#{ I changed the description to sporadic activity c: }

[mediicusvitae]

{ Looking at the dashboard I'm realizing how much I miss you all and writing on here... starting next month I'll be working less hours so I'll have more time for doing the things that bring me joy ♡ I hope you all have been well! }

[mads-weasley]

Love & War Pt. 6: Almost

40s!Bucky Barnes x Medic!Reader

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

A/N: Hey guys! This is me trying to update through my schoolwork and everything else going on right now! It may be SUPER sporadic at times, but I promise I am trying. Sadly, I do not own any of these characters except (y/n). As always, I hope you enjoy! I love to hear feedback from y’all!

Summary: As the Commandos push on towards Germany, changes in Bucky and (y/n)'s relationship begin to affect the whole unit, forcing Steve to step in.

Warnings: descriptions of injuries, war, mentions of blood

(y/n) - your name

(y/l/n) - your last name

(y/n/n) - your nickname

(y/h/c) - your hair color

(y/e/c) - your eye color

Italics - flashbacks

(y/n)'s pov:

“So, what’s something you like to do but have never told anyone?” I asked, tucked under Bucky’s arm in the cold weather.

“Easy. I love to read.”

I gasp loudly, putting a hand over my mouth, dramatically. “The James Buchanan Barnes likes to read? And here I was thinking that I was the only intellectual on this team.”

“Ha-Ha. Very funny, (y/n/n).”

Each time he uses his new nickname for me, I have the instant urge to smile. I don’t know when he started using it, but it is common knowledge that he is the only one allowed to call me it. One time, Dum Dum called me (y/n/n) and Bucky gave him the closest thing to a death stare I’ve ever seen. It was quite hilarious to watch, but it did get the message across that the nickname belonged to Bucky and Bucky alone.

“Why don’t you tell anyone about it?”

“Well, it never really came up. No one asked, so I didn’t tell.” He replied quietly, eyes on the dirt.

“I think it’s wonderful. My favorite book is the Hobbit. You’ve pro-” At the mention of the title, his face snaps up to mine with a goofy smile.

“I love that book! It’s my favorite, actually.”

I just stare at him wide-eyed for a few moments, really taking in his grey-blue eyes filled with excitement, along with his youthful smile and slightly blue lips that form it. A warm wave of I don’t know what passes over me and I become aware of his gentle grip on my shoulder, as well as every inch of his skin touching mine. The smile on his face slowly fades as he searches mine for answers to the sudden silence. Slowly removing his arm from around me, he gently slides a stray piece of hair behind me ear, not breaking eye contact. His next words make my heart stop beating.

“Wow,” he says breathily,” You’re so beautiful.”

My brain is on overdrive as I search for a reply, but I find none. His stare is momentarily broken as his eyes flick down to my lips before returning to my eyes. Before I know what is happening, I find myself doing the same thing. Our faces are inches apart as he raises his hand to cup my jaw. Feeling his warmth, I lean into it slightly and close my eyes, moving in farther as he does the same. Right before I anticipate our lips to meet, the sound of the door opening behind us shatters the moment. Jumping back quickly and whipping around towards the door, I see Dum-Dum exiting our makeshift barracks.

“(Y/n), do yo-,” he stops when he sees the two of us. “Oh, sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Still very flushed, I manage to quietly speak with a small smile, “You didn’t interrupt anything. What can I help you with?” He motions inside, and in a moment of impulse, I lean over and kiss Bucky on the cheek before following Dugan inside. Little did I know, the gesture made the young man feel something he hadn’t in a long time.

Two Months Later

After that night, both seemed unsure how to proceed with their friendship. Luckily for them, they didn't have much time to dwell on their almost kiss because the Allied army arrived the next day. Soon after, they were sent on a scouting mission to check out the route for the next Army Operation. The group set out into the wilderness, looking for German activity. Where the pair were normally inseparable and always chatting, there was silence on the journey. Everyone in the unit took notice.

Luckily, the mission went off without a hitch, and they saw minimum activity from the Germans. On the short, three day mission, Bucky and (y/n)'s awkwardness had somehow affected the whole group. Steve was fed up with this by the time they got back. As they were walking out of their debrief, he called out to the two of them.

"Buck, (y/l/n)." With a head nod, he motioned towards a nearby room.

They followed with dread, already knowing what it was going to be about. Of course they were tired of the awkwardness too, but neither one of them wanted to be the one to address it first. Shooting each other a knowing look, they stopped in front of Steve once in the room.

"Look," he started in a very dad-like voice, "I don't know what happened between the two of you, and I really don't care, but it's driving all of us crazy. You can't do your job if you' won't even look at each other. Fix it. Now."

(Y/n) nodded as Bucky broke the silence. "Will do."

Starting to walk out the door, Steve spoke over his shoulder with a hidden smile. "You both aren't leaving this room until you fix it."

Bucky turned to (y/n) with a sheepish grin and she met his eyes with a similar expression.

"We're good, right?"

"Yeah. We're good. I'm sorry, I-"

"No," he started, "I'm sorry. That night, I misread the situation."

She furrowed her brows. "You didn't misread anything, James. We just can't. We're in a-"

"War. Yeah, I know." He interrupted.

Her eyes were filled with regret. "We just can't be distracted."

"Just friends?" he asked shyly.

"Just friends."

He nodded with a soft smile before walking out of the room. (Y/n) felt terrible. She really did like Bucky, but she'd become distracted when they were in the field because she was worried about him. If they were just at home, that wouldn't be a problem. They were not at home though; they were in a warzone.

~

Over the next few days, things became normal again with Bucky and (y/n). Their friendship, although not as strong, was being rebuilt after their conversation. The jokes came back, and put the other Howling Commandos at ease. The relative peace they felt was soon washed away by a midnight visitor.

It was pitch dark inside the small house when there was a thud against the door outside. Hearing the sound, Steve sat up abruptly, getting to his feet, shield in hand.

"Buck." he whispers.

As he started to stir, Falsworth came busting through the door with someone in his arms.

"(Y/l/n), help! This guy's injured!"

Used to the call for her, she shot up, already going into nurse mode. By then, everyone in the house was wide awake and were on their feet, ready to help.

They got the soldier laying on the couch and turned on the light so (y/n) could see what she was working with. The first thing she noticed was the giant blood stain on the side of his uniform. Upon further inspection, she discovered that he had been shot on his right side. At this, she started barking orders at the Commandos.

By the time she had stopped the bleeding and stabilized him, it was daylight outside. She had checked for dog tags, but had failed to find them anywhere on his person. It didn't seem to bother her, but Bucky had noticed her searching for them before giving up. He was suspicious of where this man had come from, especially without any identification on him. Soldiers were trained to never take them off so that their body could be identified.

The young medic was so tired that she had actually fallen asleep, slouching in a chair next to the couch on which the soldier laid. With a sigh, Bucky grabbed the nearest blanket and draped it over her shivering body. Although they couldn't be anything more than friends now, he couldn't get rid of the feelings he had for her. In that moment, he promised that make sure she would return safely home once everything was over.

______________________________________________________________

Tag List:

@insane-perfectionist @ahahafudge @bluemoon-icecream @lunamadhatter99 @thatfangirl42 @fionanovasleftnut @friendly-letters @youcanstandundermyamberella @caritobbg @marvel-ous-miss-maisie @fitzfiles @skyewardolicitycloisdelena91 @jo-ha-nna @pastel-boy-sungjae @ginger-swag-rapunzel @simp-for-bucky @ceo-of-daichi @quinnmaddie @tylard-blog1 @cxddlyash @harrietbaudelair @treblebeth @missstef23 @marvel-3407 @adventure-of-nemi @parisparker269 @neptunight @winterbuckystan1943-1917-1982

[yeet-imma-skeet]

Where is the Sky?

(Based in @starr-fall-knight-rise ‘s unique universe. Part 3 of the story.)

(Part 1: https://yeet-imma-skeet.tumblr.com/post/613232997621202944/the-sky-is-falling)

“Motherfuck! What the hell is happening?!"

