The bus ride from Ivalo to Rovaniemi was a long but surprisingly bearable 5 hours. It helped that the bus was half-empty for most of the journey. From the bus station, we grabbed a cab to our apartment. The location of the apartment was fab. The cab ride took all of 5 minutes and we were right smacked in the city center of Rovaniemi. Malls and shops were just a 5-minute walk down the street.
This place is an absolute bargain for groups and families. 175 euros per night, sleeps 4, has two toilets (one with shower) and a fully equipped kitchen. Clean and modern, we felt comfortable the instant we entered the apartment. If anyone’s interested, we stayed at Kotimaailma Apartments Rovaniemi – One-Bedroom Apartment with Sauna. Booked via booking.com.
We scooted off to check out the town after putting down our bags. Stores were closing but we managed to do a spot of souvenir shopping before they shut their doors. Truth be told, shopping isn’t great (too expensive) in Finland unless you are interested in home and decor. Since I am in the process of setting up my new home, I enjoyed browsing their homeware stores (Hemtex, Pentik, etc).
The city centre seemed quite compact. The christmas tree was still up (in February). Wonder if they ever take it down or it’s perpetually Christmas there. It is Santa Claus’s hometown after all.
Cafe & Bar 21
Dinner time! I read about this place on tripadvisor but didn’t plan to eat there (tend to keep my meal options fluid), till I saw its signboard glaring back at me as we walked to our apartment building. It was just across the street. Fate!
We ordered funky chicken waffles, shrimp filled potatoes, mushroom risotto and hot chocolate. My hot chocolate was positively overflowing with marshmallows. The waffles were good (though the combination of cold chicken on a warm waffle was jarring initially) and risotto delicious. Potatoes, so-so. But they were all a welcome change from the mostly red meat and pasta affair at Nellim. Portions were also really generous. I would recommend this place for its sleek interiors and cosy vibe alone. Nice place to hide from the cold.
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