A great philosopher once said, "The world is a book,
and those who don't travel read only one page."
Well, I've gotta say,
I've read a few pages and I'm not crazy about the book.
I don't look forward to traveling for a number of reasons.
When it's too cold,
I'm not comfortable.
Ice swimming, naked?
- Yes. - Well, that's a terrific invitation.
When it's too warm, guess what? I'm not comfortable.
I can't move that fast.
- But I'm 75. - You need some help?
No, I got it.
And maybe it's time to expand my horizons.
Oh, my God.
First time I've had my hand up an elephant's ass.
On the plus side,
I'm staying at some unbelievable hotels.
Oh, my. This is spectacular.
The catch is, I've also agreed to explore what lies outside.
- Watch your step. - No kidding.
- Beautiful mountain. - That's a volcano.
That's a volcano?
A world I've spent my whole life avoiding.
Sadie.
Oh, my God.
Just surviving would be great.
This is the last time I have five vodkas with a Finn.
I'm in the Arctic Circle, and the big question for me is, why?
I'm not a winter person.
I don't ski. I don't skate.
I don't even make snowballs anymore.
I mean, this place is beautiful.
Kinda makes me glad my eyes are frozen open.
For a guy who doesn't love extremes,
this is as extreme as it gets.
The icy wilderness of Finland.
I've heard that people come here
to be dazzled by the wonders of the natural world,
like the sun which never sets in the summer months
and the aurora borealis that light up the winter sky.
But the only thing that's dazzling me right now
is the loss of feeling in my extremities.
- Hey, Eugene. - Hi.
My name is Kaisa. Nice to meet you.
Local guide Kaisa has come to welcome me,
and although we've just met, I sense we're speaking the same language.
- Uh-huh. - So, I said,
"You are warmly welcomed to Finland and to Lapland."
I love the way you say, "You are warmly welcomed."
Finland in northern Europe is half the size of Texas,
but I'm guessing fewer cowboys.
I'm in Lapland, the most northern part of the country,
where temperatures drop to minus 50,
and a snowmobile is apparently the best way to get around.
This is snow only.
This is one way to travel, isn't it?
Although, possibly not the most comfortable.
We go this way. This way.
- You're taking very good-- - This is practical information.
- Taking very good care of me. - I taking-- Yes.
Kaisa, this is about as far north as I have ever been.
I'm sure you'd love it when you find the magic of our nature.
Have you heard about Finnish sisu?
- No. - Sisu is like that we never give up.
So sisu is a--
is grit and determination?
It is.
It would be nice that you really go deep into the Finnish culture
and find your own sisu.
I'll be looking for it.
Whether I ever find it is another story.
Tell you what, Kaisa can look for sisu.
I'm gonna keep my eyes peeled for a hotel and a hot bath.
Fortunately, there just happens to be one on the horizon.
They named it the Arctic TreeHouse.
Welcome to the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel. Please.
Local Finn, Katja, is the owner.
Your suite awaits you.
So apparently this place
has incredible views of the northern lights,
and it's designed for people who love new experiences.
But I'm hoping they'll welcome me as well.
All of these suites, they are turned in to the northern sky,
so you have the most probability to see the aurora borealis.
Do you get any kind of refund if the northern lights don't appear?
It is a natural phenomenon. They are a little bit fickle.
- They decide when they arrive. Yeah. - Well, let's take a look.
Yes, of course.
Look at this.
This tub looks like it's nine feet deep.
Indeed. You can do little bit more modest way
or enjoy the view and be more--
How would I say? Experimental.
You know, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I'll probably go the modest route.
And when I say "probably," I mean "keep the blind closed."
And over here is your very own private sauna.
- I love that. - Yes.
And what us Finns do after the sauna, we roll around the snow.
Wow.
It's very good for your circulation.
I'll try anything once.
Maybe not on this trip, but you know, one day, as they say.
Enjoy yourself.
Thank you.
I'm beginning to feel more enthusiastic,
and I'm beginning to feel my toes again.
I gravitate toward a warmer clime,
but this is kind of a nice change.
We'll see how far my sisu goes on this trip,
but I will definitely give it my best to try and get into things
I normally might not be getting into.
Unfortunately,
that's going to involve stepping back outside...
into a blizzard.
"Hardy" and "resilient" are two words that have never been used to describe me,
but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I'm gonna try one of the Finns' favorite pastimes,
ice fishing.