Silva felt the ship rumble below his feet before he was slammed against a wall. Flashing red lights painted the hallways in crimson red as the regular lighting flickered sporadically. Heavy thuds of footsteps and startled yells echoed down the turbulent ship, creating quite the cacophony with the blaring alarm calls.

He had been brutally awakened from his scheduled sleep shift, making quite the hilarious sight for any crewmen who ran by. He glared at a marine for giggling at his colorful choice of boxers as he made a mental note to assign him to cleaning duty after all this was done. Rubbing his hurting shoulder, he eventually stumbled onto the main deck.

"Status!" He roared.

"An asteroid field came out of nowhere, sir!"

Silva crashed onto his seat, "How the hell didn't we see it?!"

"Cloud of gas, sir!" Another rumble shook the ship, "Whatever was in that space fart jumbled up the scanners!"

"Damn it, how's the ship?"

A panicked officer reported, "Several near breaches to the hull and one of our thrusters is shot!"

"Filho da puta!" He cursed in Portugese, "Buckle up, I'm going manual!"

"Sir! But the field—"

Silva grabbed an emerging steering wheel, "I'm not a captain of a fucking spaceship for nothing, sergeant!"

The deck cowered into their seats, feeling the artificial gravity pull them back harder. Latinar, the only resident Drev officer, could only hope that whatever spirit kept the human race hardy would be there with him through the chaotic ride of death or maybe transport his soul back the Anum when they crashed. Living was desirable but it was impossible to fly through the field unharmed. Oh how he wished he stayed back on his planet in the face of these odds...

—————————————

The dolmier was quiet again except for the crunching of bone. Galia huffed as she bit into her "ration", trying to find whatever marrow was left inside of her daily meal. She had a bit of luck with last week's ration as the factory-processed bone had some marrow growth inside, providing quite the tasty morsel, but today’s had next to nothing.

She tossed the rest into her jaws, crunching away, "Orb, is there anything else beside's bones onboard? Like, I don't know, dewern jerky?"

The hovering metallic orb nearby didn't move as it projected, "There are no recorded crates of dewern jerky. The laboratory is making a suitable replacement via organic printing but it will take approximately—"

"Fifteen to twenty cycles to complete one. I know!" She knashed her teeth together in frustration.

“...Would you like an update of their highness’s status?”

“Yes please,” She absentmindedly wrapped her tail around her sitting form, “Tell me about our distress signal too.”

The orb moved from its spot, whirring quietly around two upright stasis pods. Galia held a hand to her missing eye as it twinged at the fresh memories. A transparent screen popped into her vision as the orb blocked her view. She squinted at the device in suspicion but thought nothing of it as she scanned the information.

Nothing much had changed in their condition, only that their brain activity was unusually active. It was possible to sneak a peek into their subconscious dreams with the tech onboard, but the orb suggested against it while they were infected in case other side effects occurred. Another square projected next, showing the familiar communications screen, albeit the receiving end was offline due to an unfortunate escapade through an asteroid field. It was just one moment when Wace was explaining their state-of-the-art autopilot system when they got tossed to the floor while Al managed to faceplant into a control panel, breaking an important component with his comically hard head.

She quietly chuckled to herself as she waved away the screens, "Set a hunting game to the dimensions of the ship, I'm getting the Stiffs."

"Certainly, Vigil."

"Don't... call me that."

"Command acknowledged. Certainly, caldat."

"Better."

Galia stood from the low table, stretching her arms to the air with a groan. After gazing at her two unconscious princes within their pods for a minute, she trotted out the medical bay in preparation for a little work out. It pained her to do nothing as they laid in comas so she did what she did best. Train.

A robotic voice announced, "Hunting simulation, set level ten, time limit indefinite. Placing prey..."

Her arials perked up, hearing the familiar sounds of feint snuffling and cautious steps throughout the dolmier. It sounded almost like she was back on Faris, hunting for her next meal if it wasn't for the quiet humming of life support systems in the medical bay.

"Placement complete. Starting round... Begin!"

She shot off into the corridors, thinking of nothing else but her growing hunger...

————————————

"Vamos Esperança!"

The ship rattled and moaned under its pilot's acrobatics. The crew could hardly believe that they had survived for nearly an hour of manual flight, having a lot more respect towards their captain. A loud crunch sounded as a bit of ricocheting space rock hit their starboard side. Nevermind, they're taking it back.

An officer yelled, "Sir, we can't take much more of this!"

"I know! Just tell me when you see an opening!" Silva yanked his wheel back violently, causing the ship to pitch upwards.

Latinar would've been nauseated if he was human and thanked the spirits for being born a Drev at the sight of his hurling crew mates. He also would've found it very disgusting if it wasn't for a small blip appearing on his sector scanner.

The gray Drev bellowed, "Clearing left! Setting a beacon, sir!"

A yellow dot appeared before the captain's focused eyes, directing him to the said clearing. With no hesitation, he dived for it, weaving through jagged rock and colorful gas. The rainbowlike fog made him miss near crashes as he bit his cheek with every turn. Latinar continued to stare at his scanner, trying to follow where the captain wanted to head but found his mind a jumbled mess. He found no way to read the environment like a human could and stood agape at Silva's rugged precision. Despite his unique choice of Tabasco red boxers and a cheeseburger T-shirt, he looked like the human leader Latinar imagined him to be.

The squeal of ripping metal made everyone cover their ears in pain as the ship spun forward. A boulder had torn through the ship.

"Port side breached! Stabilizers shot, sir!"

Somebody wailed, "We're all going to die!"

If looks would kill, Silva would've atomized the poor officer. He spun the wheel with a hard tug as he accounted for the damage. The ship wobbled more than he liked but he managed to squeeze through every gap he targeted.

He whispered, "C'mon baby."

The pinged beacon grew closer in his sight, showing sanctuary beyond the asteroid field. Holding his breath, Latinar gripped his seatbelts tighter as he leaned forward in interest. Silva somehow looked like he was caressing the steering wheel, projecting his will and determination with gentle hands as he let out what seemed to be a war cry. The gray Drev couldn't help but be swayed with him, crying one of his own. Together they yelled at the universe, flinging a primal "Fuck you!" into the nonexistent wind. Then they barrel-rolled over an asteroid and into clear space.

A cheer spread throughout the ship, overflowing with joy. Some laughed hysterically while others shed a few tears in relief. Latinar found himself breathing heavily after his great bellow, riding on waves of an indescribable exaltation. He wondered if humans always felt like this since they always did the impossible. A sweaty hand flopped onto his shoulder, making him look back to see Captain Silva grinning from ear to ear, a stark contrast to his usually grim face.

"Good ride, Lati?" He asked.

The Drev gasped back, "S-sure."

The captain's chocolate eyes gazed into the wide expanse of space before a grimace set on his face, "Damage and casualty report."

The deck scrambled to their respective devices. Their scurrying movements reminded Latinar that they took heavy damage, severe ones at that.

"Port side sectors 2-D through 3-C breached."

"Starboard side sectors 5-A and 6-A breached."

"Warp core is stable though damage to communication hub prevents us from contacting the GA."

"Three main thrusters heavily damaged. Stabilizers on port side shot."

“Meaning we can only move at around twenty-five percent efficiency then?”

The officer swallowed, “Yep.”

A white-clad medic ran into the room as Silva tried to restrain himself from kicking an overturned waste bin. Seeing a few cuts and bruises, the nurse ignored the fuming captain, treating those who moaned in pain.

“How’s the situation, doc?”

The medic’s hands kept bandaging as she replied, "Med bay reports around fifty injured and counting. As for deaths..."

Silva returned to his chair as he solemnly asked a nearby officer staring pale at his screen, "We have the life signal implants updated, lieutenant. Report."

"...One hundred and seventeen life signals offline, sir."

The air in the room grew cold as the humans had a mixture of reactions. Some held tight fists in anger, some had tears run down their cheeks, and others just gazed into the unknown. They no doubt had various friends around the ship and couldn’t bear the thought of one of them gone. Even if it was in the job description, death stilled shook them all. Captain Silva put his head in his hands, heaving a deeply strained sigh, causing the deck to look at him in concern.

