June 8. Day 159. Little Viking warrior

Call me a wimp but if a huge bloke four times my size charged at me at full pelt and bowled me over chances are you would need to call a passing ambulance or an undertaker. At the very least I would need a Bex, a cup of tea and a lie down and an afternoon in bed licking my wounds. But then, I clearly lack anything like Viking spirit. Modern life has made us soft or selfish but that could be just me. I'm a lover not a fighter (well, that's my excuse for a complete lack of resilience at least in a physical sense).  I would have been completely put to shame by a tiny little mini Viking who was part of a display at History Alive today. The Viking King was showing possible ways of dealing with a Viking charge when the little one went flying. He was winded and a little teary for a bit but then he was back and demanded a duel. Within minutes he had claimed the master's sword and was all smiles and the crowd went wild. It was all part of the colour and drama of a Queen's Birthday weekend tradition where history from many eras is played out in the Fort Lytton National Park. Even those with a preference of fashion circa 2014 and food cooked in a wood fired pizza oven or prepared by a barista are made to feel right at home (but a bit of chain wire is clearly an advantage when it comes to blending in). Perhaps next year I'll get with the program.