Arrived

 Passport control, etc. were very smooth. I changed some money (the exchange rate stinks), bought a train ticket, checked the balance on my transit card (Rav Kav), took the train to Tel Aviv. Then the fun started. A. I came out the wrong door of the train station. B. I haven't been here in 2 years and the construction  for the light rail is profound. I couldn't find the big, surface bus station. C. GPS got me going in the right direction and I found the bus station. But where will I find the #18 bus? It's usual spot was eaten up by construction,  but there was a #18 sitting in  the lot on a break. Good sign. D. I walked all the way around the bus station to ask the information desk with the suitcase. She assured me that the bus pickup spot had not moved. OK. I go back, the bus starts moving and picks us up where it did before, but now it's just a chain link fence. E. The bus' route has changed because of the construction. Now it drives down by the beach. OK, I'm not lost.

 I made a first-night supper of a nice backpacking meal.It's a better food choice than in past years. But I will shop for fresh food tomorrow.

Headed back to Israel

 Well, I'm actually on my way. No missiles this time. I had a brief heart palpitation because I just made it on my connecting flight, and I wasn't certain that my suitcase was with me. But it turned up in Newark with me.

 

Promised photos

 

Home again

 The trip home was uneventful. I stayed in an airport hotel in KC because the flight got in late. So I'm at the exciting part of any vacation-laundry.

I will publish more Northern Lights photos later.
 

Travel to Helsinki

 

 There were lots of Northern Lights so I stayed up until midnight trying to take some photos. The lights are very active and change quickly. It has to do with solar flares sending protons and electrons (from hydrogen atoms ) which interact with the earth's magnetic field.The green comes from ionized oxygen atoms and the pink comes from nitrogen atoms that are ionized by the electrons.  So it is dependent on incoming electrons.

We needed to have our suitcases outside by 0415, and the breakfast was available then. Our bus for the Roveniemi airport left at 0510. I wanted to fill my water bottle after security and the only bottle filler was in the men's room. I needed an escort to get water (the one in women's was broken) !

I have arrived at my hotel for the night, but I need to wait until 2:00. Good chance for a blog update. 

Deb in frozen lake

 

Cross-country skiing and the third sauna

 

 After a long, wonderful night watching the Northern Lights, we slept in a bit (we were up 0200-0330). We planned some easy cross-country skiing with some other people at 1100. The woods are gorgeous (pine and birch forest), but I'm way out of practice so we were out an hour and traversed 2.2 miles. 

 

We reserved the complex's sauna for 2:00 and I resolved the use the snow instead of a cold shower, but the snow was crunchy so I laid on one side then flipped over to the other. So I have done the cold side of the sauna in the sea, a lake, and the snow.  I win.

Tonight is an active night for the Northern Lights if the clouds depart. Then we leave very early for the Helsinki airport.