We returned to tradition this year and headed for Mellösa, home of the summer stuga of our dear friends, Hannah and Sven, to celebrate midsommarafton (midsummer eve)...arguably the biggest Swedish holiday of the year.
This holiday celebrates the solstice, the weeks of long light that follow, the beginning of a 5 week vacation for many, and the beautiful summer time of Sweden. It usually rains and is often cold, but hey, the Swedes celebrate summer anyway. You gotta love a culture that takes total delight in it simply not raining on their favorite holiday! We left town on Thursday evening, drove through driving rain but eventually came across some of the most beautiful evening light I've ever seen. When the sun shines brightly in the late hours here, there's nothing like it. (Sorry, no photos. We were in the car.) All arrived about the same time and we enjoyed some warm conversation well into the night.
We were all pleasantly surprised to realize that it was 11.00 p.m.
We all thought it was early evening as the light played tricks with our desire to go to sleep!
But we knew that a marvelous day awaited us, so we went to bed in the twilight of a late June night. Yes, all of these photos were taken around 11.00 p.m. on June 23, 2011.
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We returned to tradition this year and headed for Mellösa, home of the summer stuga of our dear friends, Hannah and Sven, to celebrate midsommarafton (midsummer eve)...arguably the biggest Swedish holiday of the year. 
This holiday celebrates the solstice, the weeks of long light that follow, the beginning of a 5 week vacation for many, and the beautiful summer time of Sweden. It usually rains and is often cold, but hey, the Swedes celebrate summer anyway. You gotta love a culture that takes total delight in it simply not raining on their favorite holiday! We left town on Thursday evening, drove through driving rain but eventually came across some of the most beautiful evening light I've ever seen. When the sun shines brightly in the late hours here, there's nothing like it. (Sorry, no photos. We were in the car.) All arrived about the same time and we enjoyed some warm conversation well into the night. 
We were all pleasantly surprised to realize that it was 11.00 p.m. 
We all thought it was early evening as the light played tricks with our desire to go to sleep! 
But we knew that a marvelous day awaited us, so we went to bed in the twilight of a late June night. Yes, all of these photos were taken around 11.00 p.m. on June 23, 2011.
What a lovely documentation of out midsummer weekend. I also felt it was extra special this year. Love Asabea
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