What I didn't forget, however, is the wonder of Årstahavsbad where I spent the afternoon yesterday basking in the sun. Many Swedes have a sommarstuga (summerhouse or cottage really) somewhere out in the country or the archipelago, to which they can escape beginning in the spring and stretching into the fall on a good year. The sommarstuga is many a Swede's pride and joy, often passed down from generation to generation, the source of many a childhood memory.
In principle, this is a superb idea. In practice, it involves quite a bit of maintenance work for which I have neither the talent nor the inclination. Thus, I am so very grateful to my friends who have such a stuga and who open their summer homes to visitors. Among my favorites (people as well as stugor :-)) is at Årstahavsbad, a summerhouse area that was established in 1929 as a "social experiment" aimed at providing large city families with an opportunity to spend time out in the country. To top it all off, you can get there by public transportation!
As you step off the bus and walk up the hill, this is the view that greets you, complete with the Maypole left over from midsummer:
I spent a lovely afternoon basking in the sun and returned home refreshed and suntanned. :-))
No comments:
Post a Comment