The Moesgaard exhibition revealed that the main trade for the vikings going east was slaves (caught en route) and fur (bought en route, bought from FInns, Jakutes and other taiga people). The main bring-back was arabian silver, hoarded in huge treasures we till find in the earth every now and then.
Interestingly, when the arab silver dried up in the early years of the 11th century, the vikings refocused their trade towards central Europe where new silver mines had been opened. The Rus kingdom stood, however, and continued to control trade along the Ukrainian and Russian rivers, but with somewhat less contact with their ancestors back in Scandinavia`
It's lots more to it than above, though.

Back home now, I'm still pretty tired from the trip. It was a marvellous one, though. A lovely late summer long weekend with warm air and a yellowish light over the landscape. Denmark is brighter, in a way. Open country in contrast to the dark and dense Swedish forests. And it seems people aren't taking life quite as seriously there either. The Danish "hygge" is something of an example for the rest of us, really.
 
Main modelling tasks are still touch ups on the Luftwaffe fighters, but perhaps unsurprisingly after a visit to DK, I've digged out another Starfighter that's going Danish. Not green low level Danish, though, but possibly rather F-16 grey/grey. The Danes use a slightly different dark grey than the other European Viper users, and that'll be my excuse for going grey.
Still chipping paint from that old Italeri F-4F as well. Right now, I'm not too sure I'll actually complete a renovation, but I'm not quite there to abandon it altogether either. SO I'm chipping away while the paint on the other kits are drying.

Having tipped over an open tin of paint, though, I've realised that first of all, I'll just have to tidy up a bit, making better room. Boring!

Quote from: Rick Lowe on September 06, 2022, 10:23:51 PMNarses, I think you're referring to Linka. A set of rubber moulds you poured plaster into, and IIRC there were tiled roof sections, too. 1/72 ish scale.
I never did get around to using mine, I think because I could never find proper Plaster of Paris back then. 

Not those I think, these came as a set of small bricks that you cemented together using white glue, you didn't need to make them. They looked like real bricks, probably something like 1/24 scale or similar. But I'm asking my memory to go way, way back into the distant past 

A largely unproductive day, but I despite that, I've managed to attach some drop tanks to the German MiG's. Suddenly, they look significantly more purposeful than when unloaded.
I also bit the bullet and put some paint on the old F-4. It's not quite there yet, but it actually might look good enough. I'll see once I get more paint on. It's never going to be show-standard, but I really don't care. I'm building for my own pleasure, no more and no less.

The news of the demise of Queen Elizabeth came this afternoon and while I couldn't say I'm directly affected, in particular as I'm neither British nor even living in the UK, but somehow, it does affect me still. Queen Liz was indeed an institution, bridging the gap between the Empire and todays rather lonely Britain, where even Scotland now seems to be on its way to leave. The future now seems even more uncertain than it did this morning, and it is a sad moment indeed. So, despite being here on the Swedish countryside, I went out to lower my flag. It seems the right thing to do.

Pellson, that's such a moving and respectful thing to have done. Thank you very much indeed. 

Quote from: NARSES2 on September 07, 2022, 05:51:57 AM

Quote from: Rick Lowe on September 06, 2022, 10:23:51 PMNarses, I think you're referring to Linka. A set of rubber moulds you poured plaster into, and IIRC there were tiled roof sections, too. 1/72 ish scale.
I never did get around to using mine, I think because I could never find proper Plaster of Paris back then. 

Not those I think, these came as a set of small bricks that you cemented together using white glue, you didn't need to make them. They looked like real bricks, probably something like 1/24 scale or similar. But I'm asking my memory to go way, way back into the distant past 

Ah, my mistake. 

Glad the Clan Pellson all got back safely from the trip. 

Thankyou for your actions Pellson 

Thank you for your kind and respectful deed, Pellson - it is much appreciated.

I should have said, as the others have - thank you for the gesture of respect.

