AI. Artificial intelligence. It seems to be everywhere these days, does it not? Almost every week, somebody tells us how much AI has changed their life. How they can now do things faster, create more content, work more efficiently and achieve things that would previously have taken hours. And yes, I can see why people find it useful. But there is one question that keeps coming back to me. Do we really need to do more, and do everything faster? I know, I know. This is coming f

Planning your first trip to Lapland can be quite overwhelming. There are so many beautiful places to visit, activities to choose from and different types of accommodation. And if you have never travelled this far north before, it can be difficult to know what to expect. Since moving to Levi in 2018, Paul and I have welcomed visitors from all over the world to Foxfires. Over the years, we have heard many stories about how people planned their holidays, what surprised them and

Packing for Lapland in winter can feel quite complicated, especially if you have never experienced Arctic temperatures before. How warm does your jacket need to be? Do you need specialist Arctic clothing? What kind of boots should you buy? And what happens if the forecast suddenly shows -25°C or even -40°C? Frozen hair - thats quite normal here in deep winter After living in Finnish Lapland since 2018, we have had plenty of time to work out what keeps us warm and comfortable

One of the most common questions we receive from people planning a trip to Finnish Lapland is: “Do we need to hire a car?” The short answer is no, you do not need a car to enjoy Finnish Lapland. But that does not necessarily mean you should not hire one. After living in Levi since 2018 and travelling extensively around Finnish Lapland ourselves, we think the decision depends mainly on three things: where you are staying, what you want to do, how independently you like to trav

Seeing the Northern Lights is one of the biggest reasons people travel to Finnish Lapland. It is also something people worry about a lot before they arrive. Every winter we receive questions such as: “We are coming on 5th January. Will we see the Northern Lights?” “Which month is best for the Aurora?” “We are staying for three nights. Is that enough?” We also meet people who believe they need to stay in a glass igloo, book an expensive Aurora tour every night or travel during

We lived in London for 15 years before leaving for Lapland in 2018. Eight years later, we were finally going back together for the first time. Would London feel different? Would we still like it as much as we used to? Would we miss our old life there? We wanted to revisit some of our favourite places, discover what had changed, meet old friends and simply enjoy London without work meetings, rushing and everyday responsibilities. But before London, we were taking a little deto

One of the questions we are asked most often is: “When is the best time to visit Lapland?” November 2018 The answer might surprise you. There is no single “best” time. Instead, there is the best time for the holiday you want to have. Many people automatically choose December because it feels the most magical. Others only consider February because of the winter holiday. Some assume they must visit during the darkest part of winter to see the Northern Lights. The truth is that

One of the first questions people ask when planning a trip to Finnish Lapland is: “How many days should we stay in Levi?” The answer is that there is no perfect number. It depends on why you are visiting, what you hope to experience and how quickly you like to travel. Some people arrive with a long list of activities and want to fit everything into three days. Others come simply to experience winter, spend time outdoors and slow down. After welcoming guests from around the wo

Yesterday marked eight years since we arrived in Levi and started a completely new life. Eight years. Sometimes it feels like we have been here forever, and sometimes it feels like we arrived only yesterday. Foxfires So it seems like a good time to tell the story of how a Polish wife and a British husband and, of course, our Parson Russell Terrier Gooseberry, left London and ended up living in Finnish Lapland. Is there another path to take? We had been living in London and wo

What to expect from our private Arctic Spa experience in Levi, Lapland. When most people think about visiting Lapland, they imagine huskies, reindeer, snowmobiles and the Northern Lights. But there is another experience that has been part of Finnish life for centuries. The sauna. For us, a Finnish sauna is much more than simply getting warm after a day outdoors. It is about slowing down, switching off and giving yourself permission to do absolutely nothing for a little while.

After months of welcoming guests, replying to emails and working on new projects, it was finally time for our summer holiday. For us, going away as small business owners is never as simple as locking the door and leaving. There are always last-minute jobs to finish, emails to answer and little details to organise before we can properly switch off. One of the reasons we love road trips is the freedom they give us. There is no flight to catch, no strict timetable to follow and

When people start planning a trip to Levi, they often spend hours comparing hotels, cabins and apartments. But there is one question that is even more important: Where in Levi should you stay? Foxfires guesthouse and Arctic Spa Choosing the right location can completely change your holiday. Some visitors want to step straight into restaurants and cafes each evening. Others imagine waking up surrounded by snowy trees, enjoying the silence before heading out to explore. Neither

Planning your first trip to Finnish Lapland is exciting. It is also surprisingly easy to become overwhelmed. You begin by searching for Northern Lights, then someone tells you to stay in a glass igloo. Another article says you need a rental car. Instagram shows endless snowy forests, while travel forums are full of conflicting advice about when to visit, what to pack and how long to stay. Before long, what should be an exciting holiday starts feeling like a research project.

Tromsø is one of those places that looks simple on a map. A small city above the Arctic Circle, surrounded by mountains, fjords and islands. But once you start planning a trip, you quickly realise there are a lot of decisions to make. Which season should you choose? Do you need a rental car? How many days should you stay? Should you focus only on Tromsø or explore the surrounding region as well? After years of travelling regularly between Finnish Lapland and Northern Norway,

For many years I thought May was the ugliest month in Lapland. After a long winter, the snow begins to melt, the landscape turns brown and patchy, and the endless white beauty of winter slowly disappears. Compared to the magical snowy forests of January or the colourful autumn of September, May never seemed particularly impressive. But a few years ago I realised I was completely wrong. The more time we spent living in Lapland, the more we began to appreciate this unique seaso

Levi in Lapland preserves snow. What?

Still no snow in Lapland? Don't worry, there is a lot to do here even when there is no snow.

Santa Claus is from Lapland. He works in Rovaniemi and his childhood cabin is here in Levi. Santa's office is in Rovaniemi situated on...

One of the most frequently asked questions we receive every season is, "When is the best time to see the Northern Lights?". Some even ask...

Remember that Lapland is in the Arctic Circle, a place well known for being cold. In deep winter temperatures could drop to around -40°C...