Kräftfest… och fest och fest

Late August is the time to say your goodbyes to summer by squeezing out every last drop of summer fun. Crayfish parties are pretty popular in Sweden this time of year for precisely that purpose. Hasse and Elja treated Graham and I to one during our first August in Sweden: snaps, messy seafood, songs, fun with friends… what’s not to like?

We had a great one at Camilla’s, the day after the Icona Pop show and night of dancing. We had a few glasses of wine but held back from the snaps as a nod to moderation. We enjoyed the late afternoon sun and a great evening meal, then headed down the street to the summer-end block party set up by Camilla’s neighbours.

The block party was pretty involved and in full swing when we arrived. There was a big tent with long, full tables inside, a stereo, and about 20 blond kids orbiting the adults like hyperactive electrons. Although we started out with an ethos of moderation, the hospitality of this crowd was such that our cups were filled (3 at a time!) with coffee, whiskey or snaps, beer, or wine and our plates were filled with lemon tart and carrot cake. We had made plans to run with the gang at hemlingby the next morning, and at no time did this seem to be incongurent with our evening activities… at least at the time. We shut the bolck party down around 01:00 and headed to bed. Of course 09:00 came way too soon, but we got up (like a boss!) and headed for a run, followed by a great soup lunch at hemlingbystugan. We certainly lived the philosophy of squeezing every bit of enjoyment out of life, but I fear that this combination of events with low sleep resulted in a bit of a cold/flu for Camilla. I was mercifully spared and lived to tell the tale.