United kingdom Daily news: Sweden summer breaks: Midsummer madness in Stockholm and Sandhamn

Rabu, 13 Juni 2012

Sweden summer breaks: Midsummer madness in Stockholm and Sandhamn

Sweden summer breaks: Midsummer madness in Stockholm and Sandhamn

PUBLISHED: 03:56 EST, 13 June 2012 | UPDATED: 03:56 EST, 13 June 2012

Next week, the streets of Sweden's capital will empty, as Stockholm' s citizens set off on an annual pilgrimage. Midsummer has a special resonance in Scandinavia, and the celebrations of 24 hours of sunlight, which fall in mid-June, traditionally take place in the quiet coves of the archipelago.

There are more than 24,000 islands, some accessible by bridges, while others further out into the Baltic can be reached by ferry.

On the rocks: Sweden is a country of rugged coastal scenery - much of it accessible from Stockholm

My voyage into the sun-filled celebrations begins on the mainland, though, with leading chef Claes Karlsson. He is teaching me to cook a traditional dish - Jansson's temptation, which contains potatoes, pickled sprats and cream.

'At this time of year, we dance around a maypole, drink and eat - for many it's bigger than Christmas,' says Claes. Certainly more nostalgic.

Said to have been brought to Sweden in the 15th century by German merchants, the maypole is traditionally clad with leafy branches and flowers.

'Everyone joins in, young and old,' says Claes, demonstrating his favourite dance - Sma Grodorna or Tiny Frogs, which involves crazed hopping in a circle.

To understand why midsummer is so significant, I take a tram to Djurgarden, a neat, verdant island, which is home to the world's first outdoor museum - Skansen.

Flower power: Midsummer is a significant part of Swedish (and Scandinavian) culture

Around 25,000 people visit this homage to 19th-century Scandinavia each summer. Replica wooden huts and windmills dot the hilltop, staff wear traditional dress and woodsmoke fills the air.

'People spent the winter toiling in the freezing cold,' says one woman spinning yarn on an old-fashioned loom. This was the moment they could stop and be with their families. Now, we're just happy summer has arrived.'

Celebrating the summer solstice predates Christianity. Nature is king, and eroticism and fertility are recurring themes. Legend has it that on the evening before the longest day, girls should pick seven wild flowers, including buttercups and forget-me-nots, and place them under their pillows to dream of their future husbands.

Banquets of herring, salmon, strawberry cream cake and a steady flow of schnapps make fitting reward for the days of darkness.

From Skansen I pass through tall pines and wooden houses straight out of the Grimm fairytales.

I'm on my way to the island of Sandhamn, whose population swells to over triple each summer. The hourly Cinderella ferry chugs past larger inhabited islands, and tiny islets, with sea-salt stained rocks.

They couldn't be more different from the slick inner city.

On Svartloga, home to the world's smallest post office and one of the remotest enclaves, there is no electricity. But if you prefer luxuries, try Sandhamn. In 1897, the Sandhamn Yacht hotel was built as a boat club for the Royal Swedish Yacht Club. Here, I embark on a mammoth five-course dinner in the swish high-ceilinged restaurant. Around me striking Scandinavian women sip pricey-looking cocktails.

Metropolitan midsummer: Stockholm - including Djurgarden harbour - truly comes alive in the brightest months

Back in Sodermalm, Stockholm's hip quarter, I take part in another tasty tradition - fika (a break for coffee and a pastry) at the effortlessly smart Scandic Grand Central hotel, where I am staying.

It's no surprise that people are starting to pay attention to Swedish cuisine. This year, three Swedish establishments featured on the world's 50 best restaurants list. At the bizarre Sourdough hotel, you can leave your prized dough culture to be fed and watered while on holiday.

Now that really is commitment to ancient culture.