Landing in the snow was quite something! We flew in over snow laden fir trees that stretched as far as the eye could see. We landed on snow, with snow banks piled up three metres on the side of the runway. We disembarked, and walked to the terminal, with snowflakes swirling around us. The staff on The aircraft, in customs, as part of the tour were all so friendly and welcoming. We were even met by a reindeer at the airport! Travelling with other families was great, as everyone is in the same boat dealing with overexcited Kids etc. My first impression of Saariselka is that it is a beautiful, quiet, and authentic place. It looks very much like the images you so on Xmas cards, but more impressive. Many of the local people speak only Finnish, and wear traditional Finnish clothing. There are wild reindeer herds amongst the trees they look up shyly as the buses pass. The odd husky pops up, but otherwise you don't see the animals... Arctic foxes, wolverines and elk are all here, but you just don't see them. The village where the resort is looks a little out of place with its neon lights, but it is all tasteful and beautiful and feels very much like Xmas. The Main Street is wide and well lit, yet it seems strange to me when an ordinary car drives up it. Up here we are 250 miles into the Arctic circle, in the northern most resort in the world, in a place that can get as cold as -50 degrees. It is certainly feeling all new to me. I can tell that photos will never do it justice - there is a feeling here that I can't quite explain, but strongly contributes to the 'picture' of Saariselka.