An officer stood from her seat, "Captain, it—"

"I'm okay." He held up a hand, showing determined eyes, "Before we can grieve, we need to get up and running. Prioritize fixing any minor breaches, finding any MIA, and getting communications back up. Set everything to low level power consumption and ration meals until we find out about how long we're staying out here."

Silva kept giving orders to the crew, doing everything he could to amend anything at the moment. Sure, he would probably cry later and drown his sorrows in rum for a few nights, but he had his duty to perform for now. It already laid heavy in his mind, the lives he could of saved if only he was a better pilot.

Latinar shakily stood up, feeling an invisible wave of motion almost knocking him back down. Silva crossed the room to help steady him, staring at the giant alien with some worry. The Drev waved him off with a thankful glance before a blip of light caught his eye on his station’s screen.

“Uh, captain?”

Silva followed his line of sight to the yellow blip, “...Is that what I think it is?”

A sliver of uncertainty crossed their minds as Latinar tapped the blinking light. The constant stream of some unknown language and image data they had been receiving was now substantially close to them.

“Sir we have a visual!”

Heads shot up as an enlarged image projected into the room. The air grew still at the sight of the glitching picture, the tending medic nearly dropping his kit in awe.

It was a large spaceship. Really, really large! It wouldn’t be hard to imagine three UNSC fleet ships fitting inside of the spherical oval with room to spare. It was also quite beautiful yet mysterious as it was entirely made up of some brightly pearlescent metal in the shape of a sleek torpedo. All within the room could tell that this belonged an entirely unknown alien species. Never before had anyone seen such a large yet graceful looking ship that existed outside of science fiction speculation. Especially Captain Silva, as he had studied up on every known space-worthy ship within the GA.

“Send a peace message if you can,” The captain gulped, “And try to see if they are willing to talk...”

(Part 4: https://yeet-imma-skeet.tumblr.com/post/616163879942242304/oh-theres-the-sky)

[dist-the-rose]