And here to show me the ropes
are local farmer Allu and his six-year-old son.
Hey! Nice to meet you.
Hi. Nice to meet you. This must be a little Allu.
- Taisto. - Taisto.
He's very anxious to start some fishing.
- Well, I've never fished. - Never?
Never fished. No.
We're gonna test the really old-fashioned rod fishing
and hope to get some perch.
We have to make a hole. You wanna try?
- Yeah. How's that? - Oh, no. Sounds good.
Are you having a good time?
- You're doing well. - Uh-huh.
Don't worry.
I wasn't expecting to manually drill through the ice.
So it takes-- You know, it takes a lot if you're not used to it.
- You need some help? - No, I got it.
For anybody with lesser capabilities,
it might have been a chore but, you know,
it was kinda one, two, three for me.
- Wow. - We are ready and then up.
Quickly.
See? Tougher than I look.
Okay, like you see.
So you lift up about ten centimeter above the bottom.
When you feel something, just pull it up.
You feel something?
I think I'm feeling a heart attack coming on.
Taisto caught a fish. A small perch.
Wow.
This is clearly a young man's game.
- Another one. - Oh, my God. What is going on?
Well, he's got the better rod.
- Third one. - Okay.
Well, this is-- You know what? Now he's just showing off.
Taisto, he's completely showing off.
Oh, yeah. Fourth.
I'm not saying he's precocious, but you know,
he kind of just-- He kind of rubs it in.
He rubs it in a little bit.
- This is all-- - A big one.
Okay. All right. This is like--
"I got another one, Dad."
There's coming more.
"Got another one, Dad."
- So easy. - No, it is easy. Not too embarrassed here.
The kid's starting to get to me.
- Up, up. There we go! - There we go!
That's yours.
No more calls. We have a winner.
- Very good. - Wow. There we go, Taisto.
How do you feel now?
- I feel like I caught a fish. - Very good.
Well, he did ask.
While the fish Taisto and I caught
will do for the hors d'oeuvres,
Allu's keen to reel in a main course.
Okay, here we go.
Wow!
How many kilos would that be?
- It's only one and a half. - One and a half?
It can be 10 times bigger in this lake.
It's fascinating to watch Allu.
You saw the size of the fish that he caught.
The guy knows what he's doing.
Here we go.
Right?
You know, I mean, I don't think I'll be fishing, you know, again.
But for those that can do it well,
it's an art form to be admired.
By others.
All that exertion has worked up my appetite.
The good news, I can smell dinner.
The not-so-good news, it seems to be coming from a tent.
I wish there was more of a heat glow coming from inside.
Hello.
I've been invited to dine tonight
with hotel owners Katja and her husband Ilkka.
- Nice to meet you. Welcome. - Nice to meet you.
Good to be here. Look at this.
This is the kota, and this is very Finnish.
This is very, very traditional.
A lot of people-- A lot of Finns have these,
and they're used for cooking,
so especially in the summertime.
It's like barbecuing in the backyard.
- Exactly. - You would go into a kota?
Yeah. It's also traditional in Finland to ask the guests to cook for themselves.
So we're asking for you to help us cooking for tonight.
Well, if you really don't care about what the food tastes like...
- I'm your man. - Okay.
I'm told I'm getting something very Finnish.
I'm intrigued and nervous.
So, this is a reindeer fillet.
It's kind of a superfood.
- We're having reindeer? - We're having reindeer.
I don't want to eat reindeer, to be honest.
I'm kind of conservative in the stuff that I like,
'cause I don't have an adventurous palate.
So this is gonna be interesting for me
'cause elk, reindeer I've never had, so I'm very anxious to try it.
Well, the anxious bit was true.
This sisu that I've been hearing about.
From what I understand, it's kind of a grit and a determination.
Yes, you're getting it.
It means that you just don't give up.
- Okay. - Guts and the inner strength.
Well, sisu for me,
would be getting through a reindeer fillet.
Eugene, please have a seat.
My first Finnish meal.
Yes.
And now, sisu.
Eating half-raw reindeer meat.
Well, you didn't have to say "half-raw."
The thought of eating reindeer
is really killing Christmas for me right now.
Okay, here we go.
Not bad.
It melts.
- It does melt. - Yeah.
This is a great first step.
