NoNames Xmas Vacation (A Little Bit Of Everywhere)

[NoName]

Day 9 – Continued……………..





By now it was around 7ish and it was nearly time for one of the big events of the season which is held every 23December – Santa Is On His Way. Set up on a stage right outside Santa’s office, this is a kind of show where the Elves come out to entertain the crowd with songs and dancing before Santa also comes out to say a few words. He then farewells the crowd and takes off on his journey around the world. This was a really enjoyable hour or so with the big crowd in high spirits and the performers doing an excellent job. The only negative for me was the behaviour of a very small number of people in the crowd who insisted on pushing into every space to try to get closer to the front and not even caring who’s view they block. By the end I had had enough and when one of them went to step right infront of NoName Jnr I put my hand out and pushed them back to where they came. That didn’t take away from the performance which was excellent and I would thoroughly recommend seeing it if ever around for it.



One of Santa’s Elves warming up the crowd!

Off he goes!

Yeah, it’s cold!



With Santa now officially on his journey around the world, it was time for us to call it a night. We walked back through the village to our cabin, got comfortable out of the extremely cold weather and into bed for some sleep.

 

[NoName]

Just a quick note - if the videos happen to be blurry try opening them on YouTube itself. Should be much clearer.

 

[NoName]

Day 10





Woke up and began the task of putting on four layers of clothing to ensure we could survive the double digit below zero temperatures outside. Yes, survive. We still froze. Walked up to the village reception area which housed their restaurant – Three Elves. Breakfast was include with our room and again this was a big plus. Another buffet with similar offerings to what we had elsewhere. I had a couple of plates of bacon, hashbrowns etc with a couple of donuts thrown in for good measure. It was enough to fill the stomach for the day.






Today we were going to spend our time participating in a few of the different activities around the village. First up was some snowmobile riding, for NoName Jnr anyway. Mrs NoName & I could have done it as well but we were happy enough to let him ride around by himself on the kids sized snow mobiles. These were smaller and were speed restricted so as to be same for children to drive with no assistance. From memory the cost was €26 and for that you got a suit and helmet to wear, some instruction on how to drive and then about 20 minutes driving around a reasonable sized circular course. It was loads of fun for the kids and also for us on the sidelines watching ad laughing as they all drove around. NoName Jnr kind of went off course a couple of times and even somehow managed to crash into a tree. No damage to the vehicle or him thankfully which probably gives an idea of how fast they actually go.

We walked around the village taking in more of the scenery.




Amazing sunsets at 1pm

 

[NoName]

Day 10 – Continued……………..




Next up we decided to have a reindeer sleigh ride. This was as the name suggests – jump in a sleigh and a reindeer runs around a course dragging you behind it. The activity was set up just behind our accommodation and was a fenced area with a course through the woods. There were maybe 10 different reindeer and the staff rotated the after a few rides as they got tired. We were asked to hop into a sleigh however the reindeer attached didn’t have any antlers so Mrs NoName asked for another one. Apparently not as photogenic. We got a more attractive animal, hopped in and around we went. The reindeer started off pretty fast and it was quite thrilling but by about half way it was spent. It walked the last part back to the start. The ride took maybe 2 minutes which I have to say was on the rip off side given they charged €15. Anyway, it was an experience I suppose.

We got to pat and feed the reindeer




There were a couple of fires set up next to the activity as well as a kind of tent also with a fire inside. They did very little to help with the cold but better than nothing.




These sunsets!

 

[NoName]

Day 10 – Continued……………





For the final activity of the day we went to visit Mrs Claus. Same sort of set up as Santa’s Office but on a smaller scale. Obviously this isn’t as popular as seeing the big man himself however it was still very good. Paid a small fee to enter (Maybe €5 each from memory) and joined the line. It took maybe half an hour to reach the front. We entered a room with Mrs Clause sitting on a chair knitting – stereotypical grandmotherly type. We took a seat next to her and had a photo taken followed by chatting with her for a while. At one point she asked NoName Jnr if he had anything he would like to ask her? “Why don’t you and Santa live together?” Random question which we laughed at but she answered brilliantly! “We do live together. This is just where I work. Just like your mum and dad probably don’t work at the same place, either do Santa & I”. This typified why it was so well done. To be able to immediately answer a question like that was amazing I thought!






