Saturday, June 30

Sandhölmsudden, 10:45

Everyone was up at 7:30 this morning because it is market day. Auo decided that it was far too early and went back to bed. The rest of us left at 7:50.

We were by no means the fist there, and Irma’s usual place was already occupied by two women from Borgå selling artwork made from flotsam and jetsam. Before we had a market traders’ breakfast at Benita’s including the famous egg bread, we set up at the other end, between Marita’s cake stall and Ann-Maj’s vegetables and flowers.

I have just driven back to the house with some of Johanna’s fishcakes for Auo’s late breakfast. She ate them in the car on the way back to the market and now we are watching today’s musical entertainment.

Järvinen och Strang began with Dirty Old Town, continued with a variety of Swedish folk and classic pop, and will conclude with a version of Brown Eyed Girl that Van Morrison may or may not be able to recognise.

Transistor Radio indeed.

We will spend the afternoon in the garden, mowing and weeding until Irma suddenly decides that I should chop down the top half of a tree using an implement designed for sawing off twigs. Fun will be had and (eventually) the tress will be sawn up and thrown onto the pile behind the toilet.

Then we will have a long, leisurely late lunch or early dinner of Åke’s fish, Camiila’s potatoes and onions and Irma’s special Sundö Sauce.