The Vikings Have Landed

So this weekend I escaped the start of the working week with a trip to the British Museum to get up close and personal with the Vikings.

I've always been fascinated by the Vikings and in some ways I've always hoped that through dedicated research I'd discover that I descended from Viking explorers or Kings. I was after all the Captain of the Viking House at primary school and unless my memory escapes me we triumphed quite a bit in the sports - we certainly showed those Normans, Saxons and Romans how to win a netball game. Unfortunately, according to my mum, my family originates from northern France so I'm more likely to be a Norman than a Viking!

Anyway enough about my genetics and back to the exhibition. Vikings: Life and Legend is the latest large scale exhibition to land at the British Museum and it brings together artifacts and documents to bring the great Viking age to life.

Sadly, most people associate Vikings with raids, pillaging and rape, but this exhibition sought to show an alternative side to these so called "invaders" and instead highlighted the Viking sense of adventure and exploration, their craftsmanship, their incredible accomplishments  and how their culture impacted and grew with other great civilizations of the same period.

The British Museum has always presented it's exhibitions in a fantastic way that helps to bring the story to life. The home setting for the Pompeii exhibition painted a picture of life of locals pre-volcanic eruption, whilst with the Viking exhibition they decided to take visitors on a journey from the homelands of Norway, Sweden and Denmark via exploration, trade, wealth, religion and death to the last attempted invasion of the British Isles in 1066.

As you wander through the rooms you immediately learn just how far the Vikings travelled. From Turkey to New Foundland they were not afraid to stretch themselves to the limits of exploration and how the lives and communities they encountered on these travels impacted on their lifestyle, religion and culture. Prior to their explorations across Europe items were bought via trading however; this was eventually replaced with currency. You find yourself face to face with ginormous brooches and hefty necklaces all of which represented social status and power and also learn how swords had names and were interwoven with the lives of their owners. What's even more amazing is how well preserved most of the items are despite being almost 1,000 years old - I highly doubt my valuables will look that good after that amount of time has passed. Fans of the Thor movies will be delighted as there's even a special section dedicated to the Gods and Nordic mythology. If there's one thing you took away from the exhibition it is don't anger Thor or you may incur his wrath which is not great for a Viking as they spend most of their time at sea. Some of the extracts from anonymous writers also made me chuckle

- especially the following:

"A man shouldn't clutch at his cup, but moderately drink his mead; he should be sparing of speech or shut up; no man will blame you for bad behaviour if you go early to bed." anonymous, 1270

The jewel of the collection is the partially restored Viking Warship which I had been particularly looking forward to seeing as there had been a lot of hype surrounding it's arrival in London. The Sea-Wolf, discovered in Roskilde in Norway, is the largest Viking Warship, 37m in length, ever to be uncovered and with space for 40 oarsmen it's huge and impressive.

Despite almost a thousand years since they last landed in England, the Viking's have left a lasting impression on our country and our present culture. Did you know that the words sister and egg are Scandinavian in origin and if you travel to Lincolnshire you'll spot sign posts for villages and towns which seem a little out of place for the East of England.

The question on everyone's lips is, will it live up to the high standard set by last year's Pompeii exhibition which proved to be one of the top tourist attractions in London in 2013? From my point of view it's definitely the best exhibition I've seen in 2014 and if it can help to dispel presumptions about the Vikings then all the more reason for it to be successful.

The exhibition is open now and runs till the 22nd June. For more information visit www.britishmuseum.org 

Five Facts About the Vikings:

1. The Viking Age dated from AD 800 to AD 1050

2. Viking women could inherit and own land

3. Swords were symbols of status and were given as rewards for loyal service. Once the owner died the sword was bent and buried with them. This was known as killing the sword

4. The Vikings discovered Dublin and Reykjavik 

5. Leif Erikson, a Viking explorer, discovered North America 500 years before Christopher Columbus 

The Rain In Spain Lands Mainly on the Plain

So this weekend I journeyed back to the Cambridge Arts Theatre for a revival and 100th anniversary performance of George Bernard Shaws Pygmalion.

