Aalto in Helsinki

I'm starting to feel like I am overdosing on Aalto. He seems to be every where. This is my last night in Helsinki. Tomorrow I take a fast ferry in the morning to Tallinn for the weekend. Staying with Airi, another couchsurfer host who works as an environmental consultant and is keen to experience a "Design Weekend" in Tallinn exposing all that is good in Estonian design.

http://www.edl.ee/en/news?news_id=75

Skype seems to be an invention owned by the Estonian's. People I've spoken to say that Estonia is a hot bed of creative activity now, I wonder if it has anything to do with years of Russian oppression.

In the last few days I've visited:

Finlandia Hall - Aalto, 1967-75

Kiasma Museum - Stephen Holl, 2003

Aalto Studio - Aalto, 1955

Aalto House - Aalto, 1936

Academic Bookstore - Aalto

House of Culture - Aalto, 1952-58

Finnish Museum of Architecture - Special exhibition showing Sverre Fehn's Venice Biennale exhibition in the Nordic Pavillion from last year.

Espoo, Helsinki University of Technology - Aalto, 1949-66

Design Museum

Architecture Museum

Lots of looking in design and furniture shops. Was introduced to Tove Jansson, Finnish writer who wrote the Muumi children stories. Very popular doesn't describe their status amongst popular culture in Finland. The Muumi's is an industry here. I managed to buy an english translation in paperback at a second hand bookstore today to familiarize myself with this phenomenon. You can buy dvd cartoons, mugs, stuffed toys, comics, books, clothes, bed linen with your favourite Muumi characters. According to my hosts, they are bigger than Harry Potter here.