Day 528 – US – Minnesota [Rest Day in Alexandria]

14/09/21

 Rest day in Alexandria (Minnesota, North America)

A rest day in the city dubbed the “Birthplace of America” and meeting with the locals

Posing next to the “original” Kensington Rune Stone

“Back in 1898, farmer Olof Ohman found a stone in the roots of an Aspen tree. […] On the stone were Nordic runes with the date 1362. […] The stone became known as the Kensington Rune Stone. Since its discovery, there has been controversy surrounding the stone’s authenticity.” So reads the little leaflet I gathered at Alexandria’s Runestone Museum today. That was enough to arouse my curiosity.

The Giant “Big Ole” Viking Statue, Alexandria Minnesota

Thought to have been left by Norwegian explorers in the 14th century, there is now a consensus that this is all a 19th century hoax! The stone is a masterpiece of the museum of course – because if it were true, Alexandria would indeed have been the birthplace of America! A tribute to this is the “Big Ole” Viking statue which was built in 1965 for the World’s Fair in New-York for the display named: “ Minnesota, Birthplace of America”. What a rich and eccentric story for such a place…!

Lake Agnes, Alexandria Minnesota

I took a long walk around Lake Agnes this afternoon, the place is pristine and the water so pure… the trail was beautiful, I met hikers, dog walkers, cyclists, runners… And then, I started receiving messages. The word has gotten around that I was in town and a few local journalists wanted to meet with me. That was unexpected and I owe this from the ladies of the Runestone Museum! Again, it was nice to share the journey with Joe and Travis, attentive listeners who seemed to be about as excited as I am about the run!

I’m back on the road tomorrow, headed towards St Cloud and Minneapolis… we’re talking really big cities now, that’s for a change!