I had a strong temptation to just say, "You know what, guys?
I'm gonna pass on the reindeer."
You know, all this talk about sisu, give it a go.
This is really good.
And it's wild food. We know where it came from.
Again, you don't have to say "wild."
You don't have to say "wild."
I'm just-- I'm trying to-- You know, I'm getting it down.
Having new experiences are better than having no experiences.
And I'll be using that as a mantra on this trip.
Drink to your sisu. Your inner sisu.
What else would you suggest that I try while I'm here?
We have a good friend of ours, Aksana and Antti.
They do have some huskies.
- How does that sound to you? - It sounds great,
but we're not gonna end up eating husky, are we?
They're laughing, but they didn't say no.
After my first night in Finland,
I've woken up with the sound of laughter still ringing in my ears...
and it turns out there's a reason why.
For the last five years,
the Finns have been named the happiest people in the world.
Nothing says happy more than this hot chocolate,
but I get nervous about people
being really happy. Insanely happy.
The idea that, you know,
you're in a country of the happiest people in the world,
there's gotta be something to it.
I don't buy the fact that somebody can just be happy all the time.
Wake up and be happy.
Something has to make you happy.
I do want to delve into that just a little more.
And I know who to ask about happiness.
A man who smiles even when he's gutting a pike.
- Hey. - How are you?
- Really good. - Look at these beautiful animals here.
They are unique.
Allu's not just a hotshot fisherman.
He's also a fifth-generation reindeer farmer.
And my nemesis, Taisto, is in line to be the sixth.
This is my family tradition. So we raise them for meat.
We use all from head to the tail.
So you can see my jacket.
This is more than ten years old. It's all reindeer.
That's reindeer?
- Yeah. - Okay.
Now we're gonna feed some reindeers.
Hold this and take it to the sledge.
All right.
And, Eugene, if you need some help, just tell to Taisto. He will help you.
- Please get in. - What?
Just take a seat back there. I will grab reindeer hide for you.
So the six-year-old gets to sit up front
while I'm back here in coach.
And you want me--
How do you sit back here?
Yeah. Just on your knees.
Okay.
- Ready? - Yeah.
Good boy.
They told me Lapland has more reindeer than people.
We got company.
I didn't believe them until I looked behind me.
I hope they're not blaming me for the loss of their cousin
who I might have eaten last night.
Grab this bag of lichen.
- Yeah. - And spread it all around.
Chow time!
Chow time.
Here, honey. Look at this. Here, honey.
I'm feeding my reindeer. Yeah.
They're the cutest things. They're just the sweetest animals.
It's really sad that some of them end up on a plate.
Dessert!
This is something.
It's a way of life.
Catching them in the wild, it takes years and years to--
that you learn how they behave.
That's why it's like a family tradition
and what is different between your and my life.
- So I'm hunting here something to eat. - Yeah.
Most people in the big cities, what that they hunting for is the money.
- That is something different. - Exactly.
- You understand what I mean? - I do, because this is very rewarding.
And you can feel the nature when you come and feed the animals.
That's what I like in my work, forest and nature.
That's why we are the happiest.
And if you get sad, you can hug the tree, and you are smiling again.
Living off the land, it's what keeps them happy, I think.
You know, going out hunting for your dinner.
It's really quite amazing.
Me? Give me a supermarket with a frozen food section.
Finns love the great outdoors.
They've got some of the world's cleanest air,
and the country is three-quarters forest.
Despite their love of nature, you might not expect to travel by dog.
But I'm off husky sledding.
I'm hoping they're good-tempered dogs.
I know if I had to pull a sleigh with somebody in it, I probably wouldn't be.
Hello?
But I'm not seeing any huskies.
Aksana?
And my host appears to be dressed...
You're wearing slippers.
- ...for bed? - Yeah.
Here's a ice pick,
so you can make the hole for me.
As we break the ice, I start to realize what Aksana is planning.
- So-- - I will show you and then you can follow.
Yeah?
- That's funny. - Good joke.
- You're going in? You're going in. - Yeah.
Oh, my God. I can't believe you're actually doing this.
- But-- Oh, my-- Dear Lord. - It's very pity that it's so small.
- Okay. - And then you can just relax.
Enjoy. Breathe.
Believe me, I'll take your word for it.
Aksana, this is crazy.
You do this every day? No?
- Yes, I do this every morning. - You do this every day.