Santa’s better half!



After a bit of a rest back in our room we ventured back outside for dinner. Mrs NoName had booked the Three Elves restaurant (same venue as breakfast) as it was easy and appeared reasonable value. Most tables (including ours) are located inside, however they also have a couple of “glass igloos” where guests can dine outside and enjoy the sights of the village. Food was pretty good without being spectacular – soup to begin for Mrs NoName, burger for NoName Jnr and a steak for each of the two adults for the main. We also had a bottle of Syrah to wash it down with. We would likely come here again in a similar situation.






After a couple of drinks in the adjacent lounge we put the jackets back on and braved the outside weather while walking back to the room. We were pretty well done at this point so it was into the warmth and into bed.

 

[NoName]

Day 11




Xmas day! And what a place to be spending it! At Santa’s home in Lapland! We got up and did the whole present thing for NoName Jnr. He was lucky enough to have a few small things from Santa as well as a note explaining that he had also visited our home in Brisbane and had left some more stuff there. That was good enough him! Out for a late breakfast around 9:30 which was simply a repeat of the previous day then we went to check out one of the activities that had drawn our attention – Snowman World. This place is an indoor and outdoor venue with a few different activities such as an ice maze, tubing hill, ice restaurant and bar as well as a bunch of different ice sculptures. The maze and tubing hill are outside while the restaurant and bar are inside and accessible through a series of passages with walls and ceiling made of ice. We paid the entry fee of €24/adult + €17/child and went in. Entry was for the whole day and they gave a wristband so you could come and go.




Restaurant and bar area. Some of the seats and tables were all made from ice which I thought was pretty cool.

Tubing was probably the highlight. We grabbed a tube each and walked to the top to join the line. Lots of fun.




Mrs NoName joining in!

The cold began to take its toll so we took off for a quick lunch before spending some time relaxing in the hotel lounge area.

 

[snabbu]

Amazing trip report NoName, what an adventure. Would have to be one of the most amazing family vacations ever. Will be hard to top next christmas!

 

[NoName]

Amazing trip report NoName, what an adventure. Would have to be one of the amazing family vacations ever. Will be hard to top next christmas!

Haha yes it certainly will be. Lunch at home in Brisbane won’t be the same!

 

[NoName]

Day 11 – Continued…………….





We were also hanging around the lounge area because this was the pickup spot for our afternoon activity – a husky mushing experience. We booked this through Viator for a total cost of $689 for the 3 of us. This was a big of a joke but all operators of similar tours were pricing around this amount so unfortunately not a lot we could do here. The tour operator was Parpalandia and one of their staff picked us up in a mini van for the 45 minute drive north to where their dog kennel was located. At some point we turned off the highway and drove about 5 minutes through some woods to the final destination. We hopped out and amazingly it was even colder than what we had so far experienced. -18c. Wow!

They took us inside where we met another tour group and were given another layer of heavy duty jackets and pants to put on as well as some better gloves. Then it was back outside to meet the dogs.

The staff gave us instructions on how to operate the sled which basically consisted of using the break to ensure we didn’t get too close to the sled in front and leaning into the turns to make sure the sled didn’t flip over. Pretty simply. The three of us were all on the one sled – Mrs NoName and NoName Jnr sitting down together with a blanket over them with me on the back driving. Then off we went down a trail through the woods. The dogs knew what to do and were very enthusiastic about pulling us along.

About 20 minutes later we reached a large clearing which was the halfway point. Dogs went around the outside and then it was time to head back to the starting point. By this stage the wind chill from speeding along had taken its toll. I couldn’t say what the “feels like” temperature was (well into the minus 20s I would think) but my face, fingers, toes etc all had zero feeling. I have never felt so cold and uncomfortable in my life and to be honest I was keen for the ride to be over. It was still fun to have the rush of riding along in the sled but I was keen to be somewhere warmer.

Soon enough we were back where we began and off the sleds. We gave the dogs a pat, had a couple more photos with them and then we were inside around a fire to have a couple of reindeer sausages and a kind of warm blueberry juice.



