Weeks of Solitude

From the freedom of adventurous childhood games with a pocket knife and bow – with a touch of solemnity when an intrusive adder must be killed – through the teenage years of absence when there are so many other pleasures to discover in life, to rediscovering this source of enjoyment in early adulthood.

After this the biggest change of all takes place. When the school run and work take over, Swedes must get away… from their colleagues, from everything that relates to everyday social life. Our melancholy must be released, ideally throughout the summer.

Those five statutory holiday weeks are best taken all at once in order to maximise the time spent in the countryside. Quite often parents divide up the time so that their children can stay as long as possible, something they often forget to appreciate until they are adults themselves.