Would you live in Helsinki?

[Finnish Swede]

Ok so it's bleak, dark, cold and expensive as hell. Me, my boyfriend and a couple of friends were planning to visit Helsinki around Christmas but I'm not so sure now. You guys scared me Maybe summer would be a better period to go there?

Depends on what you wanna see...Finland is one of those countries which really have 4 totally different seasons....and it also looks different.

Some photos (Helsinki / winter).

[Dandelion]

Finns probably also love their harsh cold winters.

Speaking of climate. I remember a few years ago a day when Lapland was the hottest place in Europe and Andalusia the coldest. It was opposite day that one summer day.

[Kazimiera]

What is the climate like in South Africa? Is it mostly warm like the rest in Africa or there is much variation in the seasons

It depends where you are. I can only speak for the area I live in. It's a Mediterranean climate with cold rainy winters, and hot summers. The winters rarely get colder than 10 degrees Celcius, and the summers average at around 28 degrees but during heat waves you often have days of it being 38 degrees and over. November is the most pleasant time of year because the crazy heat hasn't set in yet. In winter there is snow on the mountains surrounding Cape Town but never in the city itself because it is at sea level.

There are other areas with summer rains and dry winters.

My mom lives in a semi-desert area about 600km inland from me and the temperatures are vastly different. The summers are boiling. It can go up to 45 degrees for days on end. The winters go sub-zero with snow. I went to visit her in winter in June and it was icy. The problem with South African homes is that they don't have the double-glazed windows or central heating like in Europe. When it's -1 outside, it is -1 INSIDE too and a fire only heats up the area where it burns. I woke up in the mornings with ice on my blanket where my breath had frozen. You can't flush the toilet until mid-day because the water is frozen in the toilet bowl and cistern. You can't shower until mid-day either, and some days not at all, because the water is frozen in the pipes. At one stage I couldn't shower for three days, and partly because I didn't want to get undressed in a bathroom that is 2 degrees. You have to sit inside the house wearing layers and layers of clothing and you still freeze. So although the winters in Europe are much colder, they are more pleasant because of central heating and the houses are built for such weather. I went to Scotland over Christmas a few years ago and it was cold and snowing but I never felt really cold unless I walked around outside.

[Saiwalo]

Finns probably also love their harsh cold winters.

No.
When winter comes, end of abstinence.

[Finnish Swede]

No.
When winter comes, end of abstinence.

LOL.

In any cases all kids loves snow and so do people who likes wintersports (like skiing).

[Saiwalo]

LOL.

In any cases all kids loves snow and so do people who likes wintersports (like skiing).

Sure, but the winter is longer, colder & overall more fierce in Lapland.

[Colonel Frank Grimes]

Only if I'm invited and allowed to shoot reindeer.

[MissMischief]

And it's the home of the introverted. Italian women (you and MissMischief) are also naturally inclined to be attracted to that country of the far North.

I've never even met or been romantically involved with any man from Northern Europe

I went to Stockholm last year and I had a blast but damn, it was already dark by 3pm

[Neon Knight]

Winter! The realm of eternal ice!
Snowfall and darkness descends upon the vales of time!
Distant caress, of the sun's fading light
The lands were painted white, with the Winter's might.

Yeah, I'd live there for the metal bands.

[щрбл]

I lived there for a few months, as well as having visited 6-7 times already(~).

Lake hopping was the best, especially at night. It's something that you can't do in many places around the world.