The f&b offering was pretty poor IMO. I know the main appeal of the tour is the husky experience but this part was advertised as well. When we were done we climbed back into the mini van and 45 minutes later we were back at Santa Claus village. Excellent door to door service. Overall I would say the activity itself was great. It was lots of fun meeting the dogs, seeing how excited they were and it was a real thrill and a rush being on the sled. In terms of value though I would say it was overpriced. Again though, that is probably largely down to it being in an expensive country to begin with.

 

[NoName]

Day 11 – Continued………





Went back to snowman world by myself while the other two went back to the room. I wanted to have a few more goes down the tube hill. Yes, I loved it that much. Had 5 or 6 rides down and that was enough.

Snowman World!!

Now It was time for our xmas dinner. Mrs NoName had booked the Nova Skyland Restaurant which is the restaurant in the hotel of the same name.



At this time there was a specific xmas menu which offered the choice of mains as well as salad and dessert buffets. Cost was approx. €60 for adults with children being approx. €30. Children receive a smaller size main which is the reason for the price difference.



Salad buffet had a good variety of options


Steak for main for myself and NoName Jnr. This was very good.



Mrs NoName went for the fish. While it was quite good she was jealous of the steak.




The dessert buffet was also quite good with options like cakes, ice cream, mouse, fruit salad etc. Certainly enough to satisfy.


With all this being eaten we of course had to wash it down with something:



Santa even came in for a drink after his arduous journey around the world!


This was an excellent choice for our xmas dinner and we would definitely return if we are ever there again. The venue was lovely, staff friendly and food tasty. Really couldn’t have asked for more.
The time was now getting later and Mrs NoName was keen to get back to our room and into bed. However, I wanted to see if we were able to see any aurora activity. The previous nights had been very cloudy so viewing wasn’t an option. Tonight, the conditions were only marginally better but given it was our last night and chances of activity were reasonable, I thought I would try my luck. Staff and other visitors had mentioned that in the woods across the road from the village away from all the artificial light was a good spot to potentially see something so NoName Jnr and I went to take a look. We walked down a path maybe 1km into the woods away from everything but sadly there was still enough cloud cover to make it impossible to see anything. I know people go on tours and spend hours outside in the night in the hope of seeing the lights but it wasn’t something we had our hearts set on so we chose not to do that and weren’t overly disappointed. Perhaps next time.

We trudged back through the snow, back over the road and through the village to our room. Time to pack up the suitcases before calling it a night.

 

[NoName]

Day 12





Last day in Rovaniemi and we took a pretty relaxed approach. Got up and finished packing the suitcases before making our way to breakfast at 9:30 for the tail end of the service. Again, good offerings and filled our stomachs well. Checked out and asked that our bags be held until the afternoon. When we booked the hotel had asked us to advise them a few days prior to arrival of our flight details so they could provide airport pick up/drop off. When Mrs NoName did this they replied that we weren’t eligible. Obviously we weren’t happy given they had gone back on what they had already offered so at the time of check out she spoke to them about it. Turned out it was still provided but not for what we had booked. Still, they agreed to honour the offer and we were able to organise complimentary transport to the airport for 4pm. Nice!

Next we thought we should have a look around the actual town of Rovaniemi so we went to the bus stop next to the village and jumped on one of the regular buses. Ten minutes later and we were off in the centre of town and walking around. The place is pretty small but there were plenty of shops and restaurants on offer. Obviously it is driven by tourism though so needs to have these things. Geographically the main part of town is probably 500m square so it doesn’t take long to see what is on offer. We walked down the main mall to take a look.






In quite a coincidence one of Mrs NoName’s relatives had just arrived in Rovaniemi so we met them at a café for a quick late lunch. Amazing the places you can bump into friends and family!

We continued to walk down towards the river. Frozen over (as you’d expect) but evidently not enough to be able to walk on. There were signs warning against this. By now we had seen enough so decided to hop back on the bus back to Santa Claus Village. What to make of the town of Rovaniemi? It was nice enough but I don’t think I would stay in the town itself. The reason for coming here is Santa Claus which means that your time is going to be spent largely in the village or at the nearby Santa Park which is a Santa Claus theme park close by. While accommodation is cheaper in the town (but still expensive) I think for a family trip like this it is worth spending the extra money to stay where we did.

We arrived back to the village, grabbed one last hot chocolate in the lounge area, relaxed for a little and then it was time to leave. Into the shuttle bus and a few minutes later we were at the airport.



