Vanberry Village

[Prisc Chandola]

Themenu features primarily Lappish cuisine. For our main courses we chose the Elk Pasta and Elk Meatballs. Both were phenomenal, though we did have to eat a bit quickly to prevent the food from getting cold!

Before our night in the igloo, we were a bit unsure. I love a warm and cozy bed, piled high with blankets and pillows. The thought of choosing to sleep in a room kept at -2C to -5C seemed a bit counterintuitive. But after completing our stay, we can definitely say that it was a memorable and worthwhile experience. We even slept soundly until the warm lingonberry juice wake-up call in the morning!

The Snow Village is located in Lainio, Finland, a 25-minute drive from the Kittila airport and nearby popular ski destinations of Yllas and Levi. Guided tours are available throughout the day. There are warm log cabins available for accommodation if you would like to visit the village for longer than one night. The Snow Village can also arrange a variety of excursions, such as dog sledding, snowmobiling, skiing, and more.

We were a bit weary going into it as well but the briefing and the sleeping bags they have are top notch and we actually slept really well! Not exactly where I would like to spend the first night of my honeymoon though, maybe the second or third :-p

Vmbry was born in Svt Jur Austrian Empire (now Slovakia), into a poor Jewish family.[1] According to Ernst Pawel, a biographer of Theodor Herzl, as well as Tom Reiss, a biographer of Lev Nussimbaum, Vmbry's original last name was Wamberger rather than Bamberger. He was raised Jewish, but later became an atheist.[2] Vmbry was 1 year old when his father died and the family moved to Dunajsk Streda (now Slovakia).

In his autobiography, Vmbry says that his parents were so poor and had so many children that they were forced to stop supporting each child at a young age. He was set "adrift" at the age of 12. Vmbry says that the constant hunger and scanty clothing of his childhood hardened his young body, which served him well in his later travels. He walked with a crutch under his left arm because of congenital disorder.[3]

He attended the local school until the age of 12 and showed a remarkable aptitude for learning languages. He was forced to leave school, to support himself with work.[3] He worked briefly as a dressmaker's assistant, but after becoming tutor to the son of the village innkeeper, he was enabled by his friends to enter the "Untergymnasium" of Szentgyrgy.

By the age of sixteen, he had a good knowledge of Hungarian, Hebrew, Latin, French, and German. He was also rapidly acquiring English, the Scandinavian languages, Russian, Serbian, and naturally other Slavic languages.[4]

Theodor Herzl enlisted Vmbry to consult on diplomatic work in the Ottoman Empire (despite Herzl's reputation for working alone). Vmbry was a professor of Oriental languages at the University of Budapest. Herzl said of Vmbry:[5]

[He] doesn't know whether he is more Turk than Englishman, writes books in German, speaks twelve languages with equal mastery and has professed five religions, in two of which he has served as a priest...He told me 1001 tales of the Orient, of his intimacy with the sultan, etc. He immediately trusted me completely and told me, under oath of secrecy, that he was a secret agent of Turkey and of England.

Vmbry was especially attracted by the literature and culture of the Ottoman Empire including Turkey. By the age of twenty, Vmbry had learned enough Ottoman Turkish to enable him to go, through the assistance of Baron Jzsef Etvs, to Istanbul and establish himself as a private tutor of European languages. He became a tutor in the house of Huseyin Daim Pasha, and, under the influence of his friend and instructor, Ahmet Efendi, became a full Osmanli, serving as secretary to Fuat Pasha.[4] About this time he was elected a corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in recognition of his translations of Ottoman historians.

This was the first successful journey of its kind undertaken by a European; and since it was necessary to avoid suspicion, Vmbry could not take even fragmentary notes, except by stealth. After a long and perilous journey he arrived back at Pest in May 1864. He went to London to arrange the English-language publication of his book about the travels. "Travels in Central Asia" and its Hungarian counterpart "Kzp-zsiai utazs" were published in 1865. Thanks to his travels Vmbry became an internationally renowned writer and celebrity. He became acquainted with members of British social elite. The Ambassador of Austria in London gave him a letter of recommendation to the Emperor, who received him in an audience and rewarded Vmbry's international success by granting him professorship in the Royal University of Pest.[7]

Vmbry became known also as a publicist, zealously defending British policy in the East as against that of the Russians.He was widely celebrated at his 70th birthday in March 1902, receiving greetings from academic institutions all over Europe. The British King Edward VII appointed him an Honorary Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, his house order,[8] followed by a letter where Vmbry was appreciated as "so good and constant a friend to England".[9] In 2005 the National Archives at Kew, Surrey, made files accessible to the public, and it was revealed that Vmbry had been employed by the British Foreign Office as an agent and spy whose task it was to combat Russian attempts at gaining ground in Central Asia and threatening the British position on the Indian sub-continent.[10]

Vmbry was acquainted with Bram Stoker, during a stay in London, and Stoker claimed him as his consultant, and as relayer of Balkan folklore inspirator of main antagonist character Dracula and, of course, the book's title. The character of Professor Van Helsing in Stoker's novel, Dracula, is sometimes said to be based on Vmbry, though Stoker was likely inspired by Sheridan Le Fanu's Dr. Hesselius.[20] In the novel (chapters 18 and 23) Van Helsing refers to his "friend Arminius, of Buda-Pesth University".

Many of his works have been translated into other languages, especially French. He also published numerous articles and books, mostly in German and Hungarian. His travels have been translated into many languages, and his Autobiography was written in English. "Meine Wanderungen und Erlebnisse in Persien" has been translated into Persian, by the Iranian film director Khosrow Sinai.

Malolo is an automatic 2-berth luxe Kombi camper, located in the heart of the South Coast in Berry. This beautiful Retro RV has a tall and spacious layout ideal for any experience.

This perfectly restored Kombi motorhome has been modernised sure to be able to sustain hearty road trips. Malolo, Samoan for relax, is designed for a cruisy adventure with 70's retro vibes. You will love taking the Sea Cliff Bridge up past Wollongong, wandering through Bowral or taking in the white sands and aquamarine waters of Jervis Bay and Huskisson in this peach beauty.

Malolo is based on the NSW South Coast in picturesque Berry and is perfectly positioned for Insta-worthy adventures onto the pristine white sands of Jervis Bay, the wandering roads of Kangaroo Valley, the picturesque village of Bowral or the Sea Cliff Bridge north of Wollongong. Escape to Berry and let your wandering begin!

Malolo is an Automatic 2WD Volkswagen with a spacious snail motorhome, meticulously serviced and in great condition inside and out. There's plenty of space in Malolo for two people to comfortably travel and sleep. Please check out Instagram for more photos @retrorvberry

Pick up and drop off in Berry on popular Queen St, opposite the infamous Berry Donut Van. We recommend you bring your belongings in soft bags for easy storage.

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