Helsinki Day 3

I'm convinced that the only reason we associate snow with magical fantasy is because somebody coined the phrase "winter wonderland" and it stuck.

Otherwise, winter is often no wonderland. It is the land of layered clothing, bloodied snot, static shocks and numb faces.

That having been said, the thing that sticks out for me about Helsinki was the nice, warm people there. (Mm, pun unintended.) Maybe I have low expectations, but it's not everyday you get a consistently pleasant experience dealing with shop clerks and service staff.

A country that doesn't make it intimidating or offputting for foreigners gets my thumbs up. That's my sort of wonderland.