Felicity Long
For the past three years in a row, Finland has elbowed out the competition to nab the title of world s happiest country, according to the U.N. s World Happiness Report (yes, there really is such a thing).
Criteria include income per capita, health and life expectancy and social support, among others, but the last time I was in Helsinki with my family, before the pandemic, I had an aha moment about why the Finns keep nailing that elusive award.
The city, while lovely, seems to me to be designed for its residents rather than to impress tourists. For example, our local walking-tour guide wanted to take us to the new Central Library, known as the Oodi, which opened in late 2018, even though we only had a few hours with her.
Sans touristes, ambiance solitaire pour le Père Noël dans son village de Laponie
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Ambiance solitaire pour le père Noël dans son village
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Ambiance solitaire pour le père Noël dans son village
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Lapland left lonely as tourists stay away from Santa s homeland
23 Dec 2020 Santa and his elf, Vanilla, read letters separated by a plexiglass screen to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Gulf Today Report
International visitors usually flood the Santa Claus Village amusement park, in Finland’s snowy far north, for the reindeer rides, snow castles, and a meeting with the jolly man himself.
As the virus cases soar around the world, the pandemic restrictions are more scrutinized.
However, crowds in the Lapland town of Rovaniemi have dwindled to just a trickle and the cheerful winter wonderland feels ghostly and abandoned. This year has been an exception and a tough year, Santa tells from behind a plexiglass screen installed in his grotto, adding that his visitors have appreciated being able to forget a tough year and enjoy the Christmas cheer.