There are plenty of things Rovaniemi is famous for. Maybe the biggest thing from all of them is, that this is the city of Santa Claus. Those who are into fast-food might not want to miss the chance to taste a cheeseburger made in the northernmost McDonald’s of the world. That’s also here in Rovaniemi. Or at least this is what I thought…
I’m not a frequent McDonald’s goer anymore, but way back when in Budapest I often ended up in one of those restaurants on my way home from a party. I also like their ice cream and I am a big fan of their ice coffee. A few weeks ago, on my way back from visiting my Mom, I decided to stop by for an iced coffee in Budapest. For the old time’s sake. It was such a great success and I have to admit, that after that, I’ve been longing for another iced coffee.
After a rainy week, the sun decided to show up again on the sky of Rovaniemi today. We didn’t want to miss the chance to enjoy the natural source of vitamin D, thus we decided to go for an afternoon walk. While approaching the city center I saw the McDonald’s and I thought it’s time to give it a try. I hoped to get the same kind of ice coffee what I had in Budapest.
This is such a tiny restaurant so after stepping in, we already found ourself at the end of the queue. While I was waiting, I was looking around and became unsure about being able to get that iced coffee. I couldn’t see it on any of the billboards. My assumption was confirmed after I explained to the cashier what I would like to have. She told me that they didn’t have ice coffee and she’d offered some Frappe Mocha instead. I decided to taste it but I have to tell you that it was a far cry from that iced coffee I was longing for…
One would presume that if there’s something good in these fast-food chains, then it is that you can expect the same flavors, no matter where you are. Well, it’s certainly not the case with ice coffees. I am a bit disappointed now. And not just because of the drink. After getting home I did some research on the Internet and I just learned that the McDonald’s in Rovaniemi is not the northernmost McDonald’s of the world anymore. There’s one in Murmansk, Russia. So what we have here is just the 2nd northernmore option for buying a cheeseburger. Although the funny thing is, that Murmansk is one of the sister cities of Rovaniemi, it’s 500 km far from here.
That Frappe was too icy for me and now I have a sore throat. Most probably it was the last thing I needed in this chilly Lappish summer. Till getting home I tried to draw comfort from the fact that I visited the northernmost McDonald’s of the world, at least I can add it to the list of those northernmost things I’ve done recently. Well, it seems it wasn’t worth it. Next week we’ll go to Inari as we’ve rented a mökki (summer cottage) by the lake. Inari is a good 4 hours drive from Rovaniemi to the north. Maybe there’s something over there waiting for me what I can add to my list instead of this fiasco.
