Mystic Connecticut: travelling with kids and enjoying gray texture with greenery and romantic lampMystic Connecticut: travelling with kids and enjoying gray texture with greenery and romantic lamp

One of our recent trips was in Mystic, CT.  The plan was incredibly simple, the trip - rewarding on so many levels that we are still rolling in the positive feelings about it.  The most surprising part of the trip?  Vikings!!!  Yup, Vikings in Connecticut! 

Mystic Seaport has tons to offer to a family with kids.  And I'll be thrilled to share the details with those who are curious to retrace our footsteps and entertain their own budding travellers with absolutely immense amount of educational fun... but first, the history geek in me is totally eager to share a story that we learned during our trip.  It begins in... Europe.  A long time ago.  Even before that.  Actually, around 11 century, for those who are even geekier about numbers than I am about history.

Love history. Take history of one of the Viking conquests: once upon a time, a French girl was washing clothes at the nearby river. Little did she think of the latest developments in the medieval European map changes: the violent and powerful raids of the Norse men, voracious Viking warriors, totally changed the European coastline. Their swift and powerful attacks were exhausting continental dwellers and French king, Phillip The Simple, decided to take a really not so simple solution: hire a squad of Vikings to defend his coastal cities from... other Vikings. Excellent idea, except the Vikings now had the insider’s knowledge of the defenses and were happy to put that knowledge to use during the next raid! Phillip The Simple wasn’t as simple as his name would suggest, and had an even better idea: he decided to give up some of his lands... to some Norse former raiders. Now, once they were finally defending their own territories, they were a lot more diligent at protecting it. I’d even say faithful. And... as voracious at it. That’s how the area of Normandy was born with the leaders of former pirates as the new Dukes.

Well, a French girl was innocently washing the clothes when suddenly, a scary looking Viking ship decided to make a landing right beside her. The intentions - are perfectly clear to anyone, they were commonplace. But the results... were anything but. And they had so much implications on the entire world history, that it totally blew my mind. But that’s - tomorrow: our car is pulling into the driveway and I am running out of character limits at this platform!