Almost ....

Everywhere we looked today at Chiltern Open Air Museum,

there were Vikings.

Everywhere!

We were glad to spot some fellow whippets in the trader's tent ... 

And even gladder to see so many likely-looking breakfast fires ...

Unfortunately they all seemed to be cooking porridge.

While we are rather partial to porridge,

we are even more partial to sucking pig.

As usual, there was a distinct lack of it ...

Until ....

OK, so it wasn't sucking pig, it was a piece of gammon,

but it's the closest we've got so far.

Sadly, it wasn't yet cooked ...

 

Relaxing

The Madwoman has had a bit of a busy and stressful week so we prescribed a weekend away from writing and computers and took her out for a gentle and relaxing stroll at Chiltern Open Air Museum. Well, that's where we go most weekends, and it's usually quite relaxing.

When we arrived we found a whole Viking encampment had set up.

Some of them were either having a Saturday morning lie in or were 

perhaps prostrated by hangovers ...

We steered the Madwoman towards a promising looking campfire ... 

... and then towards another one ...

... and yet another.

Nearly everyone seemed to have an impressive cooking range but not a single sossidge to be seen, never mind sucking pig. Always seems to be a real shortage of sucking pig at these events. 

 A couple of Vikings were getting ready for a bit of a scrap ...

... while in the meantime a game of Viking skittles - or possibly a forerunner of cricket - was underway. It seemed topical, although we didn't spot any weeping Aussies ...

There was a loom ...

 And a Viking with two impressive helmets. But only one head. Maybe one is for weekday wear and the other one for Sunday best ...

Suitably relaxed, we all cluttered off home for some lunch. 

No sossidges there either. 

Pffft.

Cooling off

Off to Chiltern Open Air Museum at the weekend to see what

entertainment they had laid on for us.

We found Vikings and Anglo-Saxons slogging it out with each other

on the village green.

Angel was rather taken by the pink nightie ...

It was a hot sort of day, so we went home early to cool off in the garden with

a Kong filled with frozen yogurt. The Madwoman amazed us for once

with her forward planning.

If you stand up you can push your tongue right
down to the bottom.
Really.
Try it and you'll see.
But not with our Kongs.
Get your own!

The Vikings are coming!

Well actually, they're already here as we
discovered when we went to Chiltern Open Air Museum this weekend.

Yeah, it's a Viking alright.
Another one we can cross off in our I-Spy book of re-enactors ...

We found folk re-enacting the Dark Ages in Arborfield Barn.

They were very good: it was certainly very dark.

Nom nom nom
And here's someone re-enacting breakfast.

And this is us re-enacting the Wet Ages.

We hear that liberal helpings of roast turkey has a very therapeutic effect ... 

When we got home, the Madwoman was baffled to find 

that Archie had somehow acquired a cut above his right eye.

She says we have whiskers like piano wires but skin like rice paper.

Meeting the Vikings

We emerged from the woods at the Chiltern Open Air Museum to find a

Viking Sewing Circle in full swing.

Makes a change from all that ale quaffing and

pillaging we suppose.

"Feel free to ask anything you like" they said.

"We eyed up the juicy looking apples sitting on a wooden platter.

"Anything?" we said.

"Yes, ask us anything you like" they replied.

"Can we have a bite of one of your apples then?" we asked.

Apparently this wasn't the sort of question they had in mind. 

Off we go again

Guess where we went this weekend?

Yep, the Open Air Museum.

Again.

Still, if anyone is likely to have a roast sucking pig,

surely it'll be the Saxons and Vikings?

We live in hope, so off we went. 

Here's a Saxon lurcher.
If he looks a bit blurry it's because we're a bit scared
of other dogs, so we had our eyes half shut, pretending that
he wasn't really there.

Ah, here we are, the campfire.

What do you mean, there's no sucking pig?
No, we don't want strawberries, thank you, we have plenty of those at home.
As well as a Saxon lurcher, there was a Saxon Staffy and a Saxon Springer Spaniel - no sucking Pug fortunately, as they are REALLY scary the way they snort and snuffle at us.
But enough dogs to make us decide not to check out the Saxon kitchen too closely.

The Madwoman spotted that the scaffolding had gone from around Haddenham cottage, and the blue tarpaulin on the roof: we've watched it grow from its foundations, and she was quite excited to see it nearing completion.

We didn't really have time to take it in - we were too busy keeping a watchful eye on the Saxon dogs.

Just in case. 

Another action packed weekend

You can tell it's must be summer as all of a sudden the outings are coming thick and fast. Here we are, back at the Chiltern Open Air Museum again, this time to watch the Vikings in action.

What's for dinner?  Mushrooms and cabbage.
Nice. Glad we won't be sharing your longhouse tonight. 
If  you're sure there's no sucking pig, thanks all the same, but we'll pass on the dinner invitation ... 

Angel has an itch.
The thing about an itch is that it has to be dealt with there and then.

The Viking fighting has started.

We're glad to see that the girls are getting stuck in too.

That's right, kick him while he's down.

Definitely the safest policy.

Oooops. Now they're all running this way.

Was it something we said?

Time to go home.