An interesting afternoon playing bridge in Sweden

We went to one of the two bridge clubs in Karlstad and had a game of duplicate.  They meet in the afternoon on Wednesdays during the summer but during the rest of the year it is three times a week which is actually starting next week.  At the other club they play mainly in the evenings.

We found the whole experience interesting and very different from what we are used to.  We won but it was on handicap.  Everyone at the club has a handicap based on their past performance.  Top players may have had a handicap of 8%.  We were given a handicap as novices of minus 8% to we  ended up with a score something like 67%.

Everybody had to don blue plastic over-shoes.  They explained that they only hire the building and need to keep the premises clean and tidy.

This lady arrived on her electric scooter.

After six rounds we stopped for a coffee break which was more like a lunch break.  People could pay for and order sandwiches which one man had prepared and served.  They were all beautifully presented open sandwiches.

My sandwich was egg and anchovies but the anchovies were white anchovies and sort of sweetish.  Sadly, Swedish herrings all seem to be sort of sweetish instead of the robust salty and sour Dutch and Hungarian herrings we are used to.  It will be interesting to see what the Norwegian ones are like.  In Denmark too they were a sweetish taste.

Shrimps are a great favourite of Swedes and shrimp salad is found everywhere, much as tuna salad in the US.  And the Swedes make great open sandwiches too though the Dames are still ahead in what they