- And you find this pleasurable? - Yes, it's really lovely,
and it makes me happy, so that's why.
First thing, I need to wake up every morning.
- Yeah. - You know, it's--
In the wintertime especially, it's very dark.
How about a strong cup of coffee?
- Would that work for you? - I don't drink coffee.
You don't drink coffee.
- Please go in. Go in and warm up. - Thank you.
Crazy.
So science says ice water floods you with happy-making hormones.
I respect science, but I still won't do this.
You know, for me, it's a lovely café.
That would make me happy.
Jumping in a hole in the ice would be the complete opposite of making me happy.
Aksana's other source of joy makes more sense to me.
It's these guys.
I love the way they're just snoozing on the rooftops.
That's the choir.
They not only pull sleighs, they bark in a four-part harmony.
Wow, I could get into this.
You don't have a bad day, like, when you go with the dogs.
Even whatever you feel, you come here and after that you are happy.
Okay.
- Okay. - Okay, you can go, and mind your head.
- And go. - Okay.
Look at this lake.
How long does it stay frozen?
- Hopefully till we've done the ride here. - Yes, let's hope.
Ride in the sleigh?
So you will drive.
- You want me drive? - Yeah.
This might end badly.
- Uh-huh. - You can do it. I'm sure.
"Yeah, I'm sure I can,"
- he said unknowingly. - Yeah.
Aksana wants me to be the driver.
I'm in charge.
I'm not entirely comfortable with that.
But I'm gonna channel my inner sisu and give it a go.
Basically, it's very easy.
Steering, it's with your body weight.
So if you want to go on the left, you take more your body weight to the left ski.
- But they know the track? - They know the track,
and we hope they stay on the track today.
Yeah, that's the thing.
- I won't know if we're off the track... - Yeah.
...until we actually drive into, you know, somebody's living room.
- Yeah. Come try it. - Let me--
- Let me just-- All right. - No. Yeah.
It's a little bit like dancing.
Well, have you seen me on a dance floor?
We'll see whether the dogs have any respect for me at all.
I'm thinking, probably not.
If we can end this ride, both of us on our feet,
I think it'll be a success.
Here we go.
Well, it's been nice knowing ya.
Good.
Oh, my God.
These guys can reach 30 miles an hour.
How do you say "slow down" in dog?
- Now lean left? - Yeah.
You can slow down now a little bit and lean to the right.
Yeah, that's good.
- How we doing? - We are doing really well.
Okay.
Mush, you huskies!
So far, so good.
Got a little respect from the dogs!
I was actually, you know, driving that thing.
It's fantastic.
Felt like Ben-Hur up there.
Okay.
Yeah.
Wow, this is great.
Fantastic. Love this.
I think the Finns might be onto something.
Maybe there is joy in having the grit to try new things.
Now, what did they say about stopping?
Oh, my--
- Really well. - Wow, that was great.
- It's amazing. It's fast. - Yeah.
Wow.
Well, Aksana, thank you.
That was really something.
- I was enjoying it too. - Good.
That's the most fun I've had in a long time.
And I really mean that.
Being Canadian, I'm not normally happy, happy.
We just tend to get by.
This feeling is different.
Maybe this is sisu?
Back at the hotel, Ilkka has invited me to join him for a nightcap.
This shall be yours.
Or apparently... five.
So the alcohol is very serious in Finland, especially if you ran out.
Okay.
We gonna be tasting some different vodkas.
A very Finnish national drink.
We're Finns. We only drink about average of four shots per person.
You're gonna get me in trouble.
Ilkka tells me about the different plants Finns use for vodka,
from potatoes to barley and rye.
And he wants me to sample them... all.
I would encourage you to try to find the elements of the taste.
Maybe smoky...
All I'm getting is a strong taste of tomorrow's regrets.
I'll tell you something about Ilkka, he's a lot of fun.
He kind of exudes that "the happiest people in the world" thing, you know?
Maybe it does have something to do with the vodka.
I'm gonna go back to number three
for a second, 'cause I have to double-check.
I think the vodka testing ranks very near the top of my experiences.
Number one, we're indoors.
Number two, vodka was involved.
I definitely felt more Finnish.
Happy.
Five vodkas later, two words come to mind.
Ulterior motive.
There is one more Finnish thing I would like you to join with me tomorrow.
