It was good to go with someone who'd been there before to learn the ropes. Nancy, said aunt, packed a quilt, plates and forks, nonbreakable wine glasses, snacks for pre-pizza appetizers, and a garbage bag. We drove to Stockholm and puttered around. Stockholm is beautiful little town on the shores of Lake Pepin, full of art galleries and shops and cafes. Before heading up the hill, Nancy and I stopped at the Stockholm Pie Company to pick up some dessert. She said it was tradition.
We meandered up the hill, onto the bluffs flanking the Mississippi. There were no signs advertising the way, so I was again glad for my guide. We rounded a corner and she pointed to a line of parked cars on the horizon. It felt like knowing a secret! We parked a ways down the road and walked over.
We looked for a spot in the shade and got settled. It was a gorgeous evening!
For a few discombobulated minutes, I thought I'd lost my keys, but Nancy hiked back to the car and found them safely on top of the car's roof. I've been doing that a lot lately.
All was well by the time my friends Abbey and Ole arrived. Ole was dressed for the occasion.
He hadn't met Xan yet, and greeted him with "knuckles!"
We walked over to main building to order our pizza. We were pizza number 153, I think, and were told we'd have a 55 minute wait, which we were happy about because it gave us time to visit and people-watch and explore the beautiful setting and have a glass of the homemade wine that Abbey brought. Ole pointed at cows and ran and touched tractors. Xan mostly slept.
After a while, we went to check on our pizza.
Then, we ate it.
And it was great.
We walked around a bit afterwards too... even though Xan and I had a long drive ahead of us, we didn't want to leave. It was like a festival! People brought dishes and beer and folding tables and chairs, lawn games and candelabras.
Truly, truly, a great summer evening. I hope to recreate it sometime real soon.
How Fun!
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