm's Royal Palace, Shopping in Downtown Stockholm, and Stockholm Dining Recommendations for information on other attractions and things to do in Stockholm.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Iceland Air is offering inexpensive fares and package travels deals from the US to Iceland this winter. Departures to Reykjavik, Iceland from Boston, New York, and Orlando start at $342 in January. Fares from US cities to Oslo start at $360, from US cities to Copenhagen and Stockholm from $370. Tickets at these prices are non-refundable and require a Saturday night stay. In the spring, Icelandair will begin offering flights to Bergen, Norway – starting point for visiting the fjords – and Gothenberg, Sweden.

If you book by January 14, Icelandair is offering a Valentine’s Day package from New York, Boston, and Orlando starting at $723 per person for two nights based on double occupancy (extra nights available for $49). The package includes airfare, a double room, breakfast, airport transfers, dinner and drinks at an Icelandic restaurant, and a trip to the Blue Lagoon (Iceland’s man made, outdoor steam bath). You can purchase add on activities like snowmobiling, hiking, dry suit snorkeling, visiting Iceland’s geysers, aerial tours of Iceland’s natural wonders, 4x4 off roading on glaciers and lava fields, or spa packages at the Blue Lagoon spa.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Swedish, like Norwegian and Danish, is a Germanic language, so many Aglophones will recognize some words they see and hear in Sweden. Besides Sweden, Swedish is also spoken in Finland, particularly in western Finland and the Aland Islands, since Finland was part of Sweden from 1259 - 1809. Here are some key English to Swedish phrases to help you make your way around Sweden, whether you are in Stockholm, the Arctic Circle, or anywhere in between.

GREETINGS and CONVERSATION

English - Swedish

• Hello - Hej (said like the English “hey”)
• Goodbye – Adjö/Hej då
• Yes - Ja
• No – Nej
• Please – Snålla/Vånligen
• Thank you – Tack
• You’re welcome – Det är bra/Vänligen
• Excuse me/sorry – Ursäkta mig/Förlåt
• Do you speak English? – Talar du engleska?
• What’s your name? –Vad heter du?
• My name is… - Jag heter…

SHOPPING and SERVICES

English - Swedish

• bank - bank
• chemist/pharmacy – aptotek
• market - marknaden
• newsagent – pappers handel
• tourist office – turistinformation
• hotel – hotel
• breakfast - frukost

TRANSPORTATION

English – Swedish

• airport - flygplats
• boat – bådten
• bus (city) – stadsbussen
• bus (intercity) – landsortsbussen
• car – bil
• bicycle - cykel
• bus stop – busshållplats
• train – tåget
• train station – tågstation
• tram – spårvagnen
• one way ticket – en enkelbiljett
• return ticket – en returbijlett
• timetable - tidtabell

EMERGENCIES

English - Swedish

• Help! – Hjälp!
• Call a doctor! – Ring efter doktor!
• Call the police – Ring polisen!
• Go away! – Försvinn!

SIGNS

English – Swedish

• Entrance - Ingång
• Exit - Utgång
• Open – Öppet
• Closed - Stängt
• Prohibited - Förbjudet
• Toilets – Toalett
• Men’s Toilet - Herrar
• Women – Damer
• Rooms Available – Lediga Rum
• No Vacancies - Fullt

For seafood and fish translations, visit the Nordic Fish Guide. For basic phrases in other Nordic languages, see the Norwegian, Danish, or Finnish language cheat sheets. Go to the Swedish Language Upgrade to learn newly created Swedish words.

English to Swedish translations taken from Lonely Planet Scandinavia, 7th Edition, February 2005 and Lexin Swedish English Online Dictionary.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Danish, like Swedish and Norwegian, is a Germanic language. While there are similarities to written Swedish and Norwegian, Danes are known for having a guttural accent, making it difficult even for other Scandinavians to understand them when they speak. The Danish to English phrases below will at least help you be understood by others and give you the basics to read signs and get around the country, whether you are in Copenhagen, Arhus, or any other corner of Denmark.

GREETINGS and CONVERSATION

English - Danish

• Hello - Hallo/Hej
• Goodbye - Farvel
• Yes - Ja
• No – Nej
• Please – Må jeg bede
• Thank you – Tak
• You’re welcome – Selv tak
• Excuse me/sorry – Undskyld
• Do you speak English? – Taler de engelsk?
• What’s your name? – Hvad hedder du?
• My name is… - Mit navn er…

SHOPPING and SERVICES

English - Danish

• bank - en bank
• chemist/pharmacy – et aptotek
• newsagent – en aviskiosk
• tourist office - turistinformationen

TRANSPORTATION

English – Danish

• airport - lufthavn
• boat – båden
• bus (city) – bussen
• bus (intercity) – rutebilen
• car – bil
• bicycle - cykel
• bus stop – bus holdeplads
• train – toget
• train station – jernbanestation (banegård)
• tram – sporvognen
• tram stop – sporvogn holdepads
• one way ticket – en enkelbillet
• return ticket – en tur-retur billet
• timetable - køreplan

EMERGENCIES

English - Danish

• Help! – Hjælp!
• Call a doctor! – Ring efter en læge!
• Call the police – Ring efter politiet!
• Go away! – Forsvind!

SIGNS

English - Danish

• Entrance - Indgang
• Exit - Udgang
• Open – ?ben
• Closed - Lukket
• Prohibited - Forbudt
• Toilets – Toiletter
• Men’s Toilet - Herrer
• Women - Damer

For seafood and fish translations, visit the Nordic Fish Guide. For basic phrases in other Nordic languages, see the Norwegian, Swedish, or Finnish language cheat sheets.