And there we go.
And it's very Finnish experience,
- as vodka. - Okay.
- Good. - All right. I trust you.
I'm not entirely sure what I signed up for,
for tomorrow with him.
You know, what's the worst that can happen?
I'm going for it. That's my sisu. Whatever it is, I'll make it happen.
Or I won't make it happen, but that'll be my sisu,
is to try very hard to not make it happen.
By the way, have you seen the auroras?
Something tells me I'm gonna see it tonight,
whether it's actually there or not.
Where are they?
Too much hype, don't you think?
There's no lights.
Gotta get some sleep.
It's my last day in Lapland
and I've woken up with a vague recollection of agreeing to something
I probably shouldn't have.
- Ilkka. - Hello, Eugene.
Good to see you again.
Are you ready to trust a Finn?
I'm in your hands. Whatever is in the cards, is in the cards.
The further we go, the more anxious I become.
It looks like we're heading into the deep wilderness.
Yeah, the road will get smaller
to the point that we're gonna leave the car and walk.
I take it back.
I don't trust you at all.
Just as I was beginning to really like Finland...
You know,
- this is as Finnish as it can get. - Uh-huh.
...Ilkka may be about to break me.
- But I-- - Ilkka.
Another frozen lake.
And it's slowly dawning on me what's coming next.
Well, once you jump in, you will know
all the Finnish curse words there are available,
but I think we have a safe solution to get you in the water.
- A safe solution? - Yes.
One last moment to go back.
- I'll take it. - I'll follow you.
So the idea is, the floatation suit will keep me warm and dry.
But you know what else keeps you warm and dry?
Not being in a freezing lake.
I could not be more out of my comfort zone than I am right this second.
- Ilkka. - Yes?
This is the last time I have five vodkas with a Finn.
I wanna run, but I don't think I can in this thing.
And remember there are four steps underneath the water.
- Uh-huh. - Keep your head straight
and just...
And, yeah, I did mean to keep my glasses on.
Without them, I might have looked silly.
- Come on! You can do it. - Uh-huh.
- Oh, my. - Then sit down.
I told you.
You should trust a Finn.
Wow.
This isn't all that bad, Ilkka.
- Do you feel like a Finn now? - I feel more like a dolphin.
This is quite amazing actually.
I gotta be honest.
- I have a great idea. - Yeah?
- Should we wait for the auroras? - I've got a better idea.
Yeah, tell me.
How about another vodka contest?
Sisu, set your mind to something and just go ahead and do it.
Sure, with a little coaxing.
So I'm gonna pat myself on the back
and give myself a big A-plus in sisu.
Ice floating is kind of a fun thing to do.
Wow, this is about the warmest I've been since I've been in Finland.
And possibly the happiest.
I'm not proud to admit that at the start of my trip,
my feelings about Finland were frosty.
But over the last three days, they've thawed.
Hey, folks.
- Hello. - Hi.
To celebrate my time here, I'm joining reindeer farmer, Allu,
and some of his workers for a final Finnish meal.
Thankfully, reindeer's not on the menu.
We're having pike patties made from the fish Allu caught the other day.
- You fish for your own food.
- All year round. - Winter, summer. Yeah.
Not a lot of Uber Eats going on here in Lapland, I would imagine.
- It's the simple life, isn't it? - Yeah.
- It's about what's really important. - Yep.
If you could sum it up in, like, three words.
- Family? - One, one of the main. Yeah.
- All right. - Nature.
Animals.
- Family, nature... - Yeah.
- Animals. - ...animals.
Yeah. That's all we need.
I didn't know anything about Finland.
I didn't know anything about Lapland.
I didn't even know where Lapland was.
And I've come away with the knowledge of the people,
what they do, and why it's important to them.
The simple life is one of the reasons that they're so happy.
You were asking us, that what is important thing, three words, so what about you?
- I think family would be number one. - Yeah.
Food.
And golf.
I know it sounds slightly more shallow.
Yeah.
Truth is, I'm still no fan of winter,
but there's a warmth to the Finnish people that I think may have rubbed off on me.
I don't have an adventurous spirit,
so the idea that I'm doing all these things I would never normally do,
it's really quite amazing.
So I guess I have sisu.
How do you say "cheers"?
Getting close.
My epitaph would be,
"Here lies a man who ice-floated in the Arctic Circle."
Wow.