“A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.” ― Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Today we visited a magical place that strives to evoke creativity and imagination.  The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Center transports you into the world of Roald Dahl and that of his book's characters.  It is an amazing place for children and I really wish there had been a place like this for me to visit when I was a child. There were items to touch, clothes to play dress up with and try on, crafts for coloring and putting together, and so much more.  I learned so much about Roald Dahl, like how he used to be a World War II pilot. There was a drawer containing his false teeth, which I found out he had from the age of 21 when he voluntarily had his teeth removed to prevent dental issues later in life.  This was apparently common practice at the time.

I found it very interesting that all of the items were at a child's level.  There was nothing set too high or out of reach like at many conventional museums.  I really enjoyed watching the children marvel at the different artifacts and engage with the materials that were placed there for their use.  Even many of the adults enjoyed some of the activities there.

You can never be too old to enjoy coloring. :)

After the very impressive story center we trekked through the very quaint town of Great Missenden and up to the cemetery where Roald Dahl is buried.  They have a very nice monument to him around a tree near his grave that has a quote that reads "We have tears in our eyes as we wave our goodbyes, we so loved being with you, we three.  So do please now and then come and see us again, the Giraffe and the Pelly and me." From his book The Giraffe and the Pelly and me.  Ther are also giant footprints leading to his grave from the monument alluding to his book The BFG. I foudn it very speacial that people have left flowers, notes, pencils, and even their museum wristbands at his grave site to honor him.  

The town has done an amazing job of incorporating his work into the town culture.  We stepped into the local library where the children's section is named after Matilda, one of Roald Dahl's most enchanting characters.  Overall, today was a great day.  See you all tomorrow!