English to Danish translations taken from Lonely Planet Scandinavia, 7th Edition, February 2005 and www.freedict.com/onldict/dan.html.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

The Finnish language is one of Europe’s most difficult languages to learn, since it is not related to any other European language family. Finnish is part of the Finno-Ugric language family, of which Estonian and Hungarian are the only other members. There are relatively few cognates between Finnish and English, so unlike Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, German, or any of the Latin-based languages, English speaking visitors to Finland will recognize almost nothing when they look at signs or brochures.

Don’t despair, Finns recognize that their language is extremely difficult and the majority of them speak English quite well. But, a few basic Finnish phrases go a long way to reading street signs and greasing the skids a bit on your next trip to Finland. A couple of pronunciation tips: pronounce each letter separately – Finnish is pronounced as it appears on paper. The letter j is pronounced as the letter y in English.

GREETINGS and CONVERSATION

English - Finnish

• Hello - Hei, Moi
• Goodbye -Hei Hei, Moi Moi
• Yes - Ja/Kylla
• No - Ei
• Thank you (very much) – Kiitos (paljon)
• You’re welcome - Ole hyvä
• Excuse me – Anteeksi
• I’m sorry – Olen pahoillani.
• Do you speak English? – Puhutteko englantia?
• What’s your name? – Mikä sinun nimi on?
• My name is… - Minun nimeni on…

SHOPPING and SERVICES

English - Finnish

• bank - pankki
• chemist/pharmacy - apteekki
• newsagent - kioski
• market – tori
• covered market – kauppatori

TRANSPORTATION

English - Finnish

• airport - lentoasema
• boat/ferry – vene/lautta
• bus – bussi
• bus station – linja-autoasema
• station - asema
• train - juna
• tram - raitiovaunu
• ticket - lippu
• one way ticket - yhdensuuntainen
• return ticket – menopaluu (lippu)
• timetable - aikataulu

EMERGENCIES

English - Finnish

• Help! – Apua!
• Call a doctor! - Kutsu lääkäari!
• Call the police – Kutsu polisii!
• Go away! – Meme pois!

SIGNS

English - Finnish

• Entrance - sisään
• Exit - ulos
• Open – avoinna/auki
• Closed - suljettu
• Prohibited - kielletty
• Telephone - Puhelin
• Toilets – WC/yleinen käymälä
• Men's Toilet - Miestenhuone
• Women - Naiset
• Sauna - Sauna

For seafood and fish translations, visit the Nordic Fish Guide. For basic phrases in other Nordic languages, see the Danish, Swedish, or Norwegian Cheat Sheet.

English to Finnish translations taken from Lonely Planet Finland, 4th Edition, April 2003 and the Berlitz Finnish – English Dictionary, Revised Edition, 1981.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Weather reports in Europe these days abound with news about how this autumn is the warmest autumn in hundreds of years. The United Nations' World Meteorological Organization says that temperatures across Europe are up to five degrees warmer than normal. Northern Europe is included in this warming trend. Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland are having an unseasonably warm autumn. It has been raining a lot, with temperatures hovering in the 40s F (between 5 – 10 Celsius), which is quite warm this time of year for the Nordic countries. Even in the northernmost reaches of Scandinavia, like Swedish and Finnish Lapland and Tromso, Norway, there is no snow in the forecast or on the ground, with only rain predicted in the near future! Very unusual, indeed. Not so good for Nordic skiing, but perfect for taking a sauna, in my opinion. Scandinavians and Finns of all stripes have been griping about the grey skies that have been blanketing the region for about two months, which only compounds the darkness that comes with the incredibly short days this time of year.

How to pack for the unpredictable weather this winter on your next trip to Northern Europe? Check the weather forecast before you leave, but don’t be married to it. Northern European weather can change dramatically even in the course of one day, so bring a range of cold weather and lighter weight clothing with you. Of course, don’t forget an umbrella, raincoat, and shoes that can withstand water!

The official start of winter is on December 22, but I hope that the cold, clear days of Nordic winter come soon to chase away the dreary grey skies of our damp, dreary autumn.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

While most Norwegians in urban and tourist areas speak English, it is always helpful and courteous to be able to speak a few words in Norwegian. At a minimum, I always try to learn how to say hello and thank you wherever I go, no matter how difficult or obscure the language might be. Print this cheat sheet and put it in your travel bag on your next trip to Norway. It is less bulky than your guidebook and you never know when it might come in handy.

Norwegian belongs to the North (Scandinavian) group of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is closely related to Swedish and Danish. In Norway, there are two official languages: Bokmål and Nynorsk. This cheat sheet is for Bokmål, since this is the Norwegian which most travelers will encounter.

GREETINGS and CONVERSATION

English - Norwegian (pronunciation)

• Hello - Goddog
• Goodbye - Ha det
• Yes - Ja (yah)
• No - Nei
• Please -Vær så snill (Vahr saw snill)
• That’s fine/You’re welcome - Ingen årsak
• Excuse me/Sorry - Unnskyld
• Do you speak English? - Snakker du engelsk?
• What’s your name? - Hva heter du?
• My name is…- Jeg heter…

SHOPPING and SERVICES

English - Norwegian

• bank - banken
• chemist/pharmacy - apotek
• newsagent - kiosk
• market - torget

TRANSPORTATION

English - Norwegian

• boat - båten
• ferry terminal - ferjeleiet
• city bus - bussen
• intercity bus - linjebussen
• bus stop - bussholdenplass
• train - toget
• train station - jernbanestasjon
• tram - trikken
• tram stop - trikkholdenplass
• one way ticket - enkeltbillett
• return ticket - tur-retur
• timetable - ruteplan

EMERGENCIES

English - Norwegian

• Help! - Hjelp!
• Call a doctor! - Ring en lege!
• Call the police! - Ring politiet!
• Go away! - Forsvinn!
• I’m lost. - Jeg jar gått meg vill.

