Sailing Like the Vikings in Roskilde

It's another sunny hot day in Denmark, and we sailed a Viking boat in Roskilde, just outside of Copenhagen. Our captain spoke in a low voice, telling us to row starboard, or row port, or rest. We made our way out of this harbor. We could see the Viking ship museum on the shoreline. Tall picture windows framed the relics of the six ships that have been recreated here. A man with a stylus traces the shapes of each plank recovered from the sea, and one-tenth size miniatures can be created. They've built a replica of the 30 meter vessel and this summer will sail from here all the way to Dublin!

Then we had a Viking meal using wooden spoons and forks, simple foods that our host at cafe Snekkan said were from a menu derived from researching the Viking's diet. Salmon, roast chicken, salads with seeds and nuts. "The Vikings, as you probably know, weren't the nicest people...they marauded, sacked, and took neighboring peoples as slaves," said our guide Rikke Johansen. "We don't glorify them or try to say anything different."

The museum includes a rack full of Viking clothing that people can try on, and pose with swords and long pikes. I took a rare shot of Paul festooned with his cape and sword looking like a fierce marauder himself.

We learned that Danes and Swedes have a word for something that's very important here. To have a long coffee and conversation, that's called a fika. I hope that there are many fikas going on right now in the GoNOMAD Cafe!