A lawn program at Balboa Park’s International Cottages today celebrated Norse history and culture. The House of Norway provided food and entertainment, and a visit from Viking explorer Leif Erikson (an actor)!
What I found most interesting, however, was a living history “encampment” on the International Cottages lawn. Costumed members of Wolves ov Odin were showing what Norse life was like in the 8th century!
Perhaps you’ve seen Wolves ov Odin at the annual Viking Festival in Vista, California. They are a group that portrays Danish Vikings that lived in the Jorvik region of present day York, UK.
As you can see, curious people converged on several tables to see and touch history.
Read the photo captions for a bit of what I learned…
Viking chain mail armor on display. I lifted one end and it was heavy! Those steel helmets in the background were heavy, too! Better a sore neck than a hole in the head!Creating chain mail by interlocking iron rings was a long process undertaken by Viking smiths. Iron was rare and chain mail shirts were relatively rare.A beautifully engraved but deadly Viking axe. I wish I had learned more about it.A simple sundial made of wood, which could double as a compass to aid in Viking ocean navigation. An X marks noon–I took this photo a few minutes before the shadow lined up with it!Making a replica Viking coin, using a length of modern steel tubing for hammering safety.I got my own, freshly minted pewter Viking Raven Penny of Anlaf Guthfrithson!Demonstrating a replica Oseberg Sprang Weaving Loom, a loom from the Oseberg ship, a well-preserved Viking ship discovered in 1904 in Norway.Combing and spinning wool with a hand spindle preceded tablet weaving and making Viking clothing and ship sails!The spindles were very simple.It never occurred to me that Viking sails were made by weaving!Beads were a sign of wealth among Vikings.A smile and sample of Viking life.
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About a thousand years ago, Viking explorer Leif Erikson was the first European to set foot on continental America. He established a Norse settlement in a place he called Vinland. Today he arrived in San Diego, California!
Leif greeted an enthusiastic crowd in Balboa Park. He extended a greeting and read an ancient Norse poem. Then he adjusted his beard, pocketed his phone and smiled for photographs!
Yes, this particular Leif Erikson was an impersonation. Jordan Jacobo, a personality on KPBS, did the honors!
As you might have guessed, the House of Norway hosted their cultural lawn program today in Balboa Park. In addition to meeting Leif, families could gobble authentic Norwegian waffles and Polse i lompe (hot dog in a lompe–I had mine with shrimp, sour cream, mayo, dill and lemon juice) and wash it down with Saft (blueberry juice).
Kids were running wild, enjoying axe throwing, fish toss and other lively competitions. They posed with a Viking longship and could have their names written in runes. At several tables adults could learn about Norse crafts, including rosemaling (decorative folk painting), smøyg (pattern darning), wood carving, Hardanger embroidery and knitting. There was accordion music, too!
A living history encampment showed how life might have been in Norway during the age of the Vikings. I will be blogging about that coming up!
Enjoy some photographs!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
What is a photographer to do? There were so many colorful events going on today in Balboa Park, I drained my camera’s battery trying to capture it all!
I have yet to share my photos of today’s CleanUp Kitsune event, and classes provided by the San Diego Museum of Art. Stay tuned for that!
But what should I do with various photographs of other events? I’ll share them now!
These first few photos were taken at the International Cottages. Balboa Park’s four Latin Houses (House of Colombia, House of Mexico, House of Panama and House of Spain) would celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a colorful lawn program.
I walked through before the event began in earnest…
When I walked past the Old Globe theatre complex, I noticed people were setting up for this evening’s Globe Gala 2024…
Over at the Municipal Gymnasium, the San Diego Senior Games were underway! Food awaited the athletes outside. Inside, the basketballs were flying!
The weekly Saturday greyhound walk passed by…
Some friendly guys dressed as superheroes were participating in the CleanUp Kitsune parkwide litter pick up activity. I’m hoping to receive additional photographs. I’ll blog about it tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile, Balboa Park’s usual cultural wonderfulness was to be seen everywhere!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
In San Diego, compassionate people are working to help the victims of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Some of the organizations leading this effort were making their appeals today at the House of Ukraine lawn program in Balboa Park.
As I wandered around the annual cultural event, I met a few of these good people. I missed most of the dancing and entertainment this year, but I figured blogging about these humanitarian efforts is important.
People gather in Balboa Park at the International Cottages for the House of Ukraine lawn program.Playing traditional Ukrainian music on the stage.Serving tasty Ukrainian food in the House of Ukraine cottage.A box welcomes Donations For Ukraine.
Shield of Freedom (SOF) is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicate to providing direct aid to defenders, first responders and civilians in Ukraine that are helping support and defend the country in the face of Russia’s brutal war of aggression.
Shield of Freedom’s Beer and Bandages event will be held next Sunday, September 8, 2024 at Kilowatt Brewery, 7576 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Enjoy Ukrainian brew and save lives by building a life-saving First Aid Kit for a Ukrainian defender.
Healing Scalpel‘s goal is to provide humanitarian aid to those individuals impacted by natural disasters and manmade disruptions or conflicts.
Rescue Support International works side by side with brave rescuers on the front lines in Ukraine, connecting them with first responders abroad looking to help.
Their Photo Exhibition Project raises awareness, focusing on Ukrainian Rescuers on the front lines of the civilian battleground, highlighting their sacrifices, bravery, and heroism, and bringing attention to their urgent need for more resources.
Artillery shell shrapnel picked up in the town of Marganets in 2023, where the blast had just killed a 59 year old school teacher, while her husband lost several fingers. The shell was fired from Russia artillery stationed at the nuclear power plant just 8 miles away, where they fire daily on the civilian towns within artillery reach…
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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The House of Hungary presented a wonderful lawn program today in Balboa Park.
