Finland

Andy Symington has covered Finland for Lonely Planet several times, having first visited Helsinki many years ago more or less by accident. Walking on frozen lakes with the midday sun low in the sky made a quick and deep impression on him, even as fingers froze in the -30°C temperatures. Since then they can't keep him away from the country, fuelled by a love of the Kalevala, huskies, saunas, Finnish mustard, moody Suomi rock and metal, but above all of Finnish people and their beautiful country.
Fran Parnell's passion for northern Europe began while studying for a masters degree in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, and any opportunity to visit the region is taken with glee. Particular highlights of this research trip were wandering the Bomarsund ruins eating wild strawberries ; seeing bears in Karelia ; rowing at midnight on Lake Pielinen ; and coming across so much Finnish warmth and generosity while on the road.
Fran has worked on other Lonely Planet guides, including Scandinavian Europe, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark and Reykjavik.