A bizarre experience at the Arctic Circle

I have just arrived at the Arctic Circle north of Rovaniemi and found myself in a bizarre environment to say the least. Crossing the line into the arctic region, I found myself in an entire village dedicated to Santa Claus. Yes, you read that right – a whole village! And we're not just talking about a few decorations here and there, but the whole place breathed Christmas, from elves and elves to reindeer and Christmas presents. It felt surreal to experience this, especially in early September with 22 degrees and sunshine.

After exploring the Christmas village and checking out Santa's post office (which, by the way, receives letters from children all over the world year-round), I decided to find a quieter place to settle down for the night.

Fortunately, I found a small campsite by a river, and it was truly something special. When I drove into the area it was completely empty - not a human being as far as the eye could see. I almost began to wonder if I had gone wrong or if I was the only one there. It was quiet and peaceful, just what I needed after the strange Santa Village experience. But what really put the icing on the cake was the welcome I received. Not from any camping host, but from a reindeer! Yes, a reindeer appeared out of nowhere and greeted me like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I called the number on a sign but no one answered. After an hour, an old man appeared who was not very talkative but still said "Well...it was you who called". So in the end I had to stand with the motorhome at the edge of the river, surrounded by beautiful nature, with a reindeer as my only company. After a while, however, some campers arrived with tents and the reindeer moved on, maybe he had escaped from Santa's land?

The evening ended with a magical view of the river.

The stillness of nature after today's Christmas chaos was a contrast that I will carry with me for a long time.

If you ever think about visiting this part of the world, do it! And maybe, just maybe, you too will have an experience as odd and wonderful as I did.