Sunday, December 17

I make one last trip to the centre and discover that Pepsi have gone wild in the large open space behind Lasipalatsi where the bus terminal used to stand before it went underground.

They have created an enormous display that fills most of the space with igloos, outsized neon presents, a performance stage, and a giant sledge. In the middle of all this, hyper-enthusiastic young people in limited edition jackets hand out cans of ice-cold Pepsi Max.

I join the group of baffled passersby standing in the snow, with gloves on, chugging artificial sweetness.

The Pepsi crew exhort me eagerly to maximise my Christmas, and I promise to do just that. I leave ready to keep my promise.