" GRANDPA, WHAT EXACTLY IS A "VIKING"? "

Growing up in Vopnafjörður, Iceland, Grandpa always said "Viking kids don't cry," One day I said "I'm not a Viking, what I have heard they were mean people!" 

Grandpa looked at me and said: "Vik, in Icelandic means a bay, inlet or a fjord. 

So anyone who lives by a fjord could be called Viking or Vikingur which means "One who comes from the fjords."

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"As many Icelander can tell  you  living by a fjord is not for the faint of heart  and don't cry over small stuff.  We learn to toughen up at young age, that's what I am teaching you: Kids from the fjords don't cry, they can stomp their feet yell and holler but don't whine and cry." Grandpa frowned and then said "In the old days there were many that went berserk and went raiding other countries but that's a different story. So, Diddamin, I repeat Viking kids don't cry!"

NICE SURPRISE!

Hallgrimskirkjan.

                  STANDING TALL!

ICONIC CHURCH IN REYKJAVIK, ICELAND.

After living here in the united states since 1945, (when I
came as a WW.II War-bride) only in 2012 when Eyjafjallajokull erupted and got in the news, was my country, Iceland, really recognized, at least in central Illinois :-)

Before that, I usually got a blank look when I answered the, inevitable, question about my accent. Now it seems like so many have either been there, have a friend or a relative who has been there, or have Iceland on their bucket list!

Going back to my "nice surprise"; I was in Red Wing, Minnesota in October for my youngest grand-daughter wedding. As we were leaving the Motel I picked up a local magazine called "Generations of Today."

Later I was browsing through it and came across theses delightful photos and information!

I love surprises like this!