Fortress Viking Festival Sunday family day out 2 (add pics)

Just got back from our day out in Bergen. Was nice driving in and out---usually I take the bus. Taxis are very expensive. The bus is great, just on the weekends the schedule is quite sparse, sometimes only every hour or more, so going into the city with the kids means being on a tight schedule timewise, or risk missing a bus (waiting for the next bus an hour or more)!

We drove in after breakfast, city was fairly empty, but all the parking garages were full up! We drove around to three or four different locations for parking until we finally found something. The first place we drove into the parking garage, all around and up to the top, then just back down and out again, including waiting in both directions for the tickets, proving we didn´t have to pay. Parking can be expensive, for several reasons such as they try to discourage people from driving in. It´s better to use the bus--and it is, and I do, but sometimes it is great to use the car:).

Parked eventually in a Sandviken parking garage near the Kiwi, on the Mulen route. Luckily it was not too far, just round the corner a short walk. As we were coming in the back way, we saw the horses and ponies for the kids, stopped off first to see them! Then walked round back through the tree-lined path, through the old gate arch  in the back entrance to get our tickets. Walked back to the hess (ponies), all 3 got their own hat and pony. They were grinning from ear to ear the entire time! LOVED riding the ponies. Large solid Norwegian ponies, but with manes long not cropped thick and short as is usual often here. Very sweet ponies, we petted them, and fed them hay. They ate grass also, and apples---not too many as too many apples are not good for ponies. The apple trees in the area were all full with apples, so it was a task to make sure the ponies did not eat too many!,) cheeky they were,).

N is 6, E is 5, n is 2.5 years old. I started riding about n´s age, and they´ve been riding before in the US. This was their first Norwegian riding!:) So glad they loved it so much. There are several places on the island near by where we live, that have riding. Most days I can hear the clip clack clack of the horse hooves as they trot or walk past. Often they are pulling old fashioned wood cart (tiny one). I suppose for hay, or one person to sit on.  The horses here, that I have seen are not as tall as the ones I rode in the UK, which were about 15 hands high! But they seem about the height of US horses I´ve riden. Many of the horses here are more thick, large bodied, not as sleek, thin....as the horses here often are work horses. Beautiful golden color. The ones today were more slender, dark colors, and white. All very pretty! Ok enough with the horses. I really love them and could go on,). The kids had a great time riding them.

We made our own grilled traditional bread, flattening the dough out on a lightly floured bread board. Laying them on a hot iron sitting over a blazing fire, in a kettle type cauldron, hanging over the ground. The fire was not underneath, but within the cauldron. The firewood was slightly damp from the rain yesterday night, so was smoking a bit, with ashes flying off in the wind. The linen duck canvas tent overhead was blowing in the wind, when the wind randomly suddenly got a bit fierce. The sun was finally out, so it was warm mostly, not cold. Yay! and no rain. Also hurray,).

The warm breads were flat but slightly puffy, similar a bit to a naan bread. Not sweet but savoury. Then there was a tiny wooden barrel like pot of smør (butter) with fresh herbs in it, to spread on the hot cakes. Wooden butter spoons. Iron cauldron. Thick fresh cut firewood with the birch bark still on and peeling off. The volunteer helping cook the breads, had two long wood sticks, flat at the ends, to turn and pick up the breads. All the volunteers were dressed in colorful and neutral linen outfits, with leather, iron, scrap linen, hemp etc accessories, and hats, jewelry or metal bits and pieces. Some of the men wore metal knights helmets and chain mail. Some of the women wore long dresses of animal skins, and boots of leather, wood and linen.

The kids:

- rode a wood horse, on a track built for practicing hitting a wooden target with a heavy burlap sack on one end, which twirled. The kids held a javelin, to hit the target as the wood horse went past.

-watched re-enaactments and helped in the reenactments, "figthing" with tiny wooden mock-up swords, bows and arrows

-watched fire throwing, fire twirling, learned to hew a log for the makings of a wood log home (which was not too interesting for them as we chop wood for firewood with an axe all the time as usual). They were not impressed with the wood chopping!,)

-learned to shoot bows and arrows at thick dense round hay targets and apples hanging from strings!

-lots of similar Medieval Viking activities and traditions.

-saw women making pelts, clothing, weavings, foods, architecture, etc from that time

There were:

-a whole roasted suckling pig on a spit roasting over an open fire of birch logs
-fire making techniques
-chain mail outfits, metal knight helmets, forged steel things, hand blown glass made traditionally with the bubbles and imperfections, traditional crafts of that time which are also still used today here sometimes too

So many things, more than this! Had a fantastic time!

Walked along the sea, through the food festival again, ate. Walked back, looking at all the ships, tall masted wood ships, yachts, modern boats, wood boats, and such docked along the way. Looked at the ship I will be volunteering on next season, and went on one of the other ships quickly. Then back to the car...am a bit tired. They were too! Great day out!

Next weekend is Cultural Nights. Will post...

(will add photos when time here too)