July 31, 2008...(Day 8)...Viking Re-enactment, Gothenburg, Alvangen

The Hummerhielm Family: I first met Agneta and Par in 1990, when they visited my parents in Florida. Prior to that, my parents had picked up these two hitchhikers, who were hiking and camping on the south island of New Zealand, in 1986ish. They became fast friends and have visited with each other several times over the years. Now, it was my turn to visit the Hummerhielm family in Sweden. I was so thrilled to do so, as I had never met Agneta and Par's children, Linda and Robert. (Click on any photos for a close-up view.)

Group Photo at the Hummerhielm House: We had an awesome visit and Jonathan got to meet, and spend an overnight with his Swedish pen pal, Robert. We are hoping that the Hummerhielm family can travel to Maine in the near future.

JoJo Hummerhielm: She's a grand old dog. Her name is pronounced, "YoYo", and she is very bouncy, up and down, like a yoyo.

Viking Farmstead Museum: We visited a Viking farmstead where Agneta, Par, Linda, and Robert all participate in re-enactments throughout the year. This historical center is just minutes away from Par and Agneta's home, and is situated next to the Gota Alv (River).

Animal Pen: This is a typical pen for holding small animals, like chickens or piglets (I presume)...

Jonathan (William Tell) Guy: Our guide instructed Jonathan in the art of archery. Jonathan showed prowess with a bow and arrow and hit the target! (Click on the photo to better see the arrow flying through the air!)

And, now...onto Axe Throwing...Viking Warrior Woman: NOT! This is a disaster waiting to happen...Laurie with an axe...Watch out! Its a good thing Vikings didn't have power tools! (Click on the photo for a larger view of this imposing warrior.)

Viking Warrior Alert!: Ahhh...Run away...run away...I think I would have been better off running up to the log I was trying to hit, rather than trying to throw the darned axe!

(Click on the photo for a larger view as I tried to stalk the wild asparagus!)

Amanda The Axe Thrower: Check out her form! If you look toward the top of the photo, you can see the axe flying through the air. The axe is fuzzy because it is moving close to the speed of light! Viking women, who showed prowess with arrows and axes, could become warriors. (Click on the picture for a larger view to see the axe.)

Master Axe Thrower: Jonathan actually hit the log, whereas Amanda and I fell somewhat short of the mark. (Click on the photo for a larger view.)

Viking Longhouse with Vikings: Here we are at the Viking longhouse. Even Jojo got in on the act. She is the official Viking Dog...

Longhouses had curved walls and roofs. They had several sections with a fireplace, tables with benches, work rooms and storage rooms. Vikings lived in collective or extended families. Children, parents, and grandparents all lived together. If the farmer kept workers, servants or slaves, they also usually lived in the family house. When the oldest son in the family took over the farm, he became the chief of the family and it became his duty to run the farm.

Fearsome Vikings Unite: Here we are for a lovely group photo! Thank you Agneta for outfitting us in traditional Viking garb.

Inside the Viking homestead: Our guide did an excellent job showing us around the Viking homestead grounds and inside the building. All the volunteers wear period clothing, and Agneta, Par, Linda, and Robert all volunteer as guides in the summertime.

Flatbread: Flatbread was hung to dry on poles that were suspended from the ceiling. Lots of dry heat rose to the upper reaches of the longhouse, which was a perfect place to store breads.

Loom: This was a typical loom for creating cloth in Viking times. A Viking woman's dowry consisted of her bedclothes, a loom, and a bed. The duty of the wife (generally married between ages 12-15) was to run the house, make butter, cheese, dried and smoked fish and meat, and have knowledge about herbs to make medicine. She had the duty to run the farm when her husband was out on trading tours, raids, or hunting trips.

Alvangen Farm: After a full day of fun, Linda took me on a walk, up a hill, near her house. I was particularly struck by the colors of the red farm house and the green fields with the river interwoven here and there.

This area, reaching down to the river, was probably inhabited as early on as the Old Stone Age (10,000-4,000 B.C.). In those days the Gota River was a deep inlet with plenty of food for the settlement. Even today, this is still one of Sweden's richest rivers with more than 20 species of fish, including migratory salmon and trout. Growing in the area are crab-apples, hazel, pilewort, acorns and berries which would have formed part of the New Stone Age man's diet (4,000-1,800 B.C.).

Gota River Sunset: This is one of Linda's favorite spots to hang out and watch the sunset. The hill we were standing on, to take this photo, was once a stronghold called Ranneberget, which served to alert other strongholds to the north, of enemy ships out at sea, by lighting beacons. This was a defense position from the early Iron Age through to the Middle Ages. It was simply constructed with great quantities of stone placed along the hillside. Groups of people could stay on the hilltops for an extended period of time until the danger had passed.

Now, I bid you a good night...yawn...I am so very tired. We had a lovely day filled with so many exciting scenes......snooze...

August 1, 2008...(Day 9)... From Sweden to Norway

Alvangen: This is part of Agneta and Par's home town. It is bordered by the Gota River. We left here to begin our trip north to Norway!

Bohus Fortress: This fortress lies across the river from Par and Agneta's hometown of Alvangen. This fortress dates back to 1308 and lies along the old Norwegian-Swedish border. At the time it served as a main Norwegian defense against Sweden (from 1308-1658). It is situated on a cliff with the Gota River forming a natural moat around it. In the 1200's, the kings of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway met here to establish peace among the nations.