Greatest [insert your nationality] Person

[Gangerolf]

Originally posted by Winston
Brilliant. Oh, I remember the Norway/Soviet tie from Oslo in 1982 also. What a nerve wrecking finish.

I was too young to remember, but of course I know what happened.

"Hvor var du da Oddvar Brå brakk staven?" (Where were you when Oddvar Brå broke his pole?") is the Norwegian equivalent to "Where were you when they landed on the moon?"

This country is ridiculous.

[Winston]

It's made a lasting impression on me. Of course we always used to watch cross country skiing in those days, cheering for our fellow Scandinavians who actually managed to move in a forward direction AND not break all their limbs in the process.

I still think it's one of the most fascinating sports to watch.

[Gangerolf]

"who actually managed to move in a forward direction AND not break all their limbs in the process."

are you referring to anyone in particular?

[Hueij]

Greatest Norwegian ever: Leif Ericson, here overlooking downtown Reykjavik

[Gangerolf]

He was called Leif den hepne - Leif the lucky. He didn't know what he was doing. No-one knows what he really looked like of course, but I imagine that statue is a b it off. But at least it's not as crazy as the one I saw in St Paul, Minnesota where he looked like a cross between Asterix and Arnold Schwartzenegger. He probably resembled a small chimpanzee IRL. If he was a good looking fellow his success probably wouldn't be accredited to luck. But please don't pay any attention to my drunken theories.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by St Leo
Douglas Adams >>> Plato + Aristotle + Homer

St Leo knows the true path

[Hueij]

No-one knows what he really looked like of course, but I imagine that statue is a b it off. But at least it's not as crazy as the one I saw in St Paul, Minnesota

This statue was a gift from "The American People" to Iceland, commemorating the 1000th birthday of the Althing, the Icelandic parliament

[Winston]

Originally posted by Gangerolf
"who actually managed to move in a forward direction AND not break all their limbs in the process."

are you referring to anyone in particular?

You could say that, yes. Any Scandinavian on skis who isn't a Dane...

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Gangerolf
Actually, I was given some free tickets for the ferry (Danskebåten, as it's called here) but that's for Frederikshavn or maybe it was Hirtshals. A great chance to stock up on red sausages, dansk leverpostej and beer, but a very scary place (if you're sober, which I probaby won't be).

I guess that you intend to do some research into the juleøl market. The usual X-mas, 48 and blue tuborg juleøl won't dissapoint you, but beware of the red tuborg juleøl !!! It's just as weak as a normal beer and has a awful taste of cinnamon. I don't mind cinnamon at all but it should be on risengrød and not in beer !!!

[Gangerolf]

Originally posted by Winston


You could say that, yes. Any Scandinavian on skis who isn't a Dane...

ah

You're not that bad... I saw a Dane who could ski. Once. I think.

BlackCat, thanks for the advice, but I think I've had enough juleøl (Christmas beer) already. I'm still slowly recovering from last night's juleøl (medicine: more juleøl).
Cinnamon in beer? Crazy!

[Gangerolf]

Originally posted by Hueij

No-one knows what he really looked like of course, but I imagine that statue is a b it off. But at least it's not as crazy as the one I saw in St Paul, Minnesota

This statue was a gift from "The American People" to Iceland, commemorating the 1000th birthday of the Althing, the Icelandic parliament

That's interesting. Here's the one from St Paul. It doesn't seem to be inspired by the one in Reykjavik or vice versa, though.

[Hueij]

But what is a statue of a Nordic seafarer doing in St Paul?

[Ned]

Americans:

George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Thomas Jefferson
Frederick Douglass
Samuel Morse
Alexander Graham Bell
Thomas Edison
The Wright brothers
Bill Gates
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Benjamin Franklin

[Gangerolf]

Originally posted by Hueij
But what is a statue of a Nordic seafarer doing in St Paul?

Minnesota is a very Scandinavian state. (North Dakota even more so.) I would know, I used to live there. So I guess that is why.

[DanS]

Alexander Graham Bell

Scotch/Canadian. He spent a lot of time in the US, though.