So today I experienced my first Swedish Midsummer.
We did not travel far, about an hour down to a lovely little place called Vardnas in Ostergotland. If you read my last blog, you would see, that I did not know what to expect with my first Midsummer in Sweden. After spending the last two amongst several thousand rather tipsy Swedes in London, it was something that I was really going to enjoy.
We arrived at around 2pm and paid 25 SEK to enter (£2.50) and parked the car then took a slow walk into what looked like a small valley. Vardnas is a very tiny place but it’s beautifully located by a lovely river and Treetop Mountains all around.
The weather was not that kind as the sun was tending to play hide and seek throughout most of the day. Some Swedish people had come dressed for summer, others winter. I adopted to wear small, short sleeved shirt!
The first thing I saw was the children walking out to the Midsummer Pole (Click here to view the video)
Then the pole was erected, albeit with no help from the wind (Click here to see)
What followed was some lovely dancing with everyone involved and of course there was the song about the frogs and the pigs, that I have now learned the words too “små grodorna” (Click here to see!)
It didn’t last as the dances were soon over and then a wonderful jazz band played some lovely songs.
Above all, it was a great local Midsummer and one that I will always remember as my first in Sweden.
Happy Midsommer to you all!
Some photos