SIGNS

English - Norwegian

• Entrance - Inngang
• Exit - Utgang
• Open - Opiö
• Closed - Stengt
• Prohibited - Forbudt
• Information - Opplysninger
• Police Station - Politistasjon
• Toilets -Toaletter
• Men - Herrer
• Women - Damer

For seafood menu translations, visit the Nordic Fish Guide. For basic phrases in other Nordic languages, visit the Danish or Finnish language cheat sheets.

English to Norwegian translations taken from Lonely Planet Scandinavia, 7th Edition.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Shopping in Stockholm’s Gamla Stan (Old Town) is a mix of clothing (high end and mid priced), jewelry, art, antiques, souvenirs, and history. Kilgren on Västerlånggatan (one of Gamla Stan’s principal streets) sells fur trimmed, hand knit Nordic sweaters for a pretty kroner (Swedish money). There are numerous souvenir shops dotting the pedestrian only streets of Gamla Stan. Brightly painted wooden horses, hand carved wooden bowls and utensils; hairy little troll dolls; Christmas decorations; stuffed reindeer and moose toys; and wool clothes (caps, stockings, mittens) are popular items. Pick up a Viking helmet or forged iron sword (those with a bit less of Viking zeal can get a letter opener modeled on a Viking sword) at one of the many shops specializing in Viking-inspired souvenirs. Browse antique china, gleaming copper pots, and lovingly restored furniture at the antique store on the corner of Storkyrksbringen and Prestgatan. There are a handful of galleries along Västerlånggatan selling watercolor paintings of Stockholm and the Swedish countryside. The Catwalk boutique(Västerlånggatan 23) has an eclectic collection of jewelry and gemstones for men and women. When you need a break, drop into one of Gamla Stan’s cozy cafes or restaurants to linger over a coffee, a pastry, or lunch.

Upon leaving Gamla Stan from the north, cross over Helgeandsholmen to reach the pedestrian area of Norrmalm, where cafes and international retail chains are mixed with eclectic local stores. Drottninggatan is the main pedestrian street. During the warmer months, you might see musicians or magicians entertaining the crowds. You’ll find the Danish footwear store Ecco; clothing stores Zara, BikBok, and the Adidas Concept Store; locally made leather coats, pants, and bags at Skinn Kompaniet; and Swedish design store Designtorget, among many others. The main square, Sergels Torg, is home to an outdoor market selling everything from spices, to Nordic sweaters, to second hand knick knacks. Near the pedestrian district is the Galleria, offering shopping opportunities at 80 stores in climate controlled comfort.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

While in Stockholm, Sweden recently, I found a couple of great restaurants that I would like to share with you. I am recommending them based on taste, freshness of ingredients, atmosphere, service, location, and price.

Drotninggatan 6 is a moderately expensive, centrally located Italian restaurant and bar in Gamla Stan. I wasn’t sure what type of Italian food I’d get in a Nordic country, but I was pleasantly surprised. The service was a bit slow but the food was quite good. The menu has a wide selection of appetizers, pizzas, and pastas, along with Swedish meatballs, what with this being Sweden. The pizza crust was crispy but not too thin and the salami tasted like good quality Italian salami. The pasta with whitefish was cooked al dente and was enjoyed by my dining companions. Pizzas are about $10-$13 USD equivalent, entrees are more, up to about $20 USD. The atmosphere is upscale casual, with white tablecloths and candelabras on the tables. There is a sizeable bar area to go for a drink or to wait for a table. Address (obviously): Drotninggatan 6.

Murens Café in Stockholm's Gamla Stan is a casual, cozy spot for lunch, with candelabras on the tables, brick walls, and wooden tables. It is self service. The day I ate there the handwritten menu consisted of wrap sandwiches, salads, vegetable soup, baked potato, lasagna, and a sweet tooth inducing selection of pastries. I ordered the roast beef salad for lunch, which had crisp lettuce, fresh vegetables, and roast beef that was still red in the center, just how I like it. The apple cinnamon torte was a wonderful combination of tart apples, buttery pastry dough, and a dash of cinnamon sugar. The rich, frothy hot chocolate, served in tall glasses, was to die for. The entire bill for one (salad, drink, apple torte, hot chocolate) was equivalent to about $15USD. Address: Västerlänggatan 19.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Ferries are a popular way to travel to and from destinations in Northern Europe. The word “ferry” is a bit of a misnomer because many of the larger ferries are akin to cruise ships – with restaurants, nightclubs, saunas, oodles of duty free shopping, buffets featuring a smorgasboard of Scandinavian cuisine, and cabins ranging from spartan to deluxe.

The ferries offer something for everyone. For families, ferries are a relatively inexpensive way to travel en masse in the Nordic region with your car. Elderly couples like the opportunity to show of their couple dancing skills to 50s and 60s pop songs translated into Finnish and Swedish. Shoppers enjoy stocking up on duty free design products, high end makeup, and perfume. Partiers love the duty free alcohol, which they consume on board and stock up in the duty free shop to take home. Some of the ferries are known informally as “party boats,” but I think that reputation is a bit overblown. Ferries present an opportunity for travelers to mix with people from Nordic countries (particularly if you are into watching people sing 70s and 80s Finnish or Swedish karaoke in the ship’s pub).

