Midsummer in London

It rained a bit - like it always does on Midsummer!!
We were sitting next to the bush where people went to the toilet....

We managed to get hold of some Swedish Cider!! Kopparberg!

I haven't been very active on Facebook lately, because of my studying, but I checked it out this morning and I saw that so many of my Swedish friends had uploaded pictures of their midsummer celebrations. Aaaw! I really felt like I was missing out for the first time in many years!

Midsummer celebrations is very important for Swedes, we make careful preparations long in advance and wait with great anticipation for the big day that is always on a Friday (so you can arty through the bright night until the morning). In the end - nothing usually turns out the way you planned. For example: someone falls asleep (drunken sleep) under the table around 5pm, anotherone gets hurt playing "Kubb" (swedish garden game throwing wooden "kubbs" at other "kubbs" that are placed on the ground) and has to go to the emergency or people who wouldn't make out under normal circumstances - make out. As a sugar coating on top of that - it rains. But the day after everybody laughs at the weird midsummer celebration they had that didn't turn out the way they thought!

I missed the whole preparation and drama bit of midsummer! The Swedish Embassy and the Chamber of Commerce arranged midsummer celebration in Hyde Park and I was surprised to see soooo many Swedes in one place at the same time. There must have been several hudred Swedes assembled, also having brought some "bonus Swedes" (=non Swedes) to the celebrations. They had put up a tiny Midsummer flower pole there but I still felt like I missed the vital ingedients of preparations and drama. Me D and another Swedish friend of ours, M, went there and had a very nice picknick. We had a great time, but I couldn't help but miss the Swedish midsummer food - herring, fresh potato, salmon... etc. One thing I didn't miss was the "nubbe" - the strong (and disgusting if you ask me) schnapps you take during the midsummer lunch while singing - because Malin had brought some mini bottles of Swedish Akvavit. So me, D and M sang a bit and had our "nubbe" - which brought a bit of midsummer mood to the table.

It was a very nice day in London, but did make me miss the real Swedish midsummer celebration. I have to go there next year and show D what it's all about!!