Sunday 3 May 2015

A Long Weekend

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We’ve had a “long weekend” in Sweden, as 1st May (falling on a Friday this year) is International Workers’ Day and a public holiday; and the night before, 30th April, is Walpurgis night (Valborgsmässoafton) with traditional spring celebrations like students’ carnival parades, bonfires and choir singing to welcome spring.

This year, the closest I got to all that was passing by on the opposite side of the street to the senior high school on the 29th, while they were preparing for the parade.

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The weather on the 30th did not really tempt me to go out to celebrate.

But, in between rain-and-hail showers…

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… spring has continued to make some progress over the weekend though; as can be seen below in pictures taken today on a walk in my neighbourhood.

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The trees are slowly taking on various shades of green…

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… and a field of narcissuses that I’ve been “checking on” from time to time is finally in bloom – all turning their heads towards the sun.

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13 comments:

  1. so gorgeous, that emerald green grass and yellow flowers. really beautiful.... and that is some very large hail and it is odd shaped to.

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    1. Thanks Sandra. Yes the hail was like frozen drops. Not all that large, but odd. The blue background is the plastic cloth cover on a bench on my balcony.

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  2. These pictures are beautiful! Your photography skills have advanced so much - it's great to keep seeing more and more beautiful shots.

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    1. Thanks Rae. Sharing through blogging is a great way to learn, both with pictures and writing :)

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  3. Your pictures are gorgeous, even the hail on the intense blue background. I love all the flowers in the first picture, and the beautiful parks. I sent you another post card. I think I sent it Thursday. Because I think the other one is lost in the mail. Maybe this one will work.

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    1. Thanks Ginny - and your first card was not lost, it arrived "safe and sound" today!

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  4. It's a grand time of the year. Green and colour slowly coming back.

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    1. Spring has been unusually 'slow' here this year, and as much as we're longing for a bit warmer weather, it has its advantages... We get to enjoy the spring flower and first greens for a bit longer.

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  5. It was nice to have such a long weekend; although my work life is not stressful at all, I do enjoy being able to get up when I feel like it and not having to think about which train to catch etc.
    We've had a lot of rain here last week, including yesterday, and so right now there is a LOT of green out there, it has overtaken the colours of the flowers until they will catch up again with a little more sun.

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    1. Forgot to say that I like the hail picture very much. It has something surreal about it.

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    2. Thanks Meike. The picture was a close-up to begin with and then cropped a bit further. Hail in itself always feels somewhat surreal, though!

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  6. Gloriously springlike. It lifts the heart.

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  7. The rain and hail looks so cold against that blue background but it's good to see the spring colours returning all the same. Everything looks so joyous!

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