On the Northern tip of Newfoundland with a view of Labrador, there once was a Viking settlement founded by Leif Erickson some 1000 years ago. They selected that particular site because there were three distinct islands right off the coast, making excellent landmarks for future travelers. The settlement was small, less than 200 people, and … Continue reading L’Anse aux Meadows
The Inuit peoples of Greenland used to say the Northern Lights were their ancestors dancing in front of firelight. Later, when they became Christians, they said the Northern Lights were angels dancing before firelight. I think they could be both ancestors and angels dancing a big line dance across the heavens. Undulating ribbons of light … Continue reading Ribbons of Light
Yesterday, we explored Iceland….a fierce country with a fierce, no-nonsense people who don’t suffer fools and would never sugar coat. I felt our guide was a good example of this, and we spent 8 hours with her, so I had an opportunity to listen and observe her. She was nice enough and amazingly informative, but … Continue reading The Land of Fire and Ice
Today, our chill day, we’ve been learning Viking lore. All Vikings were Norsemen but not all Norsemen were Vikings. The majority of Norsemen were peaceful farmers. Actually The word “Viking” is a verb meaning to adventure, plunder and make-way for the peaceful settlers. And Vikings were vain…they dyed their hair with lye, which also got … Continue reading A Viking We Will Go
Yesterday, we took a 7 hour train trip, leaving Oslo and arriving in Bergen to settle into our ship. Due to some bus scheduling, the train was delayed just outside of Oslo and we arrived pretty late in the evening. We ordered room service, unpacked and went to sleep. Today we’re going to explore the … Continue reading Oslo to Bergen
When Mr. Al and I begin an adventure, we like to pick a word as the armature for our mindset. Meaning…what do we want to focus on, what do we want to experience, how do we want to feel each day. For several adventures, the word(s) was “Easy Peasy.” On this adventure, we wanted to … Continue reading Delighted