Quick process to check our bags in, through security and the wait for boarding began. Plane delayed 30 minutes, no big deal. Soon enough though boarding did come and after waiting for them to get to group 4 we went and found out seats.



RVN-HEL
AY536
A321
20D, 20E, 20F



Another pretty stock standard flight. Up in the air pretty quicky (albeit after our half hour delay) for the 1.5hr flight to Helsinki. FA’s came through with the now familiar routine seeing if anyone wanted to pay for anything. We had gone through a few snacks from the convenience shop at the airport so the answer was no. Stuck to the complimentary berry cordial. Descent seemed to begin not long after we got up and then in the blink of an eye we were touching down at HEL.



Same routine as a few days ago – waited for our bags at the carousel and of course they seemed to take forever then made the short, quick walk to the Hilton Helsinki Airport. Our booking was identical to the previous stay – King Guest Room – with the price being virtually the same as well at approx. $210. Straight up to the room, minimal unpacking since we were leaving the next day and into bed.

 

[NoName]

Day 13






If this were surfing, day 13 would have been called a lay day. We had debated whether to take public transport into Helsinki and have a look around but after waking up late we decided to call off that idea. We were a bit tired and given the time it would take to get there before having to return to be at the check in desks by about 2:30pm, we thought just chilling at the hotel for a few hours wasn’t the worst idea in the world. Some would call this a wasted day but as it turned out it was just what we needed. We got up, did the minimal packing and went down with the bags to the breakfast buffet. Same as the other day, very good. Lots of options and not regretting at all the small add-on cost of having this on our booking.

We now had a bit over 3hrs before needing to go drop our bags so decided to have a little walk around. Just aimless wandering really but we ended up going back over to the terminal and going to look for the train station. Found it easily enough and after very briefly considering going for a ride we walked back the way we came. Spent the next couple of hours just sitting in the hotel lobby bar recharging the batteries.

2:30pm came and it was time to go. Grabbed the bags and made the walk back to the terminal. Again, the AY self check in terminals were a breeze, as was the security check and a few minutes later we were sitting by the gate with a couple of chicken wraps awaiting the next flight to FRA.

Interesting food items for sale:




HEL-FRA
AY1415
A319
9A, 9B, 9C


Somehow ended up with row 9 which was unexpected. We’d been shunted to the back on earlier AY flights so being just behind J was a welcome change. We climbed on to be confronted with a couple sitting in our seats. Seems they had been moved as the woman had some kind of injury which stopped her being able to sit in the emergency exit row 10. We took the seats but of course knew that NoName Jnr would not be allowed to sit there either. Eventually an FA noticed and yes we will have to move again. They asked us to swap with the people behind in row 11. Being moved twice, each time further towards the rear was not something I was happy about so I suggested that instead of moving 3 groups of people (original inhabitants of rows 9, 10 & 11), why not leave us in row 9 and only move the other two groups. Thought this was pretty obvious but apparently required some the FAs to confer. Eventually they agreed and we were back where we originally were.



So that was about as eventful as it got. We took off for the 2.75hr journey to FRA. Again, food offered for purchase and again we said no. We’d already had enough to eat by virtue of the overpriced chicken wraps pre-boarding so we were happy to go without. Played a few games with NoName Jnr on the ipad to pass the time, twiddled the thumbs a bit and then we were landing at FRA T2.

Off, grabbed the bags and then tried to work out how to navigate the maze of FRA to get to our hotel for the evening. The task wasn’t made any easier with some renovations going on but with some perseverance we managed to find our way. Up an elevator, through a hallway, up another elevator, onto the train to T1, off the train, down an elevator, through the check in area, up another elevator, across the overpass to the shopping area, through the shopping area, up a final elevator and into the lobby. We made it to Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt Airport. Again, this was booked purely for the convenience of being close by for our flight the next morning. Price was reasonable at approx. $250 for a queen room with sofa bed. Up to the room which was neat and tidy. Reasonable size without being huge but essentially all that we needed for our brief stay. Got NoName Jnr into bed nice and quickly after which it was our turn as well. It was around 8 by now and having to be back at the terminal around 5:30 the next morning meant we were keen to get whatever rest we could.

