Things to love about Finland

It's often the small details that make you feel good about a place. In the case of Finland, where I've spent the last three days, these include: trains that run on time in -20 Celsius; a railway company that sells true e-tickets (no need to collect from the station after purchasing online, the printout is the ticket); mixed gender teams shovelling snow at 3am; shops that sell Mountain Dew. Add the dramatic climate and a people who have invented such bizarre sports as wife carrying, swamp football, winter swimming (a 25-metre race in icy water) and, of course, the air guitar world championship and you have a heady blend indeed.