Wednesday, April 05, 2006
I like to think it was Rudolph
Well it's my last night in Finland and Europe, as tomorrow I fly home to non-exciting Toronto. Except for that the thought of my own bed is exciting. And a closet full of clothes that haven't been washed in the sink for the past few weeks. Yes, these are the good things about going home. But I will have to stop doing Scandinavian-type things. Unless I start going to IKEA more. It is on the subway line after all...
I have throughly enjoyed my time here in Finland. The highlights were the reindeer I had for lunch yesterday (tastes like caribou) and the Lenin Museum in Tampere today. According to my guide book, this is the last pro-Lenin museum around, and it was definately pro-Lenin. It was put together in the 1950's by the Soviet-Finnish Alliance (or something to that effect). They had a civil war here after gaining independance from Russia (granted by the Soviets) between socialists and non-socialists. Tampere was the capital of the socialist side. I got the feeling at the museum that the people who run the place were rooting for the other side. I learned that Lenin was, without question, the greatest political influence of the 20th century. And that he cured sick puppies in his spare time. While also healing the lepers. He was truly an amazing person. The museum was awesome, and actually in the building where the first communist conference was held, which also happened to be when Lenin met Stalin. I was hoping for some campy souvenirs to that effect, but I had to settle for campy communist-related merchandise. Oh if only I had a way of getting posters home without ruining them, then my apartment would be Soviet-propaganda central.
And so ends Survivor Ellesmere. I'll probably update when I get home to let you know when pictures go online. Otherwise, thank you for reading of my travels, and I'll see you when I go somewhere else exciting. (Hopefully back to Eureka this summer.)
I have throughly enjoyed my time here in Finland. The highlights were the reindeer I had for lunch yesterday (tastes like caribou) and the Lenin Museum in Tampere today. According to my guide book, this is the last pro-Lenin museum around, and it was definately pro-Lenin. It was put together in the 1950's by the Soviet-Finnish Alliance (or something to that effect). They had a civil war here after gaining independance from Russia (granted by the Soviets) between socialists and non-socialists. Tampere was the capital of the socialist side. I got the feeling at the museum that the people who run the place were rooting for the other side. I learned that Lenin was, without question, the greatest political influence of the 20th century. And that he cured sick puppies in his spare time. While also healing the lepers. He was truly an amazing person. The museum was awesome, and actually in the building where the first communist conference was held, which also happened to be when Lenin met Stalin. I was hoping for some campy souvenirs to that effect, but I had to settle for campy communist-related merchandise. Oh if only I had a way of getting posters home without ruining them, then my apartment would be Soviet-propaganda central.
And so ends Survivor Ellesmere. I'll probably update when I get home to let you know when pictures go online. Otherwise, thank you for reading of my travels, and I'll see you when I go somewhere else exciting. (Hopefully back to Eureka this summer.)
// posted by Annemarie @ 12:21 PM 