Afterword to the Second German Edition (1873) I must start by informing the readers of the first edition about the alterations made in the second edition. One is struck at once by the clearer arrangement of the book. Additional notes are everywhere marked as notes to the second edition. The following are the most important points with regard to the text itself: In Chapter I, Section 1, the derivation of value from an analysis of the equations by which every exchange-value is expressed has been carried out with greater scientific strictness; likewise the connexion between the substance of value and the determination of the magnitude of value by socially necessary labour-time, which was only alluded to in the first edition, is now expressly emphasised. Chapter I, Section 3 (the Form of Value), has been completely revised, a task which was made necessary by the double exposition in the first edition, if nothing else. – Let me remark, in passing, that that double exposition had been occasioned by my friend, Dr. L Kugelmann in Hanover. I was visiting him in the spring of 1867 when the first proof-sheets arrived from Hamburg, and he convinced me that most readers needed a supplementary, more didactic explanation of the form of value. – The last section of the first chapter, “The Fetishism of Commodities, etc.,” has largely been altered. Chapter III, Section I (The Measure of Value), has been carefully revised, because in the first edition this section had been treated negligently, the reader having been referred to the explanation already given in “Zur Kritik der Politischen Oekonomie,” Berlin 1859. Chapter VII, particularly Part 2 [Eng. ed., Chapter IX, Section 2], has been re-written to a great extent. It would be a waste of time to go into all the partial textual changes, which were often purely stylistic. They occur throughout the book. Nevertheless I find now, on revising the French translation appearing in Paris, that several parts of the German original stand in need of rather thorough remoulding, other parts require rather heavy stylistic editing, and still others painstaking elimination of occasional slips. But there was no time for that. For I had been informed only in the autumn of 1871, when in the midst of other urgent work, that the book was sold out and that the printing of the second edition was to begin in January of 1872. The appreciation which “Das Kapital” rapidly gained in wide circles of the German working class is the best reward of my labours. Herr Mayer, a Vienna manufacturer, who in economic matters represents the bourgeois point of view, in a pamphlet published during the Franco-German War aptly expounded the idea that the great capacity for theory, which used to be considered a hereditary German possession, had almost completely disappeared amongst the so-called educated classes in Germany, but that amongst its working class, on the contrary, that capacity was celebrating its revival. To the present moment Political Economy, in Germany, is a foreign science. Gustav von Gulich in his “Historical description of Commerce, Industry,” &c., 1 especially in the two first volumes published in 1830, has examined at length the historical circumstances that prevented, in Germany, the development of the capitalist mode of production, and consequently the development, in that country, of modern bourgeois society. Thus the soil whence Political Economy springs was wanting. This “science” had to be imported from England and France as a ready-made article; its German professors remained schoolboys. The theoretical expression of a foreign reality was turned, in their hands, into a collection of dogmas, interpreted by them in terms of the petty trading world around them, and therefore misinterpreted. The feeling of scientific impotence, a feeling not wholly to be repressed, and the uneasy consciousness of 10 Afterword to the Second German Edition (Marx 1873) having to touch a subject in reality foreign to them, was but imperfectly concealed, either under a parade of literary and historical erudition, or by an admixture of extraneous material, borrowed from the so-called “Kameral” sciences, a medley of smatterings, through whose purgatory the hopeful candidate for the German bureaucracy has to pass. Since 1848 capitalist production has developed rapidly in Germany, and at the present time it is in the full bloom of speculation and swindling. But fate is still unpropitious to our professional economists. At the time when they were able to deal with Political Economy in a straightforward fashion, modern economic conditions did not actually exist in Germany. And as soon as these conditions did come into existence, they did so under circumstances that no longer allowed of their being really and impartially investigated within the bounds of the bourgeois horizon. In so far as Political Economy remains within that horizon, in so far, i.e., as the capitalist regime is looked upon as the absolutely final form of social production, instead of as a passing historical phase of its evolution, Political Economy can remain a science only so long as the class struggle is latent or manifests itself only in isolated and sporadic phenomena. Let us take England. Its Political Economy belongs to the period in which the class struggle was as yet undeveloped. Its last great representative, Ricardo, in the end, consciously makes the antagonism of class interests, of wages and profits, of profits and rent, the starting point of his investigations, naively taking this antagonism for a social law of Nature. But by this start the science of bourgeois economy had reached the limits beyond which it could not pass. Already in the lifetime of Ricardo, and in opposition to him, it was met by criticism, in the person of Sismondi. 2 The succeeding period, from 1820 to 1830, was notable in England for scientific activity in the domain of Political Economy. It was the time as well of the vulgarising and extending of Ricardo’s theory, as of the contest of that theory with the old school. Splendid tournaments were held. What was done then, is little known to the Continent generally, because the polemic is for the most part scattered through articles in reviews, occasional literature and pamphlets. The unprejudiced character of this polemic – although the theory of Ricardo already serves, in exceptional cases, as a weapon of attack upon bourgeois economy – is explained by the circumstances of the time. On the one hand, modern industry itself was only just emerging from the age of childhood, as is shown by the fact that with the crisis of 1825 it for the first time opens the periodic cycle of its modern life. On the other hand, the class struggle between capital and labour is forced into the background, politically by the discord between the governments and the feudal aristocracy gathered around the Holy Alliance on the one hand, and the popular masses, led by the bourgeoisie, on the other; economically by the quarrel between industrial capital and aristocratic landed property - a quarrel that in France was concealed by the opposition between small and large landed property, and that in England broke out openly after the Corn Laws. The literature of Political Economy in England at this time calls to mind the stormy forward movement in France after Dr. Quesnay’s death, but only as a Saint Martin’s summer reminds us of spring. With the year 1830 came the decisive crisis. In France and in England the bourgeoisie had conquered political power. Thenceforth, the class struggle, practically as well as theoretically, took on more and more outspoken and threatening forms. It sounded the knell of scientific bourgeois economy. It was thenceforth no longer a question, whether this theorem or that was true, but whether it was useful to capital or harmful, expedient or inexpedient, politically dangerous or not. In place of disinterested inquirers, there were hired prize fighters; in place of genuine scientific research, the bad conscience and the evil intent of apologetic. Still, even the obtrusive pamphlets with which the Anti-Corn Law League, led by the manufacturers Cobden and Bright, deluged the world, have a historic interest, if no scientific one, on account of their polemic against the landed aristocracy. But since then the Free Trade legislation, inaugurated by Sir Robert Peel, has deprived vulgar economy of this its last sting. 11 Afterword to the Second German Edition (Marx 1873) The Continental revolution of 1848-9 also had its reaction in England. Men who still claimed some scientific standing and aspired to be something more than mere sophists and sycophants of the ruling classes tried to harmonise the Political Economy of capital with the claims, no longer to be ignored, of the proletariat. Hence a shallow syncretism of which John Stuart Mill is the best representative. It is a declaration of bankruptcy by bourgeois economy, an event on which the great Russian scholar and critic, N. Tschernyschewsky, has thrown the light of a master mind in his “Outlines of Political Economy according to Mill.” In Germany, therefore, the capitalist mode of production came to a head, after its antagonistic character had already, in France and England, shown itself in a fierce strife of classes. And meanwhile, moreover, the German proletariat had attained a much more clear class-consciousness than the German bourgeoisie. Thus, at the very moment when a bourgeois science of Political Economy seemed at last possible in Germany, it had in reality again become impossible. Under these circumstances its professors fell into two groups. The one set, prudent, practical business folk, flocked to the banner of Bastiat, the most superficial and therefore the most adequate representative of the apologetic of vulgar economy; the other, proud of the professorial dignity of their science, followed John Stuart Mill in his attempt to reconcile irreconcilables. Just as in the classical time of bourgeois economy, so also in the time of its decline, the Germans remained mere schoolboys, imitators and followers, petty retailers and hawkers in the service of the great foreign wholesale concern. The peculiar historical development of German society therefore forbids, in that country, all original work in bourgeois economy; but not the criticism of that economy. So far as such criticism represents a class, it can only represent the class whose vocation in history is the overthrow of the capitalist mode of production and the final abolition of all classes – the proletariat. The learned and unlearned spokesmen of the German bourgeoisie tried at first to kill “Das Kapital” by silence, as they had managed to do with my earlier writings. As soon as they found that these tactics no longer fitted in with the conditions of the time, they wrote, under pretence of criticising my book, prescriptions “for the tranquillisation of the bourgeois mind.” But they found in the workers’ press – see, e.g., Joseph Dietzgen’s articles in the – antagonists stronger than themselves, to whom (down to this very day) they owe a reply. 3 An excellent Russian translation of “Das Kapital” appeared in the spring of 1872. The edition of 3,000 copies is already nearly exhausted. As early as 1871, N. Sieber, Professor of Political Economy in the University of Kiev, in his work “David Ricardo’s Theory of Value and of Capital,” referred to my theory of value, of money and of capital, as in its fundamentals a necessary sequel to the teaching of Smith and Ricardo. That which astonishes the Western European in the reading of this excellent work, is the author’s consistent and firm grasp of the purely theoretical position. That the method employed in “Das Kapital” has been little understood, is shown by the various conceptions, contradictory one to another, that have been formed of it. Thus the Paris Revue Positiviste reproaches me in that, on the one hand, I treat economics metaphysically, and on the other hand – imagine! – confine myself to the mere critical analysis of actual facts, instead of writing receipts4 (Comtist ones?) for the cook-shops of the future. In answer to the reproach in re metaphysics, Professor Sieber has it: “In so far as it deals with actual theory, the method of Marx is the deductive method of the whole English school, a school whose failings and virtues are common to the best theoretic economists.” M. Block – “Les Théoriciens du Socialisme en Allemagne. Extrait du Journal des Economistes, Juillet et Août 1872” – makes the discovery that my method is analytic and says: “Par cet ouvrage M. Marx se classe parmi les esprits analytiques les plus eminents.” German reviews, of course, 12 Afterword to the Second German Edition (Marx 1873) shriek out at “Hegelian sophistics.” The European Messenger of St. Petersburg in an article dealing exclusively with the method of “Das Kapital” (May number, 1872, pp. 427-436), finds my method of inquiry severely realistic, but my method of presentation, unfortunately, Germandialectical. It says: “At first sight, if the judgment is based on the external form of the presentation of the subject, Marx is the most ideal of ideal philosophers, always in the German, i.e., the bad sense of the word. But in point of fact he is infinitely more realistic than all his forerunners in the work of economic criticism. He can in no sense be called an idealist.” I cannot answer the writer better than by aid of a few extracts from his own criticism, which may interest some of my readers to whom the Russian original is inaccessible. After a quotation from the preface to my “Criticism of Political Economy,” Berlin, 1859, pp. IVVII, where I discuss the materialistic basis of my method, the writer goes on: “The one thing which is of moment to Marx, is to find the law of the phenomena with whose investigation he is concerned; and not only is that law of moment to him, which governs these phenomena, in so far as they have a definite form and mutual connexion within a given historical period. Of still greater moment to him is the law of their variation, of their development, i.e., of their transition from one form into another, from one series of connexions into a different one. This law once discovered, he investigates in detail the effects in which it manifests itself in social life. Consequently, Marx only troubles himself about one thing: to show, by rigid scientific investigation, the necessity of successive determinate orders of social conditions, and to establish, as impartially as possible, the facts that serve him for fundamental starting-points. For this it is quite enough, if he proves, at the same time, both the necessity of the present order of things, and the necessity of another order into which the first must inevitably pass over; and this all the same, whether men believe or do not believe it, whether they are conscious or unconscious of it. Marx treats the social movement as a process of natural history, governed by laws not only independent of human will, consciousness and intelligence, but rather, on the contrary, determining that will, consciousness and intelligence. ... If in the history of civilisation the conscious element plays a part so subordinate, then it is self-evident that a critical inquiry whose subject-matter is civilisation, can, less than anything else, have for its basis any form of, or any result of, consciousness. That is to say, that not the idea, but the material phenomenon alone can serve as its starting-point. Such an inquiry will confine itself to the confrontation and the comparison of a fact, not with ideas, but with another fact. For this inquiry, the one thing of moment is, that both facts be investigated as accurately as possible, and that they actually form, each with respect to the other, different momenta of an evolution; but most important of all is the rigid analysis of the series of successions, of the sequences and concatenations in which the different stages of such an evolution present themselves. But it will be said, the general laws of economic life are one and the same, no matter whether they are applied to the present or the past. This Marx directly denies. According to him, such abstract laws do not exist. On the contrary, in his opinion every historical period has laws of its own. ... As soon as society has outlived a given period of development, and is passing over from one given stage to another, it begins to be subject also to other laws. In a word, economic life offers us a phenomenon analogous to the history of evolution in other branches of biology. The old economists misunderstood the nature of economic laws when they likened them to the laws of physics and chemistry. A 13 Afterword to the Second German Edition (Marx 1873) more thorough analysis of phenomena shows that social organisms differ among themselves as fundamentally as plants or animals. Nay, one and the same phenomenon falls under quite different laws in consequence of the different structure of those organisms as a whole, of the variations of their individual organs, of the different conditions in which those organs function, &c. Marx, e.g., denies that the law of population is the same at all times and in all places. He asserts, on the contrary, that every stage of development has its own law of population. ... With the varying degree of development of productive power, social conditions and the laws governing them vary too. Whilst Marx sets himself the task of following and explaining from this point of view the economic system established by the sway of capital, he is only formulating, in a strictly scientific manner, the aim that every accurate investigation into economic life must have. The scientific value of such an inquiry lies in the disclosing of the special laws that regulate the origin, existence, development, death of a given social organism and its replacement by another and higher one. And it is this value that, in point of fact, Marx’s book has.” Whilst the writer pictures what he takes to be actually my method, in this striking and [as far as concerns my own application of it] generous way, what else is he picturing but the dialectic method? Of course the method of presentation must differ in form from that of inquiry. The latter has to appropriate the material in detail, to analyse its different forms of development, to trace out their inner connexion. Only after this work is done, can the actual movement be adequately described. If this is done successfully, if the life of the subject-matter is ideally reflected as in a mirror, then it may appear as if we had before us a mere a priori construction. My dialectic method is not only different from the Hegelian, but is its direct opposite. To Hegel, the life process of the human brain, i.e., the process of thinking, which, under the name of “the Idea,” he even transforms into an independent subject, is the demiurgos of the real world, and the real world is only the external, phenomenal form of “the Idea.” With me, on the contrary, the ideal is nothing else than the material world reflected by the human mind, and translated into forms of thought. The mystifying side of Hegelian dialectic I criticised nearly thirty years ago, at a time when it was still the fashion. But just as I was working at the first volume of “Das Kapital,” it was the good pleasure of the peevish, arrogant, mediocre Επιγονοι [Epigones – Büchner, Dühring and others] who now talk large in cultured Germany, to treat Hegel in same way as the brave Moses Mendelssohn in Lessing’s time treated Spinoza, i.e., as a “dead dog.” I therefore openly avowed myself the pupil of that mighty thinker, and even here and there, in the chapter on the theory of value, coquetted with the modes of expression peculiar to him. The mystification which dialectic suffers in Hegel’s hands, by no means prevents him from being the first to present its general form of working in a comprehensive and conscious manner. With him it is standing on its head. It must be turned right side up again, if you would discover the rational kernel within the mystical shell. In its mystified form, dialectic became the fashion in Germany, because it seemed to transfigure and to glorify the existing state of things. In its rational form it is a scandal and abomination to bourgeoisdom and its doctrinaire professors, because it includes in its comprehension and affirmative recognition of the existing state of things, at the same time also, the recognition of the negation of that state, of its inevitable breaking up; because it regards every historically developed social form as in fluid movement, and therefore takes into account its transient nature not less than its momentary existence; because it lets nothing impose upon it, and is in its essence critical and revolutionary. 14 Afterword to the Second German Edition (Marx 1873) The contradictions inherent in the movement of capitalist society impress themselves upon the practical bourgeois most strikingly in the changes of the periodic cycle, through which modern industry runs, and whose crowning point is the universal crisis. That crisis is once again approaching, although as yet but in its preliminary stage; and by the universality of its theatre and the intensity of its action it will drum dialectics even into the heads of the mushroom-upstarts of the new, holy Prusso-German empire. Karl Marx London January 24, 1873

