One of these men is an extremely zany comics artist and celebrated wit. The other is a stuffy scholar in an abstruse field.

We’ve had a three-day holiday thanks to Friday being 1 May — a red-letter day in Sweden since 1939. Here’s the entertainments I’ve enjoyed.

• Went with wife & kids to the local Walpurgis Night bonfire, met loads of neighbours old and new.

• Played Abalone, Tigris & Euphrates and Qwirkle with Kai and other friends.
• Went to a lovely dinner at the home of my friends Mattias & Lina.
• Took a morning bike ride and walk in the woods to log a geocache that had appeared near my home.
• Went to the Kapten Stofil tenth anniversary event, met comic artists Joakim Lindengren, David Nessle and Camilla Forsman and off-beat culture historian Martin Kristenson. All a great pleasure to meet, and I was particularly pleased to meet Nessle who, apart from creating achingly funny comics, is also one of the Swedish language’s wittiest bloggers. I have of course been a Lindengren fan for over 20 years.
• Left the kids with the world’s best ex-wife, drove with the world’s best wife to Duveholm manor near Katrineholm. Had tea, took a long walk among the anemones and over to the next manor over, Djulöholm, saw an abandoned tree-house, had a fine four-course dinner, slept well, had a good breakfast, took another walk.

  

  

  

• Drove to Eskilstuna prompted by The White Guide, was not terribly impressed by the food at the recommended restaurant.
• Drove to historical author friends Kristina & Bo in rural Vallentuna, had canapés, admired the resplendent birthday girl and their new house.
• Played Go fish with wife & daughter.

Did you do anything fun over the weekend, Dear Reader?