Jeff C.
Yelp
Hey, who doesn't love Santa?! Not so long ago in a distant land of ice and snow, far, far away, I went in search of the Jolly Old Elf, and my quest brought me to the Arctic Circle. Yes, I had a bone to pick with the Big Guy about some matter of a Red Ryder BB Gun that was promised but never delivered to a little boy who was extra special good that year. "Hey, Santa, FYI, a Radio Flyer Wagon is not the same thing."
Well, of course, I found him hanging out in Finland's Santa Claus Village which is a megalopolis of everything Christmas. Let me just say that to get the full effect of Santa Claus Village, you must visit during the winter. Snow and ice cling to each and every building like frosting on a cake, and the Arctic Twilight bathes the grounds in a magical glow that reminds you of what it was like to be young. It is just like you are in one of those Thomas Kinkade paintings.
Oh, and there is Big Time Xmas shopping here. Everything from hand carved Christmas decorations to the Kuksa, a Lapland wooden drinking cup, which is a must purchase. Tradition holds that the first beverage imbibed from this cup should be whiskey which was why I bought two. Yup, the stores at Santa Claus Village have everything from reindeer antler bottle openers to Dasher and Dancer's pelts fashioned into some pretty sweet throw rugs (sorry kiddies and PETA). And speaking of reindeer, there is plenty of delicious Rudolph just waiting for you in the cafeteria. It is lightly seasoned and comes spooned out on the plate in a loose meat sort of juicy goodness. It is the perfect way in which to take out some retribution, for say such crimes as not getting that prized Christmas Gift. "Yeah, that's right, Fat Man, I still Haven't forgotten."
So after filling up on a double plate of Rudolph or one of his equally delicious cousins, I made my way to the Big Guy. I moved through a sea of red clad carolers whose songs filled the whole complex with angelic harmony. Children slid down slides and through tunnels fashioned out of ice, and I immediately wished that I was a toddler again so that I could slid like a penguin (yeah, I know that they are found in the South Pole..just go with it). Tearing myself from this Currier and Ives winter seen, I finally spied the object of my quest, Santa.
There he was holding court with a throng of eager children patently waiting their turn to tell Santa their most fervent Christmas wish. How many potential Red Ryder dreams were about to be dashed I wondered. I started to move but found myself frozen, for the magic of Santa Claus Village had overcome my desire for Christmas justice. The music, laughing children, the warm inviting shops, and yes the yummy reindeer, had all made me realize that I was in arguably the best place in the world to enjoy Christmas. Santa Claus Village should be on every traveler's list, for it will help the most hardened Grinch recapture the magic of his/her youth. It will make you believe again....Oh, and as for my Red Ryder BB Gun, well unlike the movie, I never did get it, but then, I probably would have shot my eye out anyway ..