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For the second time in as many years, our urge to travel has taken us back to the wondrous winter wonderland of Finnish Lapland.  In winter, Jack Frost nips at your nose, and toes and fingers ache from the bitter cold.  Trees bend, heavily laden with snow and your woolly hat makes your head itch like a flea-bitten reindeer.  But guess what…we absolutely love it!  In 2016 when we visited Santa Claus Holiday Village in Rovaniemi, there simply wasn’t enough time to do all of the winter activities we would have liked.  So, March 2019, we decided to return to Scandinavia but this time with a visit to both Ruka and Rovaniemi.  Our excursions had been pre-booked with Rukapelvelu Safarihouse in Ruka, and Aurora Hunting – Rovaniemi / Levi to ‘hopefully’ see the spectacular Northern Lights.  Just to say, the Northern Lights eluded us in 2016.

Finnish Lapland in winter

A SANTA CLAUS HOLIDAY VILLAGE SURPRISE

After arriving at Santa Claus’ Official Airport in Rovaniemi, hire car collected we made our way to nearby Santa Claus Holiday Village.  On our previous trip we became friendly with the owners, lovely Inga and Marco; and had a little ‘Irish’ gift for them.  Pulling into the Santa Claus Holiday Village car park we could see that there’d been a lot of changes.  A new reception area, restaurant and luxury apartments.  Surprising Inga in Reception we were blessed to receive a guided tour of the new Reception and 3 Elves Restaurant.  Modern yet continuing with traditional Finnish accents throughout.  Huge wooden beams, authentic reindeer hides, cosy snugs, a sizeable mezzanine floor and a well-stocked wine case.  An outstanding piece of Finnish architecture and lit beautifully at night.

Special times with special friends

3 Elves Restaurant

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES BUT SHHHH, DON’T TELL ANYONE

After a short while Marco arrived and we all sat chin-wagging over coffee.  Inga and Marco would be leaving Santa Claus Holiday Village for a few days to celebrate (quietly) Marco’s 50th (shhh, don’t tell anyone) birthday.  Lynne was also celebrating a big birthday…40 and, it was also our 15th wedding anniversary!  Chatting about our Scandinavian travel plans to Inga and Marco, they very generously offered us the opportunity to stay at the brand new luxury apartments for a couple of nights…a very early Christmas present for 2019.  Definitely wasn’t on the cards but we gratefully accepted, we’d be coming back to the place that we love so much, Santa Claus Holiday Village.  But not before a few days in Ruka for the girls to ski.  Our temporary farewells were bid with fondness and we began our 200km journey South-East to Ruka.

READ ALL ABOUT OUR VISIT TO SANTA CLAUS HOLIDAY VILLAGE IN 2016

A magical wonderland, dancing night skies and glögi (mulled wine). Embrace your inner child and allow yourself to become encapsulated in the winter wonderland that awaits at Santa Claus Holiday Village.

FROM ROVANIEMI TO RUKA

The  journey to Ruka should have taken around 2.5 hours but actually took us a little under 5 hours!  The stunning scenery in Finnish Lapland gave us far too may opportunities to stop, take photos and marvel at the beauty of this wintry wonderland, and why not?  At the side of the road, and blending almost invisibly into the snowy surroundings; white rabbits as big as Cocker Spaniels; frolic and play.  Reindeer scrub away at the deep snow with their nose foraging for grass.  We seriously love Finland in winter!  Just need a summer stay now and then get a t-shirt with ‘been there in winter, done that in summer’ printed on the front and back!

Two’s company, three’s a crowd…or is it a herd?

Deep winter snow in Finnish Lapland

LANGUAGE ISN’T ALWAYS A BARRIER

It was late evening when we arrived in Ruka at the little cottage, booked through Interhome; overlooking the bay of Hietalahti on the Kitka River.  The snow was much deeper in Ruka than in Rovaniemi and it was also much colder.  Our non English speaking host met us outside the cottage, and through the amazing technology of Google Translate; we were able to communicate with each other.  The cottage had been heated pending our arrival and we were thankful that it had.  Not as modern as some of the places we’ve stayed when traveling but the cottage was clean, wonderfully warm and everything we could possibly need.  After lighting the fire the car was emptied and we prepared what we needed for the following days excursion…Ice Fishing in Ruka booked with Rukapalvelu Safarihouse.

All the comforts of home…but smaller.

ICE FISHING IN RUKA WITH RUKAPALVELU SAFARIHOUSE

Morning came around rather quickly and outside the temperature was -30°C.  Our first holiday excursion was Ice Fishing, or ‘Pilkki’ as it’s known in Finland; booked with Rukapalvelu Safarihouse for 09:00.  It was extremely cold, it was extremely early and it was beginning to dawn on us that maybe Ice Fishing wasn’t the best idea for the first morning of our holiday!  Nonetheless, we dressed like onions (lots of layers) in the hope of keeping the cold at bay.  Overnight there had been a flurry of snow and the car had to be cleared and defrosted.  Unfortunately, our cabin neighbour had parked in front of our car blocking us in.  Politely we asked them if they could move their car, they couldn’t…flat battery!  After jump starting the dead car we embarked on a short 15 minute journey to Rukapalvelu Safarihouse for Ice Fishing in Ruka.

READ ALL ABOUT OUR ICE FISHING IN RUKA

Are you sure this hole is big enough?