 

[NoName]

Day 14







The day to depart Europe was here but not quite the time to return to Australia. We were going to be taking an 8hr ride to North America. First stop New York City!



Alarm went off at 5 which was far too early but unfortunately there was no choice. Didn’t bother paying for breakfast here as we were going to be lounging so just got ready, did the quick packup and went to check out. Took the same walk back to T1 and found the SQ desks. We got there pretty much spot on the T-3hr mark as they were opening and wow! The line for Y was massive. Snaking what seemed like miles through the terminal. Thankfully we were J and within maybe 15 minutes we were at the front of the queue.



Went through all the formalities, deposited the bags and went to find immigration. This line proved much more painful, took maybe 20 minutes or so to get through. Eventually we did make it though to the B gates and were off to find some lounges.

First stop was the AC Maple Leaf Lounge.




I had heard pretty good things about this lounge so was keen to check it out. The lounge was a reasonable size – not tiny, not huge – with nice décor, plenty of seating etc. Food offerings were pretty standard with a number of hot and cold breakfast options. Bacon, eggs, a pancake maker, plenty of bread options, croissants etc etc.






We grabbed a plate of food each and sat down to enjoy. Breakfast #1:



Overall I liked this lounge. It wasn’t huge but there were plenty of F&B to keep satisfy. Nice space and I would be happy to visit again.

 

[NoName]

Day 14 – Continued………




Once we were done there we decided to move on to one of the LH lounges. The first one we came across was the Senator lounge. I had access due to my KF Elite Gold status so we decided to try our luck. Lady at the front desk was initially hesitant to let me bring in two guests but when I pointed out that one was a 9 year old child she relented. Nice! Up the escalator to the front door.




I had been here previously when transiting on SQ from JFK in 2018. On that occasion I was pretty tired and didn’t do much. As a result I hadn’t been overly impressed. This time I wanted to have a better look around. It was a pretty large space with plenty of room. Was not overly crowded while we were there so it made for a pleasant stay.




Food options were similar to the AC lounge with the addition of more German things like pretzels, wurst etc. I was pretty impressed here and if we weren’t about to be eating on board we would have been happy to go to town. As it was, the other two didn’t have anything but I couldn’t say no. Loaded up one plate to enjoy.





Managed to find the tended bar which looked good. I can imagine setting up shop here of an evening on a long layover. Being 7 in the morning there weren’t many people indulging so decided to get things started. Never too early for a sparkling!




Unfortunately the time came for us to go to the gate so we reluctantly got up and left. Yes reluctantly. My opinion of the lounge had changed. While it doesn’t have a wow factor and there are many better lounges around the world, I thought it was more than satisfactory and would definitely be happy to return. I’m told the regular LH J lounges are much the same so if that’s the case I’d be happy to go there too.

 

[NoName]

Day 14 – Continued…………………





We got to the gate and were met by a sea of people. Long lines everywhere waiting to board. Jumped in the J line and then soon after one of the boarding staff asked us if we’d like to board with other families prior to everyone else. Yes that would be great. Scanned our passes and awaited the go-ahead to climb the stairs to the bridge to the upper deck. That came soon and we were off.


FRA-JFK
SQ26
A380
16A, 16D, 17A


Got a nice warm welcome when we got to the door with the FA directing us to our seats which we quickly got comfortable in.




Pre-departure champagne was well received.




We were in the air more or less on time. Maybe 10 minutes delayed at most, nothing to be worried about though. FAs came through the cabin taking lunch orders and then we were ready to eat. Nothing on the book the cook menu had appealed so we ended up going with the inflight menu which was perfectly fine. Nice to see the physical menus back too. Our previous flights this year had all been with digital menus only.


J Menu:

 

[NoName]

Day 14 – Continued…………….








First up was the satay. After having been on a couple of SQ J flights this year that should have served satays but didn’t, this was a welcome sight. My serving tasted great, as did NoName Jnrs that he palmed off to me. Too spicy for him. He ended up eating several pieces of garlic bread which was about as good as it got for us at this stage of the trip.




Next was the terrine of smoked eel. Forgot to get a photo of this one but recall it tasting quite nice.

For main I went for the pork belly. It was pretty good but could have used more sauce. Recall the last couple of bites being a bit dry.



