It was the best decision I ever made (sad but true).
Here is the link to my Facebook album with some pictures of the trip.
We left from Stockholm Central Station with the Festival bus at 7:30am - heading to the Viking Line Ferry to Marienhamn / Åland. I was the only non-Swede, I found out and so the organizers talked in Swedish all the time and I had to be really focused to get all the important information - like: where I get my boarding pass for the ferry, when we meet at the bus again, where I need to change my money .... But I made it!
On board of 'the Rosella' everyone was shopping for the festival - I do not mean cloth or veggis ;-)
I bought Finish Vodka flavoured with nordic berries and Creme de Cassis. I thought, if I can manage to make friends there it is good to have something to share with them and if none talks to me I drink it on my own (In advance - I shared it!)
At around 12pm we arrived at Marienhamn / Åland´and had some time to eat there and see the town.
At about 5pm we all were back at the bus and started our continuing trip to Jurmo - which took us additional 5 hours!, 3 ferries, and several bus rides. But it is really worth all that!
On the bus I started talking to one girl next to me, Anna, she was really nice because after a while we had to switch our conversation to English because I really suck at Swedish ;-)
She was a volunteer at the festival and there with two on her friends. I met them on the boat and they were lovely, too. I was sad that they had their own accommodation and would not stay with us on the campsite but I hoped to see them again during the festival - which happened several times.
To built up a tent at 10:30pm doesn't sound fun but in Jurmo it is because it is still daylight and you are with a bung of others who are also struggling with building up their tents. After half an hour I was done with my tent and started talking to my 'neighbours', which turned out to be incredible nice people and we spend the whole evening / night sitting outside our tents, drinking, and watching the others crawling back to their tents at 4am :-)
The next day I started with a swim in the 12°C warm sea to wash my hear, because there were no showers for us. I went to the beach with two young Finnish guys and none of us wanted to admit that it is too cold to swim, so we were tipping our toes into the water for ages but then we had to swim because otherwise it would have been embarrassing. But - your hair gets really smooth and silky of the salt water.
In the afternoon the bands at the beach stage started and the main events started at about 9 to 10pm on the main stage. So we all met at the beach or the cliffs at about 6 to 7 pm to have drinks together and then we headed to the festival area to see the bands.
Every night the campsite turned into a huge party area and you cannot sleep until 5am, when the last people turn off the music and fall into the tents. I had my tent next to the nice couple I spend my time with but also to a group of friends from Finland - bad decision I found out because they always 'knocked' on my tent at about 4am when they had enough drinks to start a conversation. One guy was asking me for advice because of his girlfriend - cute - and as he crawled away on his knees he mumbled that I am very wise ;-) Well, the next day he didn't even recognized me, but that's OK
Friday and Saturday night were crazy and on Sunday we had to leave at 12pm. Getting back to reality because at Jurmo you do not have mobile connection, or Wifi ... horrible, but very relaxing at the same time.
Back in Stockholm at about midnight - then taking the T-bana back home and hugging my new friends good bye ;-(((
But - we saw each other again after 3 days to BBQ together ;-) As I said, I made real good friends there and now I am dreaming about Åland! Maybe I should built a house there, live a remote life and just paint and write poems *what a wonderful dream*.
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