SKIING IN RUKA

After a great morning Ice Fishing in Ruka, Lily-Belle and Matilda were eager to hit the slopes.  So, after spot of lunch at Hanki Baar, we made our way to the ski hire shop.  For us, this was the worst experience of the entire holiday, the staff were unfriendly and made zero effort to assist.  There was also an overcharge of €40 that we didn’t see until we were back at the cottage that evening (rectified with minimal fuss the following day).  After getting boots, skis, helmets and poles for the girls we took the new Village-2-Valley scenic gondola over the mountain.  As Mummy and I are non-skiers we loved the idea of the Rosa and Rudolf Family Park, an all-family snow park situated in the Ruka Valley.  Perfect conditions for skiing with clear blue skies, sunshine and zero wind.  Ruka seemed like the perfect winter ski holiday choice!

Ruka Ski Resort

ROSA AND RUDOLPH FAMILY PARK

The Rosa and Rudolph Family Park was quiet, as were the slopes.  Not once did the girls queue to use the rolling carpets (24m, 50m, 80m, 100m).  Lily-Belle and Matilda were content going up the rolling carpet and down the gentle slopes of their own accord.  The sun was shining brightly in the sky but it was bitterly cold at -22°C.  After an hour or so skiing we took refuge in a hut halfway up the slopes, or was it halfway down?  Toasty warm and a bbq right in the centre.  We soon learned that Finnish people don’t leave home without a packet of sausages, a knife and a flint of some sort to light a fire.  Skiers arrived sporadically and loaded the bbq with sausages….Matilda looked on longingly, her bottom lip quivering!  And not one person offered her a sausage, poor little mite!

Rosa and Rudolph Family Park in Ruka, Finland

Rollin’, rollin’ rollin’…rawhiiiiide!

BBQ Hut…halfway up, or halfway down?

Did someone says sausages?

DON’T BE A TUBE

As well as skiing, within the Rosa and Rudolph Family Park was tubing.  Sit on a big inflatable tube and slide down a sloped snow chute.  Feeling the cold air rush your face as you speed down the chute and ride the steep ice wall at the bottom was thrilling and loads of fun!  Darkness soon began to fall and after another hour of skiing, Lily-Belle and Matilda had had enough.  Seeing all of those sizzling sausages had made us all hungry.  Rather than dine out we stopped at Lidl to do a small shop and then returned to our cottage by the lake.   Our evening was spent playing in the snow and scanning the night sky looking for the dancing lights; followed by toasting marshmallows by the open fire and watching subtitled TV.

Tubing at Rosa & Rudolph Family Park, Ruka

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A RESTLESS NIGHT IN RUKA

After a restless night due to uncomfortable beds, we rose in Ruka to another day of blue skies.  Breakfast in the cottage then a few pictures of the frozen lake.  Such a beautiful location to enjoy the nature of Finland and our 15th wedding anniversary.  After a spot of lunch we returned to the slopes in Ruka Village for more skiing and tubing.  The one thing we loved about skiing in Ruka was how quiet the park was in March.  There’s a lot of construction work going on beside the Rosa and Rudolph Family Park but the building work isn’t disruptive to the slopes.  A brand new Ruka Valley Village with apartments and restaurants which should be ready for the 2020 season.  In the evening we had a Starlit Sleigh Ride to look forward to!

Enjoying the slopes skiing in Ruka

Thumbs up for tubing in Ruka

STARLIT SLEIGH RIDE IN RUKA WITH RUKAPALVELU SAFARIHOUSE

Living on the island of Ireland we are very fortunate to live in a rural area with zero light pollution.  On a clear night the stars shine brightly and many of our galaxy constellations can be seen.  How on earth can we top that?  Well, maybe if we had a snowmobile, a sleigh and a reindeer hide for warmth we’d be close!  That’s exactly what we had when we took a Starlit Sleigh Ride with Rukapalvelu Safarihouse in Ruka.  Having already done Ice Fishing in Ruka with the same company, we knew our evening would be enjoyable.  And who knows, maybe we’d get to see the spectacular Northern Lights on our 15th wedding anniversary!

READ ALL ABOUT OUR STARLIT SLEIGH RIDE IN RUKA

Starry night above Ruka

SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND

Unfortunately, the Northern Lights failed to put in an appearance on our Starlit Sleigh Ride with Rukapalvelu Safarihouse, but all was not lost!  Back at the cottage the ladies slipped into their onesies but I had other plans.  I checked online and knew there was a small chance of seeing the Northern Lights from 22:00 – 01:00.  Camera and tripod in hand and wrapped up snug, I made my way to the bay of Hietalahti on the Kitka River; just 20 yards from the cottage!  There they were, a faint shimmer of wispy green light above the darkened tree line…the Northern Lights.  Very faint, but the Northern Lights nonetheless!  I rang Mummy’s mobile but the girls were asleep.  I sat and admired the dancing Auroras on my Jack Jones!  Gutted the ladies didn’t get to see them, but ecstatic that I did…and I had the photo to prove it!

The mesmerising Northern Lights

FROM RUKA TO ROVANIEMI

As with most Airbnb and Interhome properties we had to check out before noon.  Our morning was spent cleaning the cottage before we said goodbye to our Finnish hosts and began our journey to A Cosy Cottage by the River in Rovaniemi.  On route the snow fell and visibility was poor.  Once again we came across foraging reindeer in an open field that was covered with deep snow.  Shortly after 18:00 we arrived in Rovaniemi and drove down the long lane to our accommodation, A Cosy Cottage by the River.  Darkness was upon us and we were greeted by a smile and three wagging tails; our host Samuli and his three adorable Gordon setters.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW OF A COSY COTTAGE BY THE RIVER

Best friends….’fur’ever.

Two Gordon Setters are better than one.

Fascinating fact: Finnish reindeer aren’t wild…oh no!  Apparently, all reindeer are owned by someone, normally a Sámi; and asking a Sámi how many reindeer they have is highly offensive!  It’s a bit like asking a person how much money they have in their bank account!  Even though you want to know…don’t do it!

A COSY COTTAGE BY THE RIVER

One of Mummy’s 40th birthday requests was to stay in a hotel with a hot tub and lake view.  I honestly think A Cosy Cottage by the River was better than any hotel I could have booked!  After playing with the pups, Lily-Belle and Matilda were both tired and hungry.  In such a beautiful setting, we didn’t want to leave but had no choice, we all required fed!  For tonight, takeaway kebabs and pizza would suffice!  Mummy began to trickle fill the hot tub in the hope it would be filled upon our return…it wasn’t!  An early night was planned but the girls couldn’t resist going on the kick sleds.  My phone pinged and Mikko informed me by text that the Northern Lights would be out.  Camera on tripod, the lights appeared at the end of the long lane leading to A Cosy Cottage by the River.

The magical Northern Lights

Sledding under the Northern Lights

Let there be light….

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

After a while I took the girls to bed and left Mummy to her own accord, her own accord being that she was determined to heat the hot tub so she could use it on her 40th birthday the following morning.   Just to say, for the hot tub to reach 37°C, the required temperature; takes 5-6 hours to heat from cold.  Patiently, Mummy popped in and out into the early hours of the morning to load birch wood into the wood fired hot tub.  Wanting to capture the sunset, Mummy woke early and once again began the process of loading wood into the wood fired hot tub.  The hot tub wasn’t quite to temperature, but at 07:30, on her 40th birthday; Mummy sat and enjoyed the peaceful surroundings of the wilderness and watched the a beautiful sunrise over River Raudanjok!

Gotta fill it before you chill in it

The early bird catches the sunrise

MUMMY’S BIRTHDAY SURPRISE

By the time the girls and I raised our heads off the soft plump pillows, the croissants were already warming in the oven.  As Mummy enjoyed her tranquil surroundings, Lily-Belle and Matilda got Mummy’s 40th birthday pressies ready.  The ladies even had Mummy’s favourite board game Monopoly, in Finnish of course; ready to go.  Just to note, I absolutely loathe Monopoly…Frustration, now there’s a board game that I love!  Thankfully the game was abandoned once the warm buttery croissants were ready.  Delicious!

