Sagaland is a travelogue about a new chapter in my life. It begins in 2023 with a journey to Scandinavia in search of a 1000-year old family ancestor – the first step toward writing the De Lacy Saga. The traveling and writing are ongoing. There will likely be ten chapters covering five years of travel. It will eventually be published as an ebook.
Chapter One
Five Ports for Rollo
“I headed out into the streets of Copenhagen. Zig-zagging through the attractive streets, I eventually found myself standing outside a royal palace. It didn’t look particularly old, but it was pretty, so I pulled out my phone. Nearby, I spied a statue of a dude on horseback, looking regal and authoritarian. A king, I assumed, though I didn’t know who. That was a reason why I was in Copenhagen at the start of a two-week adventure through Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Besides a brief trip to Norway in October 2017 to give a talk and hike to a famous rock overlooking a fjord, Scandinavia was terra incognita. I wanted to fill it in. After deciding to go, my wheels began to turn. As the family knows, I love planning trips, where to stay, what to see. Very sadly, the planning would be only for me now. That was hard to accept on many levels, but it was also another reason to go.
I needed to figure out what solo meant out in the world.”