BW18: May cruise the Fjords

Courtesy of  G Adventures

Time to say goodbye to our grand walking adventures through Iceland and jump on board the good ship May. We are traveling to the Scandinavian Peninsula to  explore Norway, Sweden and Finland as we cruise the Fjords.  We are going to follow in the path of Norwegian authors Karin Fossum and Jo Nesbo as well as explore Scandinavian and Nordic literature.  Check out 11 Books that will make you book a Scandinavian vacation or take a trip back into history through historical fiction or nonfiction.

Our flower of the month is the Lily of the Valley which is the national flower of Finland.  Lilies symbolize humility, purity, and luck. They represent happiness and are supposed to protect gardens from evil. The Lily is also believed to the flower of the fairies and are called fairy ladders in Ireland.  According to biblical legend Mary's tears turned into Lily of the Valley when she cried at the cross, so are also known as Mary's tears.   Historically, King Charles IX was gifted a lily for luck on May 1, 1561, and continued the tradition, handing out flowers to the women of his court.  Royal brides Queen Victoria, Kate Middleton, and Grace Kelly used Lilies for their bridal bouquets.

There are a number of directions to go. For this month's Blossom Bookology challenge, you need only spell out Lily.   Read one book per letter using either the title and/or the first or last name of the author.  Yes, you can mix it up.  You may read a book with the name of the flower, color of the flower in the title, or on the cover.  Another possibility is a book which takes place in the time period or flower's country of origin or has some cultural significance and/or symbolism of the flower.  The choices are unlimited.

The third leg of our Brit Tripping takes us to Ichnield Way and starts  on the Isle of Wight, the famous holiday destination favored by the Victorians including Queen Victoria herself who died on the island. 

Rabbit trails: Isle of Wight WWII  Osborne House  Hauntings

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