Having gotten a taste for all things snow, today was the day Kyles was knocking another thing off her bucket list and learning to ski.
After smashing the freebie brekkie again, we headed up the mountain/hill/hump to the Saariselka Ski & Snow Resort.
One thing about Finland, everyone that works here, albeit not Finnish, are absolutely lovely, and happy. Pretty sure I would be too if i lived and worked in a magic snow globe.
We once again kitted up, hiring boots, skis and helmets ready for our noon lesson. The awesome Heather from Birmingham, while helping us sort what was what, let it slip that last night, while we were snoring our heads off, Saariselka had one of the most impressive northern lights displays – no hunting required. They could be seen as clear as day from very ski hill where we stood, 5 minutes from our Inn. Far out brussel sprout is the PG reaction.
With half hour to burn before our lesson, we heel and toed it to the cafe next door, I forgot how damn awkward it was to walk in ski boots, and that after 5 minutes your feet feel completely numb!
Both full of nerves at the impending doom, for once, we decided that gin was not the answer, just coffee – caffeine and warmth.
Luckily for us, since we didn’t book in advance we got our own personal ski instructor, Danny from New Zealand. Another awesome human being who for 90 minutes helped us shoop shoop shoop down the slopes.
Having skied three times before, although not in over 10 years, I still needed a lesson too. Turning out the left ski to turn right still doesn’t make sense in the blonde head of mine.
For a complete newbie to skiing, Kyles absolutely killed it. In a good way. For the whole 90 minute lesson, only fell over once! But there was the fencing incident…
Overall, absolute superstar! Never seen a first time skier stay upright while top speed down a slope and come off the winner with the rope lift. She was legen… wait for it… dary! Legendary!
I managed to make it through some wobbles and to the end of the lesson without any going arse up… the reward, a nice cold beer and sweet potato fries in the half time break.
After not seeing each other for 6 months, I love that we can still spend an hour and a half sitting in a cafe laughing til our stomachs hurt and talking crap about everything and anything… while still somehow pondering our existential existence. We go between crying tears of laughter at lame jokes like these:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/new-dad-jokes
To talking about the meaning of life – to live every moment, do things that scare the crap out of you and to never for a moment forget that we are blessed to live the life we lead. Sounds like a fridge magnet.
Round two and it was time to tackle the slope without Danny as our guiding light. Once again, superstars. 2022 Winter Olympics here we come! Maybe not but kinda proud I made it down the main slope without stacking it, although at snails pace…
As the slopes cleared we thought it was time for a break and headed back to the cafe for more courage. I mean beer. After resting our battered bodies, we decided to retire gold medal winners. Too bad the last bus to town had already left. No wonder the slopes were quiet!
After hiking back to town and indulging in more delicious Rudolph burgers and loki, we finally got around to a pub crawl around Saariselka. And then for some reason thought it was a grand idea to hunt for auroras again. Made sense at the time! We hiked up the tobogan hill but alas, the clouds hid the lights and Eileen was no where to be seen.
More vids and pics to come!!
Saturday 5th January 2019.
Holly vs the world 