Moomin Valley

The Icefields Parkway in the Canadian province of Alberta is one of the world’s great road trips. It takes you on a 145-mile scenic journey through the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, connecting Lake Louise in the south to Jasper in the north. The road winds through both the Banff National Park and the Jasper National Park, with jaw-dropping mountains everywhere. A lesser known feature is the quartzite boulder field, which was created by a landslide. In winter, the boulders become covered in thick snow and take on an alluring aesthetic. They remind me of sleeping Moomins, that family of white, round, hippopotamus-like trolls dreamt up by Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson.