We spent two days in Rovaniemi, walking around the city and doing a long walk into the nearby hills. It was a strange city, hardly alluring yet it had its own kind of atmosphere. Whilst it is a large city by Finnish standards – population 60,000 – in the centre the streets were strangely deserted with only a few pedestrians. 

To our great surprise, we passed an Indian Restuarant – and went inside – and the food was absolutely authentically Indian. Being vegetarians, we didn’t try the restuarant’s star item – Reindeer Curry. The proprietor hailed from Kolkata and he told us that his favourite season was winter. A strange preference perhaps for a man used to heat.  

We didn’t visit the Paha Kurki Rockhouse but I could appreciate its claim to fame…..