The biggest boats sail the high seas all year round. The smaller, fast ferries, like the ones that run from Helsinki, Finland to Tallinn, Estonia in one hour and 40 minutes, only run when the Baltic is ice-free. Beware that ferries can be cancelled any time of year due to high wind or inclement weather. The Silja Line and Blue1 airlines have flight and cruise packages from a handful of central European cities to Stockholm, Sweden or Helsinki. Some lines, like Tallink and Silja, offer discounted cruise and hotel packages. Prices vary on the route, the time of year, the day of the week, and the length of your stay (for round trip tickets). Some of the ferries sail overnight so you arrive at your destination in the morning. Travel times depend on the destination. For example, trip between Helsinki or Stockholm, or between Copenhagen and Oslo, takes 16 hours. For more information on the ferry travel experience, read my Baltic ferry trip report.

The following companies run ferries between popular Northern European destinations:

• DFDS Tor Line: Oslo/Copenhagen; Copenhagen/Gothenburg, Sweden/Immingham, England; Gothenburg/Ghent; Copenhagen/St. Petersburg, Russia
• Tallink: Helsinki/Tallinn, Estonia; St. Petersburg/Tallinn
• Silja Line: Helsinki/Aland Islands/Stockholm; Stockholm/Riga, Latvia; Rockstock, Germany/Helsinki
• Viking Line: Helsinki/Tallinn; Helsinki/Aland Islands/Stockholm; Turku/Aland Islands/Stockholm
• Superfast Ferries: Rockstock/Hanko/Helsinki, Finland
• Polferries: Gdansk, Poland/Nynäshamn, Sweden; Swinoujscie, Poland/Copenhagen
• Nordic Jet: Helsinki/Tallinn.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Ahjo in the Klaus K. The Klaus K hotel is Helsinki’s newest design hotel, fusing elements of nature with minimalist, modern design. Ahjo is Klaus K’s bar and nightclub. The decor in the first room is stark white, while the second room is decorated in dark tones and plush, cozy couches. Ahjo serves a mean gin and tonic. Ilmatar, the Klaus K restaurant next door, is the place to go for upscale Finnish cuisine. Address: Bulevardi 2.

Teatteri. Teatteri is a restaurant, bar, and nightclub on Helsinki's Esplanad. The restaurant serves average quality (but expensive) pan-European food and it has an extensive wine list. The bar has an elegant feel, with long, raised tables and modern looking couches to gather with friends. Prime time in the bar is from 5:00 – 8:00pm. The nightclub, open until 4:00am on Friday and Saturday nights, is a popular place to see Helsinki’s beautiful people. I like the cosmopolitans at Teatteri. Address: Pohjoisesplanadi 2.

Mecca. Mecca is another elegant pan-European restaurant with a popular bar and club. Enjoy a glass of chilled alcoholic cider here and mix with an international crowd. Address: Korkeavuorenkatu 34.

Arctic Ice Bar. The temperature is kept at -5 degrees Celsius all year round, so visitors are given a warm cape and gloves to wear upon entry. The bar is literally made of ice. A perfect place for vodka shots. Enter through La Bodega Spanish restaurant, or through the Unique Club after 10:00pm from Wednesday to Sunday. Address: Yliopistonkatu 5.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Christmas and New Year. Things grid to a halt at the end of December, when people hunker down at their homes or countryside cottages with family and friends. A few stores will be open the morning of December 24 but they’ll close in the early afternoon. They will remain closed through December 26 and some smaller stores may stay closed until after the New Year. Public transportation in major cities is suspended on December 24 and 25 or it may run on a reduced schedule. In Helsinki, some hotels close from December 24-26. Museums might be closed during this week, so check with the museums you want to visit for a schedule of dates and times they will be open this time of year.

Finnish Independence Day – December 6. Finland will celebrate its’ 89th year of independence from Russia on December 6. Virtually all public establishments will be closed. In Helsinki there will be a parade on Mannerheimintie, one of the main thoroughfares. If you can stand the cold weather, wait in the square in front of the Tuomiokirkko (Lutheran Cathedral) to hear speeches by President Tarja Halonen and other dignitaries. The Men’s Choir normally performs, too. Television stations broadcast the Finnish glitterati entering the annual Presidential Palace gala. Houses all over Finland place candles in windows.

Santa Lucia – December 13. Santa Lucia is a festival of light celebrated during the darkest time of the year. Girls traditionally don wreaths of lingonberry twigs on their heads, carry candles, and sing songs to Santa Lucia. Since it is not a bank holiday, most places won’t close.

All Saint’s Day – November 4. Finland and Sweden celebrate All Saints’ Day, a public holiday that falls on Saturday November 4 this year. Virtually all public establishments will be closed. When it gets dark, Finns and Swedes go to cemeteries where their loved ones are buried. They place candles on graves to honor the memory of the deceased. The cemeteries, packed but hushed, glow with the light of hundreds of candles. The best place to catch a glimpse of this tradition in Stockholm is at the Skogskyrkogården cemetery in the south of town. In Helsinki, go to the huge Lappinlahti cemetery.

While many things close, one of the high points of traveling this time of year is visiting Northern European holiday markets and festivals. See these articles for information on holiday events in Oslo, Helsinki, and Copenhagen this November and December.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Silvio Berlosconi, the former Italian Prime Minister, once famously said that "after English food, Finnish food is the worst in Europe." Needless to say, his comment riled many Finns. When I first arrived in Finland, I will admit that was disappointed by the lack of fresh, flavorful vegetables, the high price and low quality of many restaurants, and the lack of herbs and spices in the cuisine. After living here for more than a year, I have come to appreciate Finnish food and I have learned what types of foods are best to eat. The most important thing is to know what to expect so that you can adjust your expectations accordingly and experience the best of Finnish cuisine.

