the wiking museum!

There has been lovely weather last few days! Each day is spent lunching outside, lounging in the AIK hammocks, lots of reading, and taking walks. Unfortunately, every night I fight with my body to go to sleep. It appears that I have a sinus infection and yellow mucus... what can you do but blow it out. Even so, I feel happy and somewhat healthy and eat really well and get a lot of sun.
Yesterday, Cherie and I walked about 10 km through the city center and across the Limfjorden to the viking graveyard, Lindholm Høje. Before we went, I read that the vikings chose their graveyards based on hills with nice views in consideration of the mourners. There were about 700 graves total, from 400-1100 AD, the older graves starting at the top of the hill. The rounded, shorter stones represented the women buried, and the tall sharp stones, sometimes encircled by female stones (though, notably, this is only the case at the top of the hill), were placed for men. It's truly beautiful there, too, with a lot of sheep roaming freely, the wind blowing in many directions from the fjord that snakes around the site, and countryside on the valleys of the hill. We also went to the viking museum where we learned about the flint deposits under Denmark that they used as weapons back in the day, saw some skeletons of viking men and women that had been preserved over time, and ate some yummy candy with the same designs as the elaborate glass beads found on one of the female skeletons. Actually, the Norwegian crowns (currency) look a lot like the copper currency they were using in the turn of millennium... isn't that interesting?! Also, the jewelry made of amber, gold, and copper had a lot of really interesting and funny designs and some very advanced craftsmanship. You can easily see how their exposure to other cultures from trade influenced the style of jewelry and sacrificial pieces. I have more of an interest in learning about vikings now, having gained a large respect for them (but come on, Dani, they're freaking vikings!!!).
On the subject of food, I've been baking a lot, including my first really good batch of fresh bread (with the help of Jesper). I made too-garlicky eggplant rigatoni and bombass spiced apple bread for dear friends last night. On our way to Lindholm Høje, Cherie and I stopped at a bakery and had our first Danish pastries. Not too bad, not very sweet but very buttery with some marmalade in the center, like a special surprise!
Also, I've spent much time talking to people from different countries about education, food, politics, differing economic systems, and different places to travel. Talking like that gets me in a hot fever to see and experience the world, but then I remember beautiful Aalborg and I'm happy where I am right now. Sometime soon I have to start researching information about Ireland and doing my homework. Instead, I spent the morning reading about the current blockade of Gaza, and Israel and Palestine situation in general, which I think shares similarities to the Northern/Republic of Ireland situation. Anyway, tonight Séverin comes home and it will be a busy weekend, so hopefully updates will be regular.
Hilsener fra Danmark!!