Seafood & rice noodle soup for Mrs NoName.



We both had the Engadine Nut Cake for dessert – Yum!



Washed the food down with a few glasses of the Dandelion Shiraz. Have had this a few times on board as well as at home and enjoy it. All in all it was a nice meal service. Food was pretty good, no complaints at all.

The next few hours were spend relaxing and watching movies. NoName Jnr played his Nintendo Switch and then tried and failed to get some sleep. Oh well.

Mrs NoName getting into the NYC NYE mood:




A couple of hours prior to landing and the refreshment was served. We both chose the egg noddles with prawns which were both pretty good.



From there all that was left to do was to count down the minutes until touch down. We stared out the window hoping to catch that amazing view of Manhattan from the air but of course we ended up being on the wrong side of the plane. Who’d have thought that would happen? Landed a few minutes early and began the slow taxi to the terminal.

 

[Quickstatus]

Was Rudolph on the menu?

 

[NoName]

Was Rudolph on the menu?

Yes was reindeer steak at the restaurants at Santa Claus Village from memory and reindeer meatballs was a standard offering on the breakfast buffets.

 

[NoName]

Day 14 – Continued………………







Off the plane and into the immigration hall nice and quickly. The line was long but 10 minutes later it was about 4 times as long. While it still took us close to an hour to get to the front we were glad to be among the first off the plane. As usually happens we were directed to a line at a desk with one of the slowest immigration officers in the country. He was asking everyone infront of us a heap of questions, taking ages. When we eventually got to him he did the same with us. No issues answering them all and eventually we were free to go. Well not quite. The other two NoNames were free to go while he told me to come with him into some room off to the side. Déjà vu! I had to wait on one of the chairs until my name was called. 15 minutes later they got to me and another couple of agents proceeded to ask a bunch more questions about my height, weight, appearance, where we were going etc etc. It was a very similar experience to the last time I visited the States. Fun times!

Eventually I was allowed to go and made my way into the baggage retrieval area to meet the others. Got our bags and proceeded out to get a taxi. And then we were away, through the streets towards Manhattan.



About an hour later and we were there! The corner of Central Park Sth & 6th Ave! Yes, I was returning to the Ritz Carlton Central Park! I stayed here for 3 nights by myself on my 2018 visit and had loved it! At the time Mrs NoName was blowing up about me staying here without her. “Why did you waste all your Bonvoy Points staying there without me?” was the typical line of questioning I got. Over the years she would periodically bring it up and I would also mention it infront of other people to rib her. But when this trip finally materialised I knew that I had to bring her back. On points of course!



Total cost for 5 nights in a Deluxe Room was 400,000pts +US$17.50 (100,000pts per night with the 5th night being free). The booking was made prior to the move to dynamic award pricing so we managed to get it on the old award chart. As a point of reference rates for the same dates this year are currently 474,000pts. Note that the cash rate over the time of our stay was around US$1,400 per night.

Up the elevator to level 15, around the corridor and into our room. Beautiful! Immaculate and elegant. The rooms are great.

A few minutes later our luggage arrived and we were ready to go!

We were headed downtown so made our way to the subway station on 5th Ave to get 7-day passes. Cost was US$34 each. Prior to finding the station we of course took in some of the nearby surroundings.

 

[NoName]

Day 14 – Continued………………..









Jumped on the train down to 28th St and made the short walk a couple of blocks to our first activity of the visit – the National Museum Of Mathematics. Sounds boring I’m sure but NoName Jnr loves maths so we thought he would enjoy it and he certainly did. The museum was more a bunch of maths-related activities spread out over a couple of different levels. Things like patters, shapes, geometry, numbers etc. All sorts of things. There was easily enough here to keep us occupied and entertained until closing a couple of hours later.







Mrs NoName had booked at La Pizza & La Pasta at Eataly which was 3 blocks away. We wandered over through Madison Square Park.






Dinner was typical Italian food as you’d expect being at Eataly. Pizza and pasta. Unfortunately only the one photo of Mrs NoNames pasta which I can report she was more than happy with. I shared a pizza with NoName Jnr which both of us enjoyed.



It was now after 8pm and given we had flown that morning from Europe its fair to say we were pretty tired. Bed called so we jumped back on the train, made the short walk to the hotel and called it a night.