Happy 40th Birthday Mummy

40…it’s the new 30

Buy, buy, buy….Monopoly

Fresh baked croissants

TREAD CAREFULLY

Wrapped up warm it was time to venture outside.  The previous evening Samuli had informed us that it was safe to venture out on to the frozen river (with caution, as some parts don’t freeze).  Treading carefully, ice creaking and groaning; I couldn’t resist venturing out to the centre to take a few pictures.  The girls were more than happy using the sleds on the snow covered slopes of the garden.  The sled slopes were well bedded, we presume by the previous occupants, and fellow travel blogger; the lovely Kate Bridges.  Meantime, Mummy tended to the hot tub like a new Mummy tends to her newborn baby!  In the shed we found snowshoes and…well, disaster!  I sank to my knees in the soft deep snow and the girls fell this-way-and-that…hilarious!

Sledding is soooo much fun, but walking back isn’t!

Who put that tree there?

KICK SLEDS ARE SO MUCH FUN

A Cosy Cottage by the River has so much to enjoy; we never got the chance to try out the bbq hut but we will on our next visit in 2020.  To truly appreciate the cottage you really should stop en route to pick up provisions and not leave the cottage for a few days.  Our favourite activity by far was the kick sleds; amazing fun zipping at speed down the pine tree lined lane!  Lily-Belle and Matilda took to the sleds with minimal fuss and we even had a ‘You’ve Been Framed’ moment when Lily-Belle was unceremoniously dumped off the back of the kick sled and Mummy crashed into the snow verge!  Did Matilda and I stop to assist….naaaaaaaah, we laughed as we slid by to cross the finish line and take the victory!  Kick sled champions of Rovaniemi 2019.

Kick Sleds at a Cosy Cottage by the River, Rovaniemi

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HOT TUB AND A HEADACHE

Finally, a little R&R in the hot tub!  Mummy couldn’t get her head around why a hot tub had no bubbles!  I explained (many times) that a hot tub is hot water and a Jacuzzi (brand name) is hot water AND bubbles!  I could have explained astrophysics to a monkey quicker!  After partially heating the water the night before, the hot tub only took a couple of hours to reach 37°C.  Once the hot tub reaches the desired temperature, we only needed to top up the wood burner every half hour.  One couldn’t imagine a more beautiful cottage to be looking out over the frozen river.  The feeling of snow flakes as they land on your head, whilst your submerged body is toasty and warm; is more than invigorating.  Just one word…bliss!  Later in the day we met with our good friend Mikko and his beautiful family.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW OF A COSY COTTAGE BY THE RIVER

A Cosy Cottage by the River

A MESMERISING DISPLAY OF DANCING AURORA’S

Back in 2016, when we first visited Santa Claus Holiday Village; the lights failed to put on a show and we left extremely disappointed!  Thankfully though, we did get to meet Mikko whilst visiting Snowman World.  Mikko is an Aurora Hunter and Photographer and through Facebook we stayed in touch and have become good friends.  As a family we were excited to return in March 2019 to meet with Mikko and his wonderful family.  Mikko had also kindly offered to take us on an Aurora Hunt…would we see them this time?

READ ALL ABOUT OUR NORTHERN LIGHTS HUNT IN FINNISH LAPLAND

TIME FLIES IN FINLAND

After our amazing night with Mikko and his family, and seeing the Aurora Borealis dance in the night sky; our time had come to leave A Cosy Cottage by the River.  Next stop…Santa Claus Holiday Village in Rovaniemi, just 20 km away.  On route there was an ‘incident’.  Mummy, Matilda and Lily-Belle were on their ipads and phones so I was the driver and spotter for Finnish wildlife.  A brief glance to the left and bosh…I’d slid into the deep snow verge.  Thankfully a Finnish local stopped and pulled us out of the ditch and once again Google Translate came in handy.  Our incident took 2 hours to get back on the road, 1h 58m of head scratching and 2 mins to pull the car out!   Back on the road we stopped off at Yuca, a Mexican Street Food diner in Rovaniemi; for lunch and to laugh at our misfortune!

The snow….came out of nowhere officer

What can I say other than….oh poo!

YUMMY FOOD AT YUCA

Yuca was exceptionally busy but thankfully we were seated after a short wait.  Our server Mikko spoke perfect English and we chatted as we looked over the menu.  There’s a lovely story about the ‘birth’ of Yuca and here it is in a nutshell.  Taqueria is a Mexican Restaurant in Tulum, Mexico.  Juha, the main owner of Yuca (stay with me) visited Taqueria and enjoyed the food so much, he invited the owners, Fernando and Fernanda (yup, that’s their names); to visit him in Rovaniemi and help establish one of the best Mexican eateries in Finland.  Although we’ve only tried one Mexican restaurant in Finland, Yuca, we do love Mexican food and eat it often.  The food was excellent, the staff were excellent…Yuca IS excellent!  High quality food at a reasonable price, visit and you won’t be disappointed!

Delicious quesadilla’s made fresh at Yuca

Everything is yummy at Yuca

Mexican food made for sharing

SANTA CLAUS HOLIDAY VILLAGE

After a fine tapas feast of tacos, tostadas and a dessert of chocolate churros, our final holiday destination was calling, Santa Claus Holiday Village…and we couldn’t wait!  Arriving at Santa Claus Holiday Village the snow was falling heavily.�� Entering Reception we bumped into Inga and Marco who were about to head away (birthday boy was turning 50) for a few days of fun.  A brief chat, hugs, farewells and they were away, snowmobiles in tow.  A warm welcome at reception and we were provided with a keycard to our accommodation.  For the next two evenings we’d be staying in the brand new Holiday Suites.  The hotel quality suites are named and decorated tastefully with Lappish themes: Snow, Reindeer, Northern Lights, Red Fox, and Snowy Night.  Our Holiday Suite…Reindeer 204.

Reindeer art

Reindeer 204

HOLIDAY SUITES FIT FOR ROYALTY

They say ‘first impressions last’ and they most certainly do, the Reindeer Holiday Suite was outstanding.  Daylight floods in through the superior windows and glass panelled doors which lead out on to the balcony.  Spacious and elegant lounge and a master bedroom befitting royalty.  Inga and Marco describe the Holiday Suites as ‘hotel like quality’, but I have to disagree, in my opinion, they are more superior than a hotel room.  Each Classic Suite has a separate lounge with a double sofa bed, a luxurious main bedroom with a comfy Finnish-made double bed and wardrobes, a terrace with forest views, and a lavish bathroom with sauna.  There’s also a mini kitchenette and mini dining table in every suite.  Classic Suites are perfect for families of 2 + 2.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW OF THE HOLIDAY SUITES

Holiday Suites at Santa Claus Holiday Village in Rovaniemi

3 Elves Restaurant lit at night

WHEN IN FINLAND…EAT PIZZA

After emptying the car and familiarising ourselves with the superb Holiday Suites at Santa Claus Holiday Village, a feed was required.  The new 3 Elves restaurant was preparing to close but thankfully the original restaurant was open and serving food.  Nothing too fancy, pizza and chips to share, and meatballs and chips for the girls.  As we remembered from 2016, all delicious and tasty.  It was a little after 21:00 when we left the restaurant and took a stroll around the deserted Santa Claus Village.  In all honesty, we saw just two people the entire time!  That’s the great thing about the village in March, early evening and the tourists disappear so those staying have the place to themselves (December it’s much busier).  Lily-Belle and Matilda availed of the free sleds and found a huge pile of snow to sled down.  The falling snow was getting heavier!

Pizza…made fir sharing…but not if you’re Matilda!

Quiet dining at Santa Claus Holiday Village

BREAKFAST WITH 3 ELVES

Morning arrived and after showers it was time to venture out to the new 3 Elves Restaurant for breakfast.  There had been around 6 inches of soft powdery snow overnight, and snow was still falling heavily!  Winter, especially when snow is falling and deep on the ground; is my favourite season of the year.  I felt like a giddy child as I stuck my tongue out trying to catch snowflakes!  To onlookers, I have no doubt that I probably looked like a deranged orangutan!  Chefs worked busily preparing eggs to order and ensuring the breakfast trays were kept well stocked.  Crispy bacon, pancakes and syrup is always a firm favourite with The Callaghan Posse and didn’t disappoint.  Tired, a strong flavoursome coffee was needed, welcomed and drank swiftly…caffeine kick!