Mushrooms. Finnish cuisine uses a lot of mushrooms because they are plentiful. A popular autumn activity is to go mushroom picking in the countryside. I recommend that you go with someone who has done it many times before, so that your first taste of Finnish mushrooms doesn't make you sick, or worse! Chanterelles are particularly good.

Berries. Before moving to Finland, I didn’t like berries but I have since become a berry convert. Finland has dozens of varieties. I must have seen at least ten varieties of strawberries for sale in Helsinki’s Market Square this summer. Lingonberries, cloudberries, and blueberries are popular. Lingonberries are often served on top of salmon or with reindeer stew. The grocery store in Stockmann’s sells cloudberry jam, a rarity in North America and a great souvenir if you have foodie friends. Spring and summer are the seasons for berries.

Potatoes. Finnish potatoes remind me of new potatoes. The best potatoes are available in the spring. Their flavor is earthy, fresh, and delicate. They are often boiled and served with dill and a dash of salt.

Herring. They eat herring hundreds of ways here – boiled, picked, marinated, fried…If you want herring prepared the authentic way, go to Salve or the Sea Horse Restaurant, once a favorite of Marshall Mannerheim, the father of modern Finland.

Reindeer. You will most often see it served as a steak or in a stew, sort of like shepherd’s pie, with mashed potatoes. It is a tradition from the Sami people of Lapland, in northern Finland. Ravintola Lappi serves a nice dish of reindeer stew.

Soups. Most restaurants and cafes serve good soups. My favorites are split pea soup with ham (usually served in restaurants on Thursdays) and salmon soup.

See Helsinki Dining Guide: Finnish/Russian, Helsinki Dining Guide: International Cuisine, or Helsinki's Best Outdoor Cafes for my dining recommendations. Or, share your thoughts on Finnish cuisine.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Finnair flight attendants and Finnair management came to an agreement on the evening of 20 October to end a strike. According to published reports in Finland, new Finnair flight attendants will get the same pay as existing Finnair flight attendants.

The Finnair flights will immediately resume according to their normal schedule.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Finnair flight attendants went on strike Thursday 19 October, grounding the majority of its international and domestic flights. As of Friday October 20, there are no direct flights to the US or to Asia. They will be operating some codeshare flights and limited flights to other European destinations. If the strike continues over the weekend of 21-22 October, slightly less than one third of the domestic and inter-European flights will continue and all long hall flights from Helsinki, Finland to the US and Asia will not run.

The strike is coming at a particularly bad time. As the current European Union (EU) presidency country, Finland is hosting a meeting in Lahti, Finland this week with the EU heads of state, Russian President Vladmir Putin, and large press and government contingents. According to Finnair Director of Corporate Communications Usko Määttä, Finnair is losing approximately $2.5 million euros per day.

Finnair is calling the strike “illegal.” News outlets in Finland are reporting that the flight attendants are striking in response to new hiring practices. Finnair recently hired Estonian flight attendants through its Estonian subsidiary and is paying them thirty percent less than existing flight attendants' salaries.

For the latest information on which flights Finnair will operate go to the updated flight list on the Finnair website. However, I would recommend calling Finnair or your local Finnair travel office (if you have one) to confirm that your flight has not been cancelled before heading to the airport.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Christmas in Northern Europe is like six week long holiday, starting in mid November and lasting until New Year’s Day. Cities bring out their festive street decorations, open Christmas markets, hold Christmas concerts, and sell Christmas food. Stores hold Christmas sales. It is a reason to party, for young and old alike, during the dark days of winter.

The Nordic capitals of Stockholm, Reykjavik, Copenhagen, Helsinki, and Oslo roll out the red carpet in preparation for Christmas. The cities are brimming with Christmas markets, one of my favorite Christmastime pursuits in the region. Stroll down Helsinki’s “Joulukatu” (Alexander Street, or Alexanderinkatu, becomes “Christmas Street” In December) to gaze at the Christmas window displays. Stop the Women’s Christmas Fair in the Vanha Satama hall for locally made Finnish handicrafts. Drive 45 minutes east to Porvoo for their their old fashioned Christmas market and outdoor holiday displays. Munch on freshly baked Swedish gingerbread while listening to Christmas carolers walking through Stockholm’s Gamla Stan (Old Town). Stay warm with a glass of hot glögg in Copenhagen’s Tivoli Park while admiring the holiday lights, or go to Grey Hall for an “alternative” Christmas market in the hippie enclave of Copenhagen’s Christiania. Or, just eat like a king at a traditional Christmas smorgasbord at an Icelandic restaurant.

Finns, Swedes, Norwegians, and Danes lay stake to the claim that the real Santa Claus lives in the Lapland region (sometimes called Sami land after the nomadic Sami people who still live there) of respective countries. Lapland stretches across the northern tips of Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The Danes believe that Santa actually lives in Greenland, while Icelanders tell stories about thirteen elves who come down from the mountains to make mischief.

Regardless of what you “believe,” there is fun to be had in each country, whether you are celebrating Swedish, Norwegian, or Danish jul, Finnish joulu, or Icelandic jól.

Check back over the next few weeks as I feature Christmas events, celebrations, and fun things to do in the Northern European countries this November and December.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

The number one thing most people from the US and southern Europe say, when they find out I’m living in Helsinki, Finland, is “wow, is it really dark there?” I normally respond that it really depends upon the time of year.

In November, December, and early January, Helsinki has as little as 6 hours of daylight. But, we don’t have high noon sunlight. The sun hovers above the horizon, like it is 10:00 in the morning all day. Then, around 3:15pm, the sun dips below the horizon and night falls until 9:15am, when the sun barely makes its way above the horizon again.

