Blå Lagunen - Ekerö Beach - Sweden

Blå Lagunen  - Ekerö Beach - Sweden

Yesterday, July 27, was a hot and sunny day in Stockholm. Vijay Gupta and the family, close friends of Anju and Naresh, my children in Stockholm, suggested to go for a picnic at the Blå Lagunen (Blue Lagoon) at Ekerö near the royal palace of Sweden at Drottningholm, an hour’s drive from Stockholm. The teenaged children, Alisha and Bunny, two vivacious daughters of Jaya and Vijay ang my grandchildren, Pallavi and Arvind were excited to enjoy themselves by sunbathing and swimming on a sandy beach of Ekerö on the backwaters of the Baltic sea.

The journey to Ekerö beach was a pleasant experience on a sunny day. The lush green oak trees near the Drottningholm Palace on the way were inviting with hospitable scenic beauty. On reaching the site, we have had a somewhat new experience of a private beach in Sweden. The young Swedish lasses checked us in by charging fifty bucks for each vehicle without any token or receipt. One was free to park and camp anywhere of choice in the bushes and under the trees alongside the beautiful beach. People were getting mad to beat the heat. It was overcrowded by the local standards. The younger lot was tanning themselves in the sun and swimming in the clean and warm water. The parking arrangements were chaotic by Swedish standards. Nevertheless, people were enjoying themselves without complaint.

We enjoyed our home cooked vegetable pulao and salads and masala tea squatting on the mats near the water. Children separated themselves to be on their own to feel good. Naresh, Vijay, Jaya swam to become partners in fun and relaxation. We, the old guards, me and Sharma Sahib, father of Jaya, rested and relaxed silently enjoying the  human and natural beauty around. After the swimming fling, we played cards, a few games of Sweep over a feast of watermelon and other fruits. We left the beach in the early evening fully relaxed drawing curtains on yet another fun filled day in the course of ‘Semester’ in Stockholm. We, back home in India, need to learn much from Sweden for keeping our waters clean for the good of our people.