Whether it's Pygmalion or My Fair Lady most people are familiar with the character of Eliza Doolittle - the common flower girl transformed by phonetics specialist Professor Higgins into a society lady. The role has been immortalized on stage and on screen by iconic actresses including Julie Andrews and Audrey Hepburn and this time it was the turn of Rachel Barry to step into the lovable cockney's shoes.

Now before anyone gets carried away there is no singing in the original play version. Those expecting a resounding rendition of 'Wouldn't it be loverly' would have been sorely disappointed. I on the other hand am not the world's biggest fan of musicals, ingrained since secondary school, so I was delighted that nobody sprang into song to share their emotions.

For those who may not know, the play centers around a bet. Professor Higgins claims to his friend Colonel Pickering, that he can transform Eliza from a cockney flower girl and pass her off as a Duchess at an ambassadors garden party. Not only does he change her state of living, but he also changes her walk, her manners and her dialect to win the bet. From it's first performance, the play was acknowledged for mocking British class systems of the early 20th Century whilst also highlighting women's independence.

As I mentioned earlier a lot of famous actors have played the role of Eliza, but Rachel Barry definitely held her own. From her opening scene as the happy go lucky Eliza we saw her gradual, and believable, transformation into a high society woman who could fool anyone. It's also not easy to outdo Rex Harrison's version of Professor Higgins, yet Alistair McGowan deserves praise for his comical portrayal of Higgins. His impressionist skills definitely came in handy and he captured the stubbornness of Higgins exceptionally well. Jamie Forman never fails to impress me and his long renditions left the audience applauding and quite rightly so. Rula Lenska, as Higgins mother, provided the voice of reason to Higgins experiments and refuge for Eliza.

Although I was slightly apprehensive at first I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and felt that the director and cast had done the play justice. My only concern had nothing to do with the play. I'd had an early start and was running off 4 hours sleep so I was worried I'd nod off in the theatre. So did I? Not bloody likely.

Alas, you've missed your opportunity to see it in Cambridge, but never fear for the performance is touring the country so there is still time to see it! For more information about the Cambridge Arts Theatre visit www.cambridgeartstheatre.com. There are definitely some exciting plays that have caught my eye.

Fishing on Ice

So this weekend I found myself standing on Lake Peipsi, the largest lake in Estonia (client), attempting to catch a fish for my lunch.

No I've not become Jesus and developed the power to walk on water, but I have developed the ability to walk on ice. During the winter season the Baltic country becomes a snowy wonderland and rivers, lakes and even the sea freeze over. In fact the ice is so thick that you can drive on specially designated ice roads from the mainland to some of the surrounding islands - don't worry everything is regularly checked before anyone goes on the ice.

So why was I standing on the ice? Well I was taking part in a spot of ice fishing naturally. There was only one slight problem...... I've never in my life been fishing. I've seen fishing on TV, viewed clips on YouTube and even worked with someone who once caught a huge fish which he appeared with in a national newspaper. Despite what appears to be a good grounding in the subject I've never hooked a maggot on to a fishing rod in all my 27 years of existence. Yet my inexperience, and often craziness to try out something different, only spurred me on to ensure I caught something before we left the ice.

Well as you'll see below, I managed to win the "Catch of the Day" competition - I affectionately named him Bob. Whilst most of the group decided to give their fish a second go at life I decided to give my prize to the local fisherman. Well it is their livelihood.

The fishing session was accompanied by a delicious soup made from white fish, carrots, onions and even red berries. Yes we cooked the soup with a fire on the ice half a km from the main land. It was quite an experience. For those feeling the pinch of the cold a shot of vodka was the best remedy to warm the soul and at 60% it definitely hit the mark in the freezing temperatures.

If there's one thing I've learnt about Estonia, it is its ability to always surprise me. I've been a few times and each visit throws up a new and often unique experience.

For more information about Estonia and the different activities you can do visit www.visitestonia.com.