November and December are often filled with cloudy, grey days. That is, until it snows. The ground is covered by a powdery white blanket, giving your eyes and the world around you the feeling of more light. Natural rhythms seem to slow down a bit but people try to not let the darkness limit their activities. Christmas celebrations are quite festive, probably to make up for the lack of sunlight. Most Scandinavian and Finnish cities have excellent street lights. Even cross country skiing trails are lit. Many people have full UV spectrum “happy lights” in their homes or offices.

In contrast, June and July bring eighteen hours of daylight. Night never really comes. The sun rises at 3:30am and sets around 11:30pm. Nighttime is a soft, steel blue dusk. June 21, the longest day of the year, is a huge party in the Nordic countries, with people heading to their summer cottages to build bonfires, drink beer, and enjoy nature. Thick light blocking curtains are essential to get any sleep. Last summer, the natural rhythms of my body fell in tune with the natural rhythms of the sun. I found myself staying up until one in the morning all summer.

The changes in light become more pronounced as you travel north. The Arctic Circle has twenty four hours of nighttime in the winter and a two month long day in the summer. “Normal” light, or 8-11 hours of daylight, returns to the region from February through October.

Traveling during the depths of winter and the peak of summer in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland lets visitors experience the extremes that are so prevalent in this region.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Has terrorism affected your attitude towards overseas travel? Most people are concerned about the possibility of terrorist attacks in popular European destinations like Paris, London, Rome, or Madrid, but the coutries of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland haven't been immune to threats. The security services in each country are actively monitoring threats and have made arrests in planned terrorist attacks.

Some in Denmark are worried about being a terrorist target because of the cartoons appearing in the largest Danish newspaper earlier this year poking fun at religion, including Islam. The Norweigan police recently arrested men inOdense, Denmark for allegedly making bombs and planning terorist attacks. Last month, an Oslo man was arrested for firing shots into Oslo's only synagogue and there have been threats against the American and Israeli ambassadors to Norway. According to an October 1 Helsingin Sanomat article,Finland is the only Nordic country without an ongoing terrorist investigation, but it is monitoring people via wiretaps.

In spite of these threats, tourism is thriving. The US State Department's website reports the number of passports issued has increased by 15% from 2004 to 2005, with over 10 million passports being issued last fiscal year. The growing popularity of Baltic cruises bring more visitors to Northern Europe each year. Most people I talk to say that threats of terrorism have not dissuaded them from traveling to Europe. Statistically, of course, most people have a greater chance of dying in a car accident than in a terrorist attack.

There are no absolute right answers. The best thing to do is to just live your life, do what feels right for you, and always be aware of your surroundings. That advice, though, has always been sound, even before September 11, 2001.

What's your opinion? Take our poll and let us know.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

The liquids ban was in place during my flight from Helsinki, Finland to Frankfurt to Washington, DC on September 27, in response to the recently discovered terrorist plot to blow up airliners over the Atlantic. After checking my luggage in Helsinki I went through the normal security checkpoint before going to the gate. When I arrived in Frankfurt, I went through two separate security checkpoints before boarding my flight to DC. When someone behind me asked why we were going through two security checkpoints, the screener replied that the first security checkpoint screened according to European standards, while the second security checkpoint was screening according to the tighter US standards.

As I stood in line with my fellow passengers, the screener told us to throw away any liquids, creams, or lotions. Someone behind me asked if their packets of marmalade and Nutella were allowed on the plane. The answer was no, so they pitched their packets in the big plastic trash bins near the x-ray machines. Before leaving I had taken time to sort my toiletries and makeup that I usually pack in my carry on luggage, in case my checked bags don’t arrive on time at my destination. Recent reports show that the rate of mishandled or lost luggage increased by 25% in August after the liquids ban went into effect. I stood in line, thinking I had nothing to worry about. I had remembered to put my liquid foundation, face soap, hair gel, and even my saline solution in my checked bag.

After I my bag and I went through the x-ray machines, a screener opened my bag and made a beeline for my makeup case, throwing away two jars of concealer, two tubes of mascara, and some lip gloss. I watched her pitch $100 of makeup while kicking myself for not packing my entire makeup case in my checked luggage.

The extra time in takes to go through tighter security and my lost makeup are only minor, unimportant inconveniences in the name of (hopefully) safety. I must say that throwing away marmelade and makeup seems ridiculous and I hope that these checks are not a disctraction from actually detecting terrorist threats to airliners. I walked to the gate while hearing a TV in the background turned to CNN, blaring the news of the growing death toll from the latest terrorist insurgent attack on soldiers and civilians in Iraq. As I boarded the plane, I wondered if things will ever get better.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Autumn officially began just a few days ago, but Finnish Lapland had their first snowfall last week. Being so close to the Arctic Circle, it's not surprising. Luckily, temperatures where I live in Helsinki have been a balmy 17 degrees Celsius, but the wind whipping off the Baltic Sea and the rapidly changing leaves tell me that winter is closing in on the capital.

In the spirit of snow, winter activities, and the Arctic Circle, I am featuring an article on the site this week about winter activities in Finnish Lapland. Suite101's seasoned Eastern Europe/Russia Travel guide, Amanda Kendle, wrote this article after telling me about her amazing experiences in Rovaniemi, Finland, during Christmas.

I hear that fall, winter, and spring are the best times to visit Finnish Lapland. A friend told me a story about getting eaten alive during the summer by the largest mosquitoes he had ever seen, even with bug repellant. A colleague called me from Finnish Lapland two days ago to tell me that she was expecting to see Lapland's celebrated autumn colors, but it snowed instead, so they spent the day playing outside. November and December bring Christmas festivities to Lapland, but daylight never comes. Daytime more like dusk, from what I've been told. Spring brings longer days and there is always lots of snow, perfect for winter activities.

