Hello, We Took the Road
Less Traveled readers! I’m Angie from Reasons
to Dress, my blog is about life and
style, things that go hand in hand in Italy where I currently live with my
husband and 2 year old son. Last week I was in a
Northern German town visiting a Viking settlement recreation, I hope you enjoy
where I went and what I wore!
The Reason I Dressed - The Land of Vikings
In search of a new
experience we headed to the Northern tip of Germany to a small town called Hedeby just 20 minutes south of the Denmark border in “Viking Territory”!
Once upon a time, around a thousand years ago, Vikings settled in this inlet and stayed here for
over 300 years. They worked, lived, and
set sail from here, until the site was abandoned for the more strategic
position across the lake. The area they
left behind remained untouched until archaeologists discovered it and were able
to piece together the story of the settlement, recreating a few of their homes,
tools, and ways of life.
We spent an incredible
day at the Viking
Museum in Hedeby, immersed in vibrant green meadows and perched on the edge
of the inlet that connects to the North and Baltic seas.
The museum itself is
very modern and showcased the artifacts in an interactive way. FYI, I was not able to actually
read or enjoy any of the indoor exhibits because I was WAY too preoccupied
ensuring that my toddler didn’t:
a) Climb/break
the exhibits, b) Stomp his
feet, play hide and go seek, climb the exhibits (wait did I already say that?), c) Annoy the
£$%& out of other museum dwellers with his adorable (to me) and yet
surprisingly ear-piercing squeals (aka tantrum screams!)
What I really LOVED
about this place was that you could go outside of the museum, walk for 15
minutes along the nature trail to an entire Viking Settlement recreated on the
water’s edge.
Incredible attention to detail made it feel as
though we really did enter a real Viking settlement complete with characters in
full costume! There were even sheep grazing in the hills beside us along the
trail!
I loved this part of
the museum and thought more than once about the fact that the same cold wind
that was blowing all around would have blown a Viking’s face a thousand years
ago.
What I Wore
In my blog, I try to share not just how I
dress but where I went. I always wonder
where all those fashion bloggers are going all dressed up! Not only that, but I have a really hard time
dressing appropriately for the weather, so hopefully this will help you if you
ever plan on visiting North Europe in mid-August! Let me save you some
packing headaches...leave your bathing suit at home (unless of course you are
incredibly tough-like Viking tough!)
What to Wear?
What to Wear………
A TRENCH
I didn't bring this
trench with me, I bought it on sale for 20 euro (about $27) in Copenhagen a few
days before this trip to Germany. It has
been a much needed addition to my wardrobe.
LAYERS!
It can be very hot and
sunny one moment and then frigidly windy and cold the next, only to be followed
by rain! You’ll want to pack
and wear many a layer from cotton sweaters to polo shirts and t-shirts. When it gets cold, layer away, and if you
start to sweat just peel a layer off!
Plus, don’t you find that adding in layers instantly makes any outfit so
much more interesting?
RAIN BOOTS
I managed to pack rain
boots into a carry-on luggage! These are “Chelsea” rain boots, meaning they are
rubber, but have that sleek London Chelsea-design, making them an easy addition
to bring along for a trip to North Germany in the summer. Believe me you’ll be glad you have them since
it rains every second day!
HATS and RAIN GEAR
Remember my trusty
rainhat from my Spring trip to Rome? Well, I keep it in my pocket at all times! When it starts to pour and I need to push the
stroller, I just pull it out and voilà! When it really starts to come down I also have a fashionable Topshop
rain poncho that I use, but luckily we were greeted with pretty decent weather
on our trip to the Viking settlement (by decent I mean it only rained twice in
a 10 hour period!) It was windy, however,
so I’m glad I had my cotton beanie (touque for those of us who are Canadian) to
protect my ears. The hats are available
now at H&M as part of their new collection and are under $10, but
any thin cotton hat will do!
SUNGLASSES
You’ll want to pack
sunglasses, when the sun shines it REALLY shines. Mine were bought on sale for $17 and did the
trick. Here’s some advice,
skip the expensive sunglasses when on vacation, if you loose them or forget
them they will be gone forever! I’ve lost $400 sunglasses in Paris (pre-baby
days obviously) and to this day it still bothers me. Enjoy your vacation without the worry of
loosing things that you won’t want to replace.
A SCARF
I live in Italy! I dare not go ANYWHERE without a scarf. If you want to read about the Italian
obsession with scarves and drafts I wrote a bit about it last winter here!
A BRAIDED BELT
Last, but not least I
would recommend a braided belt. Since
there are no holes, there is no specific “sizing” so you can wear it up high on
your waist, or with pants and jeans and even over a coat. I usually pack at least 3 belts when I go on
vacation since my husband is a belt artisan, but on this trip, being limited to
one small carry-on for two weeks I only packed this belt and it GOES WITH
EVERYTHING! For a chance to win this belt,
valued at around $600, please enter the giveaway below!


And that’s what I wore
and how my day went at the Viking Settlement. If you’re wondering if I found any stylish moms to photograph in Hedeby,
I found only one! I call her “Viking
Mom” and she was pretty cool! Little
does she realize that plaid will be all the rage this fall! Come visit the blog next week and I’ll be
sharing some Copenhagen DAD Street Style, with a pretty hunky dad that looks
surprisingly like Jude Law (good thing my husband has a lot of
self-confidence!). Have a great day and
don’t forget to stop by, say hi, and enter the giveaway!
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Thanks for sharing your stylish outfit and great Viking adventure, Angie!! Friends, make sure to enter to win one of Angie's FAB Italian belts in the Rafflecopter below.
This supreme calf
leather belt has been colored by hand and features a solid brass, artisan made
buckle created in Florence, Italy. It
has been braided by hand, and you will notice that each leather strip is
actually twice as wide as what you can see, because the same leather is folded
upon itself, so you have the same supple leather on top and bottom. This method has created a luxuriously supple
accessory that hugs your curves and confirms to your body’s shape. Incredibly versatile you can wear this
flexible belt through pant belt loops or even over a dress by tucking the belt
tip down. Created entirely in
Italy by the Italian artisan belt company T.E.S. Tradizioni ed Elementi di Stile,
meaning Traditions and Elements of Style, Italy’s foremost exotic leather belt
artisans, who have created belt lines for the World’s most exclusive luxury
brands and currently have their own line of belts on sale at Bergdorf Goodman
in New York City. This belt will be
custom sized to the winner’s WAIST SIZE,
please indicate your exact waist measurement (just above your hip bones)
in centimeter’s as part of the giveaway’s entry process. This belt would retail
for approximately $600 in North America. Good Luck!