Midsummer

Swedes have for a long time been sea farers. I guess the vast costal area of the Atlantic coast and the Baltic Sea would do that to a culture. It´s something that´s been an essential means of communication and trade and today, spending time on the sea is a much treasured pass time. I was lucky enough to be dragged out on one of these trips. It was not my first one by all means. In fact growing up I have a brief stint as a sea scout. Something I was actually kicked out of. I was not always a little rule following, well-mannered little boy, as one might have guessed :p . This trip would hovever prove to be a little bit different and the ship would be just a little bit different too.  It turned out to be a mideval long ship, a square rigged boat much to my liking. You can read more about her at helgahom.se

Taking her out in the archipelago has been more fun that my other time spent on the ocean and it gives a feeling closer to nature and also closer to what man must have felt a long long time ago exploring and ruling this part of the ocean. Maybe it´s in my blood. After all my roots are from two great arcipellagos, one freezing cold and one searing hot.

Midsummer or the summer solstice celebrations goes back a long, long time and is one the more treasured holidays in Sweden. It´s the day when the most babies are made, the most alcohol is consumed and the most heden frog dances are danced around a giant fallos symbol. Yes you read that right. Celebrating midsummer on one of the many island in is probably as Swedish as one can get. Feeling I should go one step further in my quest to re-explore Stockholm and Sweden I decided to do it with the Helga Holm crew and a few good friends of mine on the Viking to Medieval remnants of the city of Birka. Birka is a lost city that has been found on Björkö in Mälaren. It was most likely whipped out in a great battle according to the theories. It has however become a place of excavation and some attempts to recreate old housing and the feeling of living in those days. If you have the time, take a day and check out some Viking history.

Needless to say I enjoyed another good midsummer, stuffing my face full of food and drink.