Getting to Finnish Lapland. is not as difficult as you might think. There are plenty of commercial and charter flight options from the UK to Rovaniemi and Ivalo, and direct flights from Helsinki. Or, take the overnight train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi with an option to put your car on board.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Coming to Northern Europe in the month of November won't mean, in most cases, a big turkey dinner and a college football watching marathon on Thursday followed by crazy deals at overcrowded shopping malls on Black Friday. Missing that, though, may not so bad...

Here are some great deals on travel during American Thanksgiving weekend to the Nordic countries:

Reikjavik, Iceland

Icelandair has a package deal to spend the American Thanksgiving weekend in Iceland, complete with a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving day! The package includes the flight from the US to Reikjavik, Iceland on November 22, hotel, transfers between hotel and airport, Thanksgiving dinner buffet on November 22, and a trip to the Blue Lagoon for a hot steam bath outside. The price ranges from $789 for departures from Baltimore/Washington, Boston, and New York; $986 from Minneapolis/St. Paul; and $888 from Orlando. Rates are based on double occupancy but single occupancy is only slightly more. Check the a href="http://www.icelandair.com/home/packages/iceland-packages/lifestyle/price/store65/item36240/" website for more details.

Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm

Check out the package deals with Go Today. They have a three day air and hotel package from $789 to Copenhagen, Denmark and a six day Copenhagen - Stockholm, Sweden air and hotel package for $1169. Prices vary slightly depending on your departure city. Or, visit Oslo and Bergen, Norway for $939 on the Norway by Rail package.

Copenhagen and Greenland

According to Borton Overseas, 99% of their clients over the past six years who took their Artic Adventure tours, which include overnight stays in Greenland, were able to see the aurora borealis during clear weather conditions. Their tours start each year in November. Prices start at $1,674 for six nights in Copenhagen and Greenland. See their website for more details.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Are you planning to travel to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, or Iceland this winter? You probably want to travel light, so you don't want to bring too many bulky clothes but you want to stay warm. What to bring?

It depends on what you will be doing. Are you headed to the Arctic Circle? Bring sturdy boots for walking on the snow and ice, a down filled waterproof jacket, hat, gloves, and scarf. Bring enough long underwear to wear under your clothing every day. For me, that means enough to wear them twice. If you plan on skiing, snowmobiling, or doing other outside activities, you might want to bring waterproof pants, like ones made with Gore Tex.

For visiting the cities of Scandinavia and Finland I would only bring one or two pairs of long underwear for a week of travel, since it can get hot with multiple layers on when you are going in and out of museums, restaurants, bars, and stores. If you will be visiting between December and March, a wool overcoat may not be warm enough for walking around outside, touring cities. I would bring a down jacket, and maybe a wool overcoat, if I could fit it in my suitcase. Gloves, hats, and scarves will come in handy.

Many Nordic cities do not completely clean the snow and ice from the sidewalks, like they do in North America. They usually clear some snow from the sidewalk and put down gravel to prevent the surface from becoming slick. My theory is that because it snows a little bit almost every day in some parts of Scandinavia during the winter, it would be too hard to make the sidewalks bone dry.

Needless to say, the sidewalks eventually become quite slippery, so don't plan on wearing fashionable leather boots to walk around town. Bring warm shoes with sturdy soles that will stabilize you on the ice. What if you plan on going to a performance of the Danish Royal Ballet in Copenhagen, or to the opera in Stockholm? Don't despair, do like the Finns and Scandinavians do when they go somewhere nice: carry your stylish leather shoes in a shopping bag and change into them when you arrive at your destination. There will be a coat check at the door, where you can leave your clunky outdoor boots, bulky overcoat, scarf, hat, gloves...

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

After talking to people from different parts of Europe, I have come to realize that being "Nordic" is a matter of perspective. As an American, I've always thought of Nordic as Swedish, Finnish, or Norwegian, since these countries sort of hang above the rest of the European peninsula on the map. After moving to Finland, I discovered something called "Nordic walking," which is speed walking with what looks like two cross country skiing poles. Cross country skiing is often referred to as "Nordic skiing." Then, there are "Nordic-style" wool sweaters, hats, and socks. But what does Nordic really mean?

When I talk to Estonian and Latvian friends, or read literature from those countries' business promotion and tourist boards, they sometimes refer to themselves as "Nordic." Most Finns and Swedes I know don't consider these former Soviet republics to be Nordic. The Nordic countries, to them, are Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. An informal poll of my American friends came up with the same results. Is calling themselves Nordic just wishful thinking on the part of Estonians and Latvians, in the charge to become more Western and affluent, or are there real similarities with other countries who consider themselves to be Nordic?

There are some similarities between Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Estonia in culture, cuisine, landscape, weather, and some cultural attitudes. As for language Estonian and Finnish are in the same language group, which is different from the language group for Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian. Latvia doesn't really fall into this group.

In my humble opinion, this disagreement on who is Nordic and who is not Nordic is merely semantics. The reality is that Europe is becoming more inclusive as former eastern and Soviet republics join the European Union. The low standard of living and the legacy of the Soviet system is becoming a part of the past as Estonia and Latvia receive more investment from the EU and other Western countries, and individuals benefit from growing economies. So, maybe Estonia and Latvia should think of themselves as Baltic Europeans instead of Nordic Europeans. Then again, do we really need another classification for countries to differentiate themselves?

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

Here are some pointers to help you plan a trip to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, or Finland and to help you make some decisions about the type of trip that best suits you.

Guided Tour or Solo?

The easy part about Scandinavia and Finland for English speakers is that most people in the larger cities (and many people in smaller towns) speak English. Trains are fast and ferries are efficient. Scandinavia is a relatively safe place to travel.

