Monday, July 30 – Muumimaailma!

So yes, today was the exciting day that I got to visit Moominland! See! It’s the Moominhouse (Muumintalo) (to make up for yesterday, there are lots of pictures today). I’m not even sure where to begin in describing this place, though whatever I say will certainly make more sense  for those who know the characters.

So, as I was walking to the Moominhouse right as I got there, I was passed by a Filijonk, who was hurrying to do morning stretches on the veranda. She attempted to get everyone to do ballet, but an overgrown Little My was not interested.

I walked over Moominpapa’s bridge to visit the Moominhouse.

Inside, I met the ancestor  (and saw the kitchen and all of their rooms! And Moominmamma and Papa’s wedding picture!)

There were two story trails based off of the books. The first was Moominpapa’s memoirs, including Edward the Booble. 

The second was “The Mysterious Suitcase”, which was basically Finn Family Moomintroll without the hat, which is actually super-weird, but I think that’s how the TV show did it? I don’t know. The Groke was still there, though.

I spent a lot of time moomin-stalking and getting super-awkward pictures of their backs (since I wasn’t a little kid and didn’t have a friend with a camera, I felt weird approaching them). There was also a theater, where they attempted to recreate the Wild West for Moomins. Let’s just say, the story kind of gets twisted from the Western US all the way to Finland, it was amusing (one of the plays ended with them plucking bananas off of trees after failing to find gold in California…but they were wearing cowboy hats)

The Hemulen also had a house filled with plants and you could visit the bathing house and Snufkin’s camp was there and a cave-full of Hattifatteners and a labrynth and a hanging bridge over the Lonely Mountains and a bunch of characters that aren’t in the English books and lots and lots and lots of awesomness. Moomin felt right at home. (So did I…my childhood fairytales turned life-size, yay!)

Really, I could probably talk about Moominland or Finland, or anything about this trip for a super-long time and this is nowhere near enough explanation, but, you know, all I can do for the moment, 'cause I'm lazy...sorry...maybe...