READ OUR TOP 18 – CHRISTMAS IN LAPLAND FIRST TIME TIPS

Croissants and berry juice shots…delicious

Breakfast is served

Self service breakfast at 3 Elves Restaurant

HOWLING HUSKY’S AT THE HUSKY PARK

After a hearty breakfast we took a short walk into Santa Claus Village and dropped in to Husky Park.  In the first enclosure, through a perspex window; we could see a mother husky being suckled by her new born pups.  So adorable and cute!  Each husky pen has a plate detailing name, age, position within the pack and general info on the dog itself.  Before entering the Husky Park we were warned to remove our gloves before petting the dogs, as the dogs have a tendency to steal gloves straight off the hand.  Of course, we all howled in an attempt to get the husky’s to do the same, which they did.  Hooooooooooowl!

ALWAYS let sleeping dogs lie

The husky’s pace frantically at times, and howl in an attempt to catch the attention of their owners. They are not sad, ill-treated or cold, they simply want to be part of the sled team and run.  The majority of the dogs are friendly and can be petted, but the odd one will show its teeth as a warning.  What we did was approach the cage, then hold the back of our bare hand just close enough for the husky’s to smell us.  If they accepted us they brushed against the cage and presented themselves to be stroked, if they didn’t accept us, the dog simply growled and walked away.  During our visit in 2016 we took a twilight Husky Sled Ride, on this occasion we decided petting and seeing the dogs was enough.  Next stop, children’s snowmobiling with Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park.

Does what is says on the tine…Husky’s

Thankfully they don’t bite…and neither do the dogs

Mush….or should that be sose?

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

When we first visited Santa Claus Holiday Village in 2016, Lily-Belle was just 7.  Her first attempt at snowmobiling was a disaster!  A quick twist of the throttle and the sudden forward jerk scared her senseless and she refused to carry on!  This time, Lily-Belle was more than happy to open the throttle, but Matilda got the fear…refused to even sit on the snowmobile!  For just €20pp the children get 10 minutes to do as many laps as they can around a small circuit.  As we had paid for two children, Lily-belle got to have 20 minutes of snowmobile fun…and she loved it, even asked if I would buy her a quad when we got home…er, no!

Snowmobile taster at Arctic Circle Snowmobile Park at Santa Claus Holiday Village in Rovaniemi

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RUDOLPH HAD GONE AWOL

Not too far from Husky Park is Santa Claus Reindeer.  Although we didn’t take a reindeer sleigh ride on this occasion, we did back in 2016, and loved it!  Beside the entrance of the reindeer pen we stopped by the fire pit and warmed our chilly fingers and toes.  Of course, we still had to get a few pictures stood beside Santa’s reindeer….but funny enough, not one of them had a bright red nose!  Seemed Rudolph had deserted his post and gone awol!  Maybe he was in the Post Office?

Rudolph the white nosed reindeer….doesn’t quite have the same ring to it!

PASSPORT TO PRISON

If you visit Finland and cross the Arctic Circle, there’s something that you should remember to do….and in 2016, we failed to do this task.  And what is that task you may ask…it’s get your passport stamped!  Ok, if you do…you’re doing so at your own risk and allow me to tell you why!  Having your passport ‘unofficially’ stamped by the Santa Claus Village reception is technically classed as ‘defacing or altering’ your passport.  Airport officials are well within their rights to refuse you entry/exit of the country.  Don’t say we didn’t warm you!  With our history of airports, mainly Mummy and past security issues, we really wondered if ‘defacing’ our passports would be a good idea.  But hey ho, what’s the worse that could happen, we’d get to stay in Lapland until new passports arrived.  Passports stamped!  Time for an early evening meal at Santa’s Salmon Place.

Crossing the Arctic Circle

Passports stamped at the Arctic Circle – check.

SANTA’S SALMON PLACE

Not sure how we managed to miss Santa’s Salmon Place back in 2016…but somehow we did!  Deliciously fresh salmon slow baked in an open fire in the centre of a Lappish tippee.  As the only fish eater in the house, Mummy and the girls weren’t too enthralled at dining on salmon.  The tippee is quite small and seating is limited, but the smells are more than pleasing as the flames lick at the salmon skin.  Food heaven for me, food hell for the girls!  Not all bad though, they did get to eat a delicious scandinavian cheesecake and heart shaped biscuits for dessert.  Who’d have thought that a piece of salmon and a bread roll could taste so good…but it did!  With full bellies we played in the snow before retiring to Reindeer 204 to pack away our winter clobber.  Leaving for home the following day.

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IT’S NEVER GOODBYE…JUST HEI HEI

Morning arrived much too soon and we really did not want to leave Santa Claus Holiday Village.  After clearing the car of deep snow, and packing the car, and dropping the room key back at reception; sadly, our visit to Santa Claus Holiday Village had come to an end.  Santa Claus Holiday Village is a special place and we know we’ll return many, many times.  Full of magic, full of wonder, full of the spirit of Christmas….a wintry wonderland that every person should try to visit at least once in their life time.  Until the next time…hei hei!

WOULD WE GO BACK?

We’ve already booked to return in 2020.  The stunning wintry landscape coupled with the friendly locals just makes Finland a favourite holiday destination of ours.  We love snow, the deeper the better and the girls love Christmas…what more could we possibly need?

With a very special THANK YOU to:

Anna and Samuli – for your exceptional warmth and kindness, your cosy cottage is beautiful,

Inga and Marco – for your friendship and for your generosity, hope you liked our little gift,

Mikko Lantto and family – for an amazing night filled with laughter, food, friendship and Aurora hunting,

Rukapalvelu Safarihouse – for our excursions and for showing us the beautiful way of Finnish life…enjoy the Baileys.

We are very grateful to each and every one of you for your generosity, warmth, kindness and friendships.  Looking forward to returning to Finnish Lapland and seeing you all in 2020.

LILY-BELLE SAYS (10)

Finland is becoming my favourite place to visit on holiday.  Last time I came I didn’t do the snowmobile but really enjoyed it this time.  Visiting the Husky Park was my favourite though, I really loved the Husky pups, and wanted to bring them all home.

MATILDA SAYS (4)

I really love the snow and sledding down the hills, it’s so much fun.  The dogs were really fluffy and I liked it when the howled at me.

Travel Itinerary

Easyjet:  Belfast to London 2nd March / 11th March 2019 (return):  £246.42 (2A + 2C + 1 checked bag) Premier Inn London 2nd March 2019:  £65 (1 night) Easyjet:  London to Rovaniemi (return flights) 3rd March 2019:  £215.38 (2A + 2C + 1 checked bag) Hertz Car Hire from Rovaniemi Airport:  £343.83 (7 days) Ruka Cottage booked through Interhome 3rd March – 6th March 2019:  £306.00 for 4 days / 3 nights A Cosy Cottage by the River booked through Airbnb 6th March – 8th March 2019:  £230.00 for 3 days / 2 nights Santa Claus Holiday Village Holiday Suites 8th March – 10th March 2019:  Gifted for 3 days / 2 nights

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              Information, currency and prices are correct at the time of publishing. Views, opinions and experiences are that of The Callaghan Posse and are correct at the time of publication. Photos, unless credited, are taken by The Callaghan Posse for use and distribution by Around The World In 18 Years. Images and content may not be used or copied (private or commercial) without obtaining prior permission.

[disclaimer: Gifted item(s) from Rukapalvelu Safarihouse were provided in return for social media and blog coverage.  Our 2 night stay at Santa Claus Holiday Village was gifted by friends]

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FINNISH LAPLAND: RUKA AND ROVANIEMI For the second time in as many years, our urge to travel has taken us back to the wondrous winter wonderland of Finnish Lapland.