Dream Trip 2008: May

Great Travel Moment

On a wet, chilly April night, a crowd gathers in Skansen, undeterred by pelting rain. Hurdled, they seek warmth from each other in the meantime before the fire. Spring songs permeate the moist air and they sing along under hushed breath. Natives in traditional folk attire ignite dried twigs and logs and within seconds, flames leap into the air, illuminating the dark indigo sky. Faces hidden beneath umbrellas are lit up and stare mesmerized as embers float into the sky as if in a trance. Tonight, I understood their defiance against the rain. This last day of April and its warm bonfire signified the end of a cold, harsh Scandinavian winter. They had celebrated this day for hundreds of years. A little inconvenience like rain was not going to stop Sweden from welcoming spring with sweet songs and the bonfires of Valborg.