Our first glimpse of Lapland just like in Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin Stevens.

At first,the cold isnt immediate....

Ivalo Airport

Now,we are feeling the temperature..minus eleven

Inside the arrival area is a single baggage reclaim with our first Christmas tree

We arrive at the village of Saariselka and go straight to collect our snow suits and boots etc.

Our hotel is spread out over several buildings..it is only 2 30pm but it is already dark!!

Before we attend our welcome meeting,we both have mooch about

It is beginning to snow as we will see later

The white streaks are snowflakes caught by the camera flash

Reindeer albeit decorative ones

Messing about as one does!

Our Hotel main reception

Lets go in then

Our welcoming girl instructs us upstairs

Our first trip out is on a snow mobile

Looking the part

Our Snow mobile,but it is snowing now so thats why there are white streaks everywhere

What she really looked like

Snow mobiles arent the easiest creatures to drive/ride as I was to find out..here we stop for a welcome warmup in a teepee

The snow is lashing it down

Back at base now

Our hotel complex