June 9, 2019
Today I became a Viking. But first I was a tourist.
The morning took our group back to Belfast where we went to the St.George Market for sweet treats and handcrafts. The old warehouse building turned into an indoor market reminded me greatly of the Milwaukee Public Market. The lively building was bustling with tourists and locals alike as people sampled the various foods and (like me) gawked at the beauty of the jewelry.
Talking with the other ambassadors we kept commenting about how nice Belfast was in the sense that there was no honking of cars or a rushed feeling of the people. It most definitely is a working, busy city but everyone seemed to have a polite calm to them which seems different from some other cities in the United States.
Following our morning of shopping we jumped back into the van and got pumped up for a day of training like a Viking. We roared into the driveway of a house with Eye of the Tiger blaring from our speakers and were greeted by a horde of people with long beaded beards and axes in their hands. The Magnus Vikings are a lively group of locals who either can trace their lineage to Vikings or are just fascinated by the history or these legendary fighters. The first step of viking training was warm ups and stretching before learning the basic steps and battle defenses.
Our group of young ambassadors now feels fully prepared for battle! I was quite satisfied with my axe throwing skills and I wonder how it would relay to playing darts. The vikings were so fun to spend time with and were so incredibly hospitable to us and I am very grateful!
The Odyssey Years 