On the night of my daughter's wedding in Lapland I saw the Northern Lights, the Aurora Borealis that so many people look out for but often in vain. I hadn't quite known what to expect but the long arcs of greenish light stretching across the northern skies are a sight worth waiting for, one more colourful display of beauty in a land full of magical breathtakingly beautiful sights.
Another afternoon I had been mesmerised by an awesomely lovely sky that turned pink, peach, cream and yellow and then orange and flaming red, an artist's dream spreading across as far as the eye could see.
Looking at this kaleidoscope of colour, I was reminded that the sun, although never visible in winter, was there beneath the horizon. The sky is a uniform grey during the day but just before darkness falls it turns inky-blue, intriguing to look at.
We passed the day after the wedding fairly quietly, having to pack up in preparation for our departure next day, January 6, a public holiday in Finland. It was quiet at breakfast and the black circles in the snow outside were reminders of the burning logs of the previous day. Somehow, it all seemed a bit of an anti-climax.
Anna and Pasi, her new husband, were to drive back the 1150km to Helsinki taking our luggage with them. Mike, my husband, and Hazel, my friend from school days, and I were catching the bus from Kiilopaa Fell Centre to the airport in Ivalo from where we were flying to Helsinki.
We arrived at Vantaa Airport to blue skies and sunshine, followed by heavy snowfalls. Pasi's sister met us and drove us to Anna's and Pasi's home in Vantaa. It was cold at first in the bungalow but Paivi lit a big log fire for us and switched on the heating and the sauna before driving me to a supermarket to buy milk and bread.
Anna and Pasi arrived about 4.30am next morning after a non-stop journey of 16 hours in extreme icy conditions. We spent three days in their lovely bungalow set in a select wooded area.
A tour of the city was on the agenda that day. It was cold and snowing hard. We found it strange watching the city men and women carrying briefcases and wearing Cossack-style clothing, like a scene from "Doctor Zhivago". Parking, although restrictive, was nowhere near the problem it is in our cities.
The lights and Christmas trees were still ablaze, proclaiming that Christmas is celebrated in a big way in Finland.
Later, Pasi drove us to a house where the owner introduced us to his 10 husky dogs. I couldn't believe that in a select residential area such as this the neighbours would be happy living next to a dog farm.
The huskies are lovely dogs and one of them, the biggest and the only black one among them, jumped up and gave me a biff on the nose that caught me unawares.
"He's just welcoming you with a kiss," said the owner.
I've always been scared of dogs, and having 10 excited huskies running around left me holding my breath in terror. Each dog was called to a trailer and when all 10 were safely in their kennels we set off in convoy for the hills and forests outside Helsinki. There the dogs were harnessed in two teams to sledges. I had a ride through the forest, lasting half an hour in a sledge pulled by six dogs.
The forest was a fairyland of ice and snow. I feasted my eyes on its beauty while I was struck with awe at the way the dogs responded to spoken commands in Finnish.
"How did the dogs know to turn right at the fork in the track?" I asked.
"From my spoken command," replied the owner.
"They are very intelligent, very clever," I ventured.
"No. They are very stupid. I think so," came the reply.
"Stupid?" I asked Pasi later.
"Well, compared to German shepherd dogs, they aren't as clever."
Pasi knows about German shepherd dogs because he was a dog handler when he was in the Army, patrolling the border with Russia. Anyway, I thought those huskies were fabulous, a small breed, unlike the bigger Siberian huskies I'd seen in films.
After my ride as a passenger I drove the team of four around the training ring. Anna ran ahead to lead them. It was an unforgettable, exhilarating experience. Spread-eagled, with my feet on the two skies and my knees bent, I leaned forward and let the dogs enjoy their extra little run, while I forgot that I am 74 years of age.
That evening we visited Finlandia Park and took photographs of the Sibellius monument, a very impressive construction, with a statue of a recumbent Sibellius beside it. Finlandia has always been one of my favourite pieces of music but I hadn't realised till then that it is the tune for Finland's national anthem. We live and learn!
Then we went on to Temppleliankio Church, a remarkable round church quarried out of the granite bedrock near the centre of Helsinki. With its distinctive copper dome and a stone wall surrounding it, the church must be one of the city's main tourist attractions. Inside, it was a haven of peace and tranquillity, well protected from the noise of the world outside.
Sitting on one of the plain birch seats, I looked around me and noticed the variously coloured rock walls and the water that trickled from crevices in the rocks and the pine choir dais and the baptismal font, which consisted of a shallow metal plate resting on rough-hewn rock plinths.
It is a remarkable piece of architecture, so refreshingly different from the richly ornate baroque and the majestic, tall Gothic churches we normally visited as tourists.
There, in silence, you begin to recapture the lost ideals of your youth and revel in the beauty of nature - wood, water, rocks, all proclaiming the wonders of creation.
As I sat there, I was once again back in the beautiful chapel in college, at evening prayers and listening to the voice of our saintly principal, who later became Archbishop of Armagh, and was to be so saddened by the sectarian hatred and killings around him in Northern Ireland.
The words of that lovely, soothing prayer rang in my ears: "When the evening shadows lengthen and the busy world is hushed and the fever of life is over..."
Perhaps it is time now for me to sit back and take stock and rest from the feverish chasing after excitement and fresh experiences. Perhaps it is time to concentrate on being myself again after so many years of absorbing myself in my daughter's life, living as Anna's Mum, rather than as my own person!
Anna and Pasi had considered holding their wedding in that church but it is booked up far in advance and their lifestyle is such that they couldn't plan that far ahead. It's the kind of magnificent setting I'd have revelled in.
We ended up our evening tour by walking over two bridges to the island of Seurasaari. As we walked around in the snow, we passed many wooden buildings, which had been brought there from different parts of Finland and which dated back to different eras. It was rather like what we'd call a "Heritage Centre". Set among the trees it was a magical scene and we stopped to pose for photographs outside a windmill.
The sea around us was frozen and we could see people skating there. There were several ships frozen in and further out to sea an icebreaker was at work. I pondered on the way our country comes to a halt when we suffer a short spell of snow! In Finland it is compulsory to fit studded tyres on your car from September to March and then you must by law refit ordinary tyres so it is all a matter of being prepared for the weather conditions.
Pasi's parents came to dinner on our last night there and Anna and Pasi were host and hostess for the first time to the two sets of parents. It felt strange at first but good, this reversal of roles.
Next morning we went snowshoeing through the woods behind their bungalow. As we flew out that afternoon, bound for Heathrow, leaving behind all the beauty of that magical Winter Wonderland we were filled with memories of the most wonderful holiday ever.
I look forward to returning in the summer to the land of a thousand lakes where I know I'll be taken kayaking. Anna also wants me to pick wild berries in the woods with her and teach her how to make jams from them.
Meanwhile, an e-mail has arrived from New Zealand telling me that my sister and her daughter-in-law are arriving on February 18, and plan to stay for a month so more excitement lies ahead.