Viking Land and the North

The second week I was here, circumstances out of their control changed for my host family (the Kroupas: Gerd, Elke, Anna, and Lara) which forced them to be away from home more frequently than they had anticipated. Months would pass between the times I would see my host dad, Gerd, and Elke would only come home for a few days when she needed to go to work. Many times it was only Anna and I in the house, but half way through the semester she moved out to her own apartment, so the last month I have been alone in the house more often than not. But I honestly haven't minded. I am always out with friends, or in class, or traveling. I understand that they're going through a rough time, and when they are home, we have a wonderful time together.

This past weekend, Gerd wanted to make up for our lost time, and so he took me up to the small town of Schleswig in the northern most state of Germany to see a Viking town. This is only the single best way anyone could ever "make up for lost time" with me. As some of you may remember from my post about Denmark, I have had an intensive obsession with Vikings since I was twelve.

The small town of Schleswig lies directly on the other side of the river from the ruins of what was once one of the most important Viking trading towns, Hedeby (Haithabu or Heiðbýr). As it turns out, Gerd's nephew Bernie and his family live in Schleswig and live only five minutes from Hedeby, which I had grown up reading about.

Gerd took me to the town of Mölln, where he grew up. It was a beautiful northern German town.

Sign heading toward the Viking museum!

Cool tree

We were blessed with an insanely gorgeous day. After we spent some time in the museum, we headed out down a path toward where the old city used to stand. All that remains now are the old earthen city walls.

Walking on top of the wall

The coolest feature of this exhibit was by far the Viking houses remade in the center of where the city used to stand. I could hardly contain my excitement as we neared the site.

VIKING HOUSES

Not only were there Viking houses, but there were people DRESSED UP AS VIKINGS.

EVEN A VIKING BABY.

THIS IS A VIKING DRINKING. He was also making Thor's hammers out of metal.

Me with a Viking shield!

Me with a VIKING HOUSE!

A Viking working with wood

Hedeby was right on the water as it was a center of trade.

Unfortunately we only had about two hours total at both the museum and the village, but just the fact that I was standing where real Vikings had walked, was seeing Viking artifacts with my own eyes, and witnessing a very convincing reconstruction was enough to make me very, very happy. We even finished up the outing with a glass of meed at a cafe called Odin's. 

It was very special to be included in such a warm, loving family. Bernie and his wife Heike have two daughters, Kati, who is 16, and Anni, who is 12, and the three of us were basically best friends by the end of the weekend. I could instantly tell how much the family loved being around each other, always laughing and joking together, and it made them fun to be around. I could especially see how much the girls loved Gerd, and it made me realized just how incredibly lucky I was that I had been placed with my host family. They were incredibly and overwhelmingly warm and welcoming to a stranger from America.

Kati, Anni, and Gerd

That evening, Kati, Anni, and I played kareoke until our voices were hoarse, and I had a very good night's sleep.

The next morning, Gerd and Bernie took me on an adventure from ocean to ocean, heading first toward the Ostsee (the Baltic) then turning back around and trekking over to the Nordsee (North Sea). 

Gerd and I at the Ostsee.

Obligatory foot photo at the Ostsee.

We spent some time walking along the beach in our bare feet, enjoying the sunshine, the water, and the sand. Then, it was time to head back to the car and drive the hour to the Nordsee, with Gerd audibly wondering if the water would be wieder Weg (away again). The Nordsee has an incredibly dramatic tide change every six hours, with the water retreating for miles and miles before coming crashing back at high tide. We managed to hit the coast at low time. The ship below was resting on dry land.

There was a cute little pier with souvenir shops. There were piggy bank ducks with names on them, and since we were in Germany there were no ducks with my name on them, but there was one with my mom's name! In the US, you can ALWAYS find my name, but never my moms. I found this hilarious.

Husum on the Nordsee is known for their Fischbrötschen (fish sandwiches), so Gerd, Bernie, and I ate them for lunch in the sun. 

Reflection of clouds in the remaining puddle.

The Slick, muddy area of low tide.

Sheep!

Gerd and I at the Nordsee.

The mud was deeper than I expected.

A lot deeper.

My weekend in Schleswig with my host dad and his family was one of the most special of my semester. God has worked in so many incredible ways these past four months, but this weekend especially affirmed it to me. I felt such a special connection with this family and my host dad, and was so incredibly welcomed and encompassed by the love this family shares. I am so thankful for each of them and I hope I will someday meet them again in the future.

Heike, Kati, Bernie, me, Gerd, Anni.