Last weekend was my sixth Spelmanstämman in Gammelstad since moving to Sweden. This event has always been one of my favourite times of the year. This year's was still fun, but slightly dampened by health issues. lord_kjar caught a cold some days before, and was coughing so much Friday night that O. and I went to the concert at the church without him (yes ( Read more... )

Midsummer is a huge holiday in Sweden, and, since midsommarafton (midsummer-eve) fell on a Friday this year that meant a long weekend, since that day is always off of work if you don't work in a field that means working on holidays is necessary.

Therefore our weekend started Thursday afternoon, when linda_linsefors and her new boyfriend walked home with me from ( Read more... )

Just like every other holiday in Sweden, Midsummer is celebrated on Midsummer Eve, not the day itself. However, in our case the day started the day before that. On Thursday one of our (exchange student) friends from choir, came over for dinner for one last visit before he returns to Germany next week, and then we took him with us to the park in ( Read more... )

This weekend was Spelmansstämman, the big gathering of folk musicians and dancers from all over northern Sweden and further away (including a buss of 20 from Norway, a couple of guys from Germany, one of whom comes every year). It is always a fun event, but this time it was even more fun than usual. A couple of our SCA friends from out of town ( Read more... )

This morning we left the house a bit before 10:00 and went to the old school house in Gammelstad where our folk music and dance group gathers. There were around 50 to 60 of us, mostly in costume, getting set up and ready for the day. After everything was ready to go we sat down to a nice lunch of too much good food, and then went over to the folk ( Read more... )