City: Tampere
Country: Finland
61°30′N 23°46′E

Tampere is the second largest urban area in Finland, after Helsinki, and is the most populous inland city within the Nordic countries. Widely known for its industrial past, Tampere has been dubbed “Manchester of Finland” or “Manse”, for short. It is my wife’s hometown so it has become a big part of my life over the years.

The idea of a ‘White Christmas’ is not something that Sydney-siders tend to get excited about. I love my sunny Christmas days, but if I'm going to be spending Christmas in the cold, I want lots of snow! In recent years though, snow is no longer guaranteed during this time of year in Finland. That is a real shame because it is spectacular and fits perfectly with all of the traditional pastimes.

During this holiday we also took a roadtrip to the Asikkala area. I was lucky enough to experience staying at the family cottage during the beautiful wintertime. It is a real contrast to our previous visits in warmer months.

It is a different kind of wonderful at this time of year. Standing in the middle of the Finnish woodlands is peaceful at most times, but with the addition of a thick cover of snow and the animals either on holidays or hibernating, there is a deafening silence that I had not known of. I found it to be awe-inspiring and at the same time a little eerie. It was literally the quietest New Years Eve I have ever had.