Those who came by the International Cottages could feast on Hungarian food, including Potato Paprikash and Crepes, and enjoy an introduction to Hungary’s history and culture. At the House of Hungary cottage, used books in Hungarian were for sale. Out on the lawn, dancers and musicians took the stage.
I arrived just before 2 o’clock and watched a performance by two professional ballet dancers: Hungarian born Reka Gyulai (principal dancer, California Ballet) and Lester Gonzalez. Their dance, as you might expect, was extraordinary.
Then came a performance by the Hungarian Children’s School. The symbolic dance was about creating New Bread. It was full of fun, family happiness and joy for life.
Later performances, which I missed, included jazz and folk music by The Hunglish Project, the Karpatok Hungarian Dance Ensemble, and a Rubik’s Cube demonstration and quiz show!
Another great time on another Sunday in sunny San Diego!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Balboa Park in San Diego is full of surprising history.
Perhaps you’ve seen this plaque. It can be found in a modest brick plaza at the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages, beneath a rusty, flagless flagpole, a few steps from the entrance to the United Nations Building and Gift Shop.
The plaque proudly states:
DEDICATED TO THE CRAFTSMEN OF AMERICA BY THE FIRST NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE ON APPRENTICESHIP — AUGUST, 1953 — BUILT BY APPRENTICES OF SAN DIEGO SPONSORED BY JOINT APPRENTICESHIP COMMITTEE ON MASONRY
Internet searches provide very little about this history. Perhaps a knowledgeable reader out there can contribute a comment. The brick wall and circular patio must have been built by local masonry apprentices.
I did find an interesting old article in the August 26, 1953 edition of CONVAIRIETY, a newspaper for employees of the Convair Division of General Dynamics. It begins by explaining how Two Convair San Diego men who formerly were apprentices at SD were singled out for honors during the first North American Conference on Apprenticeship held in San Diego Aug. 2-9.
You can see the full CONVARIETY article by clicking here, or read the text more easily by clicking here and scrolling down.
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The House of USA hosted a special program today in San Diego’s always amazing Balboa Park. Independence Day was celebrated at the International Cottages!
The Sons of the American Revolution and the National Society of the Children of the American Revolution were a big part of the patriotic event. Members in colonial attire were eager to educate the public about our nation’s early history.
I learned how the Children of the American Revolution is the nation’s oldest and largest patriotic youth organization. Members are under the age of 22, and have descended from an individual who provided military of civil service or gave material support to the cause of independence during the American Revolution. Their mission is to train future leaders and promote love of the United States and its heritage among youth. The young members I met were fine, well-spoken representatives of the organization.
The event included inspiring verbal presentations concerning the women of the American Revolution. Speakers represented historical personalities, including groundbreaking African American poet Phillis Wheatley; activist, author and Bill of Rights advocate Mercy Otis Warren; Deborah Sampson who disguised herself as a man to join the Patriot forces; and Lydia Darragh, who hid in a closet to eavesdrop on a secret meeting, learning about a surprise attack by the British on Washington’s troops.
The speakers were followed by several dances that would be typical during this era of American history. The Folk Dancers of Balboa Park danced to She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain, the Virginia reel and other familiar tunes.
Then the San Diego City Guard Band, which was founded way back in 1880, took to the stage and performed music fit for the occasion, starting with America the Beautiful.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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The House of Sweden celebrated their nation’s culture today during a lawn program at Balboa Park’s International Cottages. The fun event included Swedish folk costumes, traditional dancing, pop music, and a wild summer dance around a maypole!
The event began with a festive procession, and a demonstration of the colorful folk costumes worn by House of Sweden members. I learned many of the handmade costumes represent different provinces in Sweden.
Then the Balboa Park Dancers entertained the crowd with various Swedish folk dances. Many of the old dances involve courtship. A couple of the dances stimulated laughter with their good-natured, bawdy humor.
Between folk dance performances, the Happy Strummers–a collection of mostly ukulele playing musicians–rocked the crowd with three ABBA hits: Waterloo, Dancing Queen and Mama Mia. The audience provided several dancing queens!
Then the grand finale! Nearly everyone watching the lawn program joined hands around the flower-bedecked maypole and began the crazy Små Grodorna frog dance!
It was a perfect summer’s day!
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I hope somebody recorded them–those words spoken today by First Sergeant, US Army, Brian Bennett. They were eloquent. They were true.
After eating a hot dog in the San Diego sunshine, I sat listening to Brian’s speech during the Memorial Day event at Balboa Park’s International Cottages. He was the first of five distinguished speakers. They had served in the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard. All of the speakers were excellent.
Brian is a teacher at Mount Miguel High School. He confessed that he began to prepare his speech the way many of his students do their homework–by using AI. We in the audience laughed.
Brian, however, found that AI’s predictable answer about the meaning of Memorial Day wasn’t quite right. True–the holiday is about duty, dedication, courage and ultimate sacrifice—but the computed answer wasn’t complete.
A true understanding of Memorial Day, explained Brian, involves long years of service and often difficult experience. It’s only then that one can fully understand the great and meaningful sacrifice made by those who’ve fallen in service to their country. Ideals easily spoken of become real.
Ultimately, he explained, Memorial Day is about love.
Love for those in your life who are precious. Love for a country whose founding documents grant us a life of freedom. And love for those who’ve come before, sacrificing so that we may live this life.
Yes, I thought, a life where people from all walks can freely gather together and speak or listen to powerful words without fear.
I hope my few, poor words did Brian’s great speech justice.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Cool San Diego Sights! 