Just home from 'playing for skiing' for the last few days in the paradise that is Hemavan in Lappland... going up and down the slopes, stopping by little huts and restaurants to play some tunes or listen in.. Amongst my favourite moments for sure was going up the skiing lift with Matija Solce playing his accordion- the same lift I should fall out of later on, discovering the beauty of skiing through the forest... Going on an adventure with Lisa Hoerzer, who gave me tips like: “hold your hands as if you are just about to hug someone”... the little sauna cabin in Umea, and the ice lake we should all jump in... the last night of playing our Bulgarian set together with the “Ethno Caravan”... our little shared flat, playing tunes with Oskar Teljebäck, singing with Darragh Quinn, the Alpine and Balkan sessions...and so many more fond memories!!! Thanks to Sofia Teljebäck Högstadius, Anton Teljebäck and Staffan who made the second Hemavan Folk Festival happen this year!!! Just - wow! And of course to the fantastic Umefolk Festival, which got us up so high into the North in the first place and the unforgettable times we had there playing with all the kids at the Allspel, the Rethink Orchestra, Bernstein, Ethno Caravan... a whole other chapter again!!
- Claudia