Voting day today, where we Swedes vote for our next government, on  national as well as regional and municipal level. Three elections in one go.
It's been a long and annoying campaign period, with very few solutions or even visions for solving the problems we, as well as any society, have. Instead, it's been a major poo-poo show, where anyone even remotely politically engaged has gone above and beyond in trying to put blame on their opponents for putting us where we are. In my, perhaps somewhat long term view on matters, everyone is to blame as we've hade changing majorities every second election over the last decades, and during that time, none has really done anything to address the real problems we see, rather preferring to act on small, simple and easy issues. But such a strategy will only lead to the more severe problems getting worse, and more difficult still to remedy. And that's where we currently stand.
And now, the quarrelling has been all about who didn't do their job yesterday (accurate answer: no one) than who's to do what to fix it tomorrow. Tiring. And unproductive.

Anyway - we at least have the opportunity to choose, so cast your vote you must. And that, we've done today.
As always, we dress up a bit and bring our children. Election Day must be celebrated for the important thing it actually is and I think it's impregnating the children against totalitarianism to show them this, and to educate them properly about how a proper democracy does work. Even if the parties to choose from has done their utmost to tarnish the seriousness of the occasion. So - the kids went along. And it's going to be an exciting evening, as polls are unprecedentedly even between the alternatives for national government.

Now, back at home, I'm feeling somewhat queasy, actually. Partly from having had to vote against something rather than for. That disturbs me severely. It's usually not a very productive position, but again, I'm left with no other choice.
And partly because my chopped up intestines does this to me every now and then. They just gridlock and makes a fuss. But eventually it should sort itself, if often via a series of rather annoying visits to the loo.
My queasiness could also be a result of yesterday's home bringing of about 3,5 m² of firewood, all manually loaded, offloaded and stacked in the woodshed. I have now aching muscles I wasn't aware of even existed in by body. Interesting. If painful.

I don't think I'll actually do any modelling today, but one never knows. The modernised RDAF Starfighter is looking OK - if boringly grey - and the bunch of German interceptors are actually nearing varnishing. And I also received yet another ESCI Starfighter, now making it possible to add a Norm 87 Marineflieger Zipper to the German bonanza. We'll see if fatigue or mojo pulls the hardest.

You have summed up my views on the current state of politics, but never the less the importance of voting in a far more eloquent way than I possibly of could of, thankyou 

The morning news on the BBC actually mentioned that it was the Swedish election today, so the world is moving on.

Quote from: Pellson on September 11, 2022, 05:07:42 AMIt's been a long and annoying campaign period, with very few solutions or even visions for solving the problems we, as well as any society, have. Instead, it's been a major poo-poo show, where anyone even remotely politically engaged has gone above and beyond in trying to put blame on their opponents for putting us where we are.

Welcome to American-style politics, for the past 40 years.  This year, though, its kinda tame, since its a midterm election (the entire House is up for reelection, as is a third of the Senate), so we're don't get the national-level mudslinging of a Presidential election.

Quote from: scooter on September 11, 2022, 06:34:32 AM

Quote from: Pellson on September 11, 2022, 05:07:42 AMIt's been a long and annoying campaign period, with very few solutions or even visions for solving the problems we, as well as any society, have. Instead, it's been a major poo-poo show, where anyone even remotely politically engaged has gone above and beyond in trying to put blame on their opponents for putting us where we are.

Welcome to American-style politics, for the past 40 years.  This year, though, its kinda tame, since its a midterm election (the entire House is up for reelection, as is a third of the Senate), so we're don't get the national-level mudslinging of a Presidential election.

I hope we're not quite that far gone yet, mate. No offence intended. But it's a bit disencouraging that it's gone this far, even.
Still - all isn't lost. If that's your feeling, then you've given up. And you know how it goes - keep calm & carry on..

I actually did get on with some painting. Only details and touch ups, but still. Better than nothing. 

