At the end of every British summer I find myself praying for a proper winter, one that will allow a bit of fun: sledging, snowballing, snowman-building. I'm not very demanding; I don't need amazing downhill skiing and the Cresta Run. What I want is a few days out with the kids. And, much as I like blue skies and sun in summer, I'd exchange it every time for frozen ponds, a hillside covered in fresh snow and ice hanging off the houses. Maddy, 11, wants the same and so, instead of waiting and hoping, we are going to make sure. We are going to Sweden. Winter fun in Sweden is a bit more advanced than in most of the UK. They do snowshoeing, ice-fishing, snow house-building and so on. They also do lots of Father Christmas matters, which Maddy didn't want: "I'm too old for that kind of nonsense, Dad." Above all, what Maddy wanted was dogs with puppies. She's not too old for that.  We flew to Lulea, a city at the top of the finger of Baltic Sea that reaches out to the north between Sweden and Finland, almost touching the Arctic Circle, then transferred, with some other winter-hungry families, to woodland houses by the sea. There was plenty of snow and ice, but the guides were keeping a nervous eye on the instrument for measuring temperature, which was dangerously close to zero. "Normally, we are 10degC below," said Roger, our guide, who was also handing out our equipment for the days ahead: snowshoes, boots, gloves and so on. A holiday that provides all the necessary outfits will save you a fortune. How did they go to the city of Lulea?
By sea. By air. By train. By car.