"sipping from mugs of hot, spicy glogi (mulled wine), and biting into joulutorttu (jam-filled puff pastries shaped like catherine wheels). A cold front had brought abundant snow and inhaling was rather painful at -8C, but nothing could still the tremble of excitement. Along with my husband and two young daughters, I was here to take the Santa Claus Express to the northern city of Rovaniemi, the heart of Finnish Lapland and the official home of Father Christmas."
"Inaugurated in 1919, the edifice of the majestic art nouveau station swept over us as our footsteps echoed beneath its arches, the ceiling hung with neoclassical chandeliers. Our train was almost 20 minutes late and the anticipation was palpable as passengers shifted from one fur-trimmed boot to the other, a mass of parkas and puffer jackets milling around."
A family visited Helsinki's Tuomaan Markkinat, enjoying glogi and joulutorttu amid heavy snow and -8C air. The family planned to take the Santa Claus Express sleeper train to Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland, the official home of Father Christmas. The Santa Claus Express operates as a regular commuter train for most of the year and becomes Finnish Railways' flagship sleeper service from late November. Helsinki central station, inaugurated in 1919, features majestic art nouveau architecture and neoclassical chandeliers. The train arrived at 7.45pm, reversing into the station and easing fears of cancellations or long weather delays.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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