Christina here. As I mentioned in a previous post I travelled in the footsteps of the Vikings during the summer and I thought I would tell you about the second part of our journey which proved very interesting indeed!
longships
Viking Traders
Christina here and I’ve been out and about following in the footsteps of the Vikings yet again. This time my travels took me to north-west Germany and Denmark, and it was a very successful trip in terms of research as I was lucky enough to see and experience everything I had wanted to.
In the UK, Ireland and the countries across the English Channel on the European mainland, the Vikings have long had a bad press. They are usually portrayed as ruthless marauders – raiding and pillaging their way along the coasts and further inland along any navigable rivers. As I am forever telling everyone, however, the men who took part in these piratical endeavours were a fairly small fraction of the entire Viking population. The vast majority were honest farmers or craftsmen/women who stayed at home minding their own business.
Birka – A Viking Trading Town
Christina here and yet again I’ve been on a research trip. This time my journey took me to the site of a former Swedish Viking town called Birka. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated on an island in Lake Mälaren, west of Stockholm, and can only be reached by boat. Luckily there is a regular ferry service from central Stockholm so that’s not a problem. I set off on the two-hour trip on a beautifully sunny late summer day.
The ferry (or ship – not sure what’s the correct term?) had huge panoramic windows all round, a café, and a sundeck for those who wanted to sit outside. Once past the city, the views were mostly of a forested shoreline interspersed with low mountains, a few cliffs, and big old-fashioned houses that used to be the summer homes of rich Stockholm residents. As we were travelling on a lake, it was a smooth ride and very enjoyable.
Islands in the North
Christina here and I have once again been travelling in search of inspiration for my stories – this time to the Orkney Islands! These are situated in the far north of the UK, in between the Scottish mainland and Shetland, and the journey involved a 12-hour road trip by car with another hour and a half by ferry. It was worth every second!
As always, I was on the trail of the Vikings and they settled in the Orkney Islands during the 8th and 9th centuries (possibly before that). If you sail in a straight westerly direction from the southern part of Norway you end up either in Orkney or Shetland, and it was an easy journey in a Viking longship, only a couple of days’ sailing. Therefore, it made sense that it was one of the first places the Vikings went to when they set off on their adventures.
A Norwegian Adventure
Christina here and once again I’m going to take you all armchair travelling! A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to go to Norway on a research trip. My older daughter and I drove around the southern part of the country covering 1230 km in five days! Exhausting, but very rewarding.
We began our trip in the capital, Oslo, a beautiful town situated next to the Oslo fjord. In the city centre old houses mixed with new, overlooked by the royal castle up on a hill at one end of the famous Karl Johan Gate (street). Everything was within walking distance, including the cathedral, the harbour and Akershus, a medieval castle.