http://www.skansen.se/pages/?ID=221

MrsP was asking me about Valborg , Walpurgis night , and I remembered that these traditional holidays are celebrated at Skansen, Stockolms large open air museum .

Skansen is the oldest open-air museum in the world, founded in 1891 . It is located on the island of Djurgården, a royal park near the centre of Stockholm and is open every day of the year, except for Christmas Eve.

30 April is Valborg .. " Valborgsmässoafton " http://www.skansen.se/pages/?ID=195"> http://www.skansen.se/pages/?ID=195

I enjoyed the opera, despite the big fat smelly man next to me who happened to get the spare free ticket that Mikael returned because nobody we knew wanted it. This man had been passing by the opera on his way to Skansen and the Valborg celebrations there when he'd heard there was free ticket going. This chap had never been to the Opera before he told me and was open to the experience. I admire him for that. I listened, smiled and made polite noises as he shared this babbling away before the lights were dimmed and the performance started. I didn't want to encourage him, after all, we were going to be stuck there for the next 5 hours.

No sooner had the opera started than I noticed he was hunched forward in his seat. The man had nodded off ! The first act is long and slow moving and there are some quiet parts so his muffled snoring was heard much to the irritation of the people in front of him who kept nudging him to wake up, which he did without protest. I was turned away trying to focus on the music in every attempt to escape the smell of a sweaty unwashed body next to me. Believe me , it is not easy, feeling guilty about my own behaviour , after all , apart from the smell he was pleasant enough.

If everything happens for a reason , why ??? why this ??? " Love what is , Mira ...it's about loving what is " the voice of my Higher Self kept telling me. So, I spent the next 5 hours trying to make the most of it and loving this gift of an experience that had been sent my way.

Manage I did , because I must admit I wasn't aware of the smell most of the time. It was only when I was not completely focused on the music that it hit my nostrils with a vengeance. It was also hot up there on the balcony. I was among the first ones out during the intermissions, and the last one back. My seat was right on the end of a row so I could stretch my legs out into the aisle.

Anyway ... the scenography was great, everyone was in good voice and the ending was blissful. The leading violinist was playing a Stradavarius too . It was well worth sitting through all the uninteresting parts and I would go and see it again .. but not just yet .....