If you plan a self guided trip, you might spend more time planning the trip before you leave and figuring out how to get around when you arrive, but you might also have more opportunities to get off the beaten path and you can set your own schedule. On a package tour, everything is taken care of for you, so it is a very easy way to travel. A compromise might be to take a guided tour of a city or a particular site. All the Nordic capitals have well stocked tourist information offices in central locations, so you can see what is available when you arrive. From mid June through the end of August, Helsinki, Finland has a free tour guide service called City Sherpa, where a local will show you unique highlights of the city, like the best record stores, the best modern art galleries, or other tours focused on your interests.

Guidebooks

I am a fan of Lonely Planet books. Lonely Planet Scandinavia is thorough and has information about out of the way places. Lonely Planet also has detailed individual country guides for Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. Rick Steves Scandinavia has lots of practical information.

Where to Go?

It is impossible to see all of the Nordic countries in a week or two, but here are some ideas for a manageable trip:

- Visit Stockholm, take a ferry to the Aland Islands and Helsinki, Finland, with a day trip to the medieval walled city of Tallinn, Estonia

- Go to Rovaniemi, Finland - home of Santa Claus and Finnish Lapland near the Arctic Circle.

- Rent a car in Oslo, Norway, and drive around fjord country. Don't leave without having some fresh Norwegian salmon.

- Fly to Copenhagen, Denmark, hop a ferry to Sweden, rent a car in Malmö, or take the train from Malmö to Stockholm.

The possibilities are endless...happy trip planning!

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

The Swedish Academy, a 200+ year old cultural institution that votes for the Nobel Prize winners every year, also strives to promote Swedish literature and purity in the Swedish language. They recently released a list of words that are no longer applicable in the modern world, along with new words to better describe aspects of modern life.

Here are some recently debuted words to help you seem hip during your next trip to Sweden:

Stringtrosa = thong underwear

Bonusbarn = kids from the new spouse's previous marriage

Dissa = to diss, from American slang

Slåppfest = release party for a new record, book, etc.

Aktiebubbla = a stock that is not worth its price

Överbelåna = borrowing more money than you can afford

Rånteoro = interest rate concerns

Maxtaxa = maximum rate that can be charged

Plåtpolis = cameras that take a photo of your license plate when you are speeding in a car

Restavfall = remaining garbage that cannot be recycled or composted

Operationsköande = people who are waiting for surgery

Tårtning = throwing a pie in someone's face

Torskkvot = the cod quota you are allowed in one year

Fågelinfluensa = bird flu

Nolltolerans - zero tolerance

Tsunami = tsunami

Sms:a = to send a cell phone text message

Nakenchock - overexposure to or unexpected nakedness in the media

Blogg = blog

Don't say these words in Sweden. They don't exist anymore:

Budoarståmning = boudoir atmosphere

Herdinnedråkt = shepherdess dress

Kuskpojke = coach driver boy

Fejdlysten - fight seeking

Betjåntplats = a servant's job

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

The phone call from the neighbor came right after we finished dinner at the summer cottage in the Finnish countryside. When our host hung up the phone, my husband, our friends, and our host dropped everything and ran outside to see something we've always heard about but had never seen, until that night. As we ran through the darkness, I wondered if it would look like the pictures in my schoolbooks and if it would even be there at all when we got to the right spot. The only audible sounds were our dogs answering the barking of other dogs and the crunching of leaves under our feet as we ran blindly on a path in the woods.

When we reached the top of the hill and saw the glowing green arc across the northern sky, we started incredulously, marveling at our good fortune of being able to see something so unexpected and fleeting. It looked like a neon green plume of supernatural looking smoke, changing shapes, curving its way across the sky. Many Finns I've talked to said that they have seen it only once in their lives, if that. Many visitors come to Scandinavia and Finland, hoping they will see this extra terrestrial phenomenon, but its elusive nature means that you can never guarantee a sighting, even under the most perfect conditions. It stayed for about five minutes, and then slowly dissolved into the ink colored sky punctuated with tiny bright stars. There we were, standing in a Finnish forest, less than 30 kilometers from the Russian border, and we had seen something I had, ironically, ranked less than three days ago in my last blog posting as the number one reason to visit northern Europe in autumn. The aurora borealis, the northern lights! If only I had my camera.

Posted by Lisa Sabol-Sikorski

While France and Italy, with their obvious charms and abundant historical sites, regularly top the list of countries that receive the most tourists, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway offer visitors intriguing, once in a lifetime experiences. Here are my top 8 reasons why you should consider visiting Northern Europe this fall:

8. Great airfare deals: check out Icelandair's shoulder season fares to Reikjavik, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, and Helsinki.

7. Drive along Norway's Atlantic Road to see breathtaking autumn mountain vistas, quaint fishing villages, and crystal clean fjords.

6. See one of the oldest ballet companies in the world, the Danish Royal Ballet, perform Swan Lake in Copenhagen in December in one of the world's most modern opera houses. Or, see the renowned Bolshoi Ballet from Russia perform the same ballet in the same theater in September.

5. Rent a kayak in Stockholm and explore some of the 24,000 islands that make up Stockholm's archipelago.

4. Eat herring about 100 different ways during Helsinki's Herring Festival in October.

3. Catch the heavy metal, latex monster mask wearing, Kiss/Poison throwback sounding, Finnish 2006 Eurovision contest winners Lordi live in concert in Sweden or Norway this September.

2. Where else in Europe can you experience 18 hours of darkness each day in November and December, besides Scandinavia, Iceland, and Finland?

1. More hours of darkness = more opportunities to see the aurora borealis light up the northern sky on clear, cold autumn nights.