Quote from: Pellson on September 11, 2022, 11:39:18 AM

Quote from: scooter on September 11, 2022, 06:34:32 AM

Quote from: Pellson on September 11, 2022, 05:07:42 AMIt's been a long and annoying campaign period, with very few solutions or even visions for solving the problems we, as well as any society, have. Instead, it's been a major poo-poo show, where anyone even remotely politically engaged has gone above and beyond in trying to put blame on their opponents for putting us where we are.

Welcome to American-style politics, for the past 40 years.  This year, though, its kinda tame, since its a midterm election (the entire House is up for reelection, as is a third of the Senate), so we're don't get the national-level mudslinging of a Presidential election.

I hope we're not quite that far gone yet, mate. No offence intended. But it's a bit disencouraging that it's gone this far, even.
Still - all isn't lost. If that's your feeling, then you've given up. And you know how it goes - keep calm & carry on..

None taken, and, believe me, I feel the same way.  Frankly, I'd like to see more states use proportional or instant runoff voting here in the US.  Make all the parties have actual platforms, and stop pandering to the few extremists on both sides of the political spectrum.

Quote from: Pellson on September 11, 2022, 11:39:18 AMI actually did get on with some painting. Only details and touch ups, but still. Better than nothing. 

Any bench time is quality time.

Another two weeks gone by already! Damn, I'm living in the fast lane. Or not.. 

Anyway, it's been a lot of things going on. Some work, amongst that cleaning up an at least temporarily closed wind farm project, taking down measuring masts and other stuff. And that's a good bit up north, so about 1200 km of driving. With a 3,2 ton trailer behind the car.

Last weekend, we went out to the cottage to split about half of the already chopped up birch firewood we had sitting, and this weekend, we took the rest. Its all now also stacked and drying, waiting for next season. For this year, we have about five cubic metres stacked indoors (wood shed) so as that's being used, this is going in. If I can get around to complete the rebuild of the terrain trailer in order to be able to transport it home, that is. Next weeks job, possibly.

Against some odds, I got some minor work done on the two German Tornados that's been sitting on my desk while I've been painting other stuff. Nothing major, but enough to remind me how awfully bad many Italeri kits are, when you actually try to build something from them. The parts look nice enough on the sprues, but once you try to fiddle them together, there's no end to the amount of PSR you have to put in. But they'll get there in the end, and tbh - it's the work on the model that's satisfying. If I was in the game just for the result, then I'd buy cast models, wouldn't I?

A nice thing about modelling here in the cottage is that I am using the dinner table for modelling, granting me loads of space. Working in the Tornados, I don't really need it, but it's outright awesome when building something bigger. I built the Valiant K.1 here, as well as the Valiant B.2 and the Stratofortress. The latter one in particular is huge, and I'll probably have to take it back here to complete it. It's a cool aircraft, though, and by pure chance seeing one landing at Wurtsmith AFB in the early nineties is still a quite cherished memory.

Painting it will most likely drain some of my paint supply, though, due to the areas to be painted. And as my Humbrol paint stash can't get refilled as we all know, I might have to go for the Revell enamels I can buy locally. I'm a bit ambiguous about them, though. The ones I've tried seem less covering or more opaque, whichever you prefer, than their Humbrol counterparts, and they dry faster in the brush but take longer to completely harden on the model. Or I'm just grumpy. I don't really know..
Anyway - it's a bitch to have to switch system. I've used the Humbrol enamels throughout my modelling career, and I know the shades as well as their quirks by heart by now. And it does annoy me to have to buy similar shades to what I already have, but from another brand.

Speaking of shades, I'm most likely going to go for the SAC specific variant of the Europe One scheme. That isn't a straightforward choice, though, as it seems the green hue aged badly, going browner with time. And the difference can be quite evident as seen below.





Even when accounting for the different light settings, you can see the difference.

Well. I guess I just have to decide..

Now - packing up to go home. It's a nice three quarter drive on back roads, half of it gravel, and the short Defender is an absolute treat in this environment. So - onwards!

Ah, the Bone.  Handsome aeroplane, once got the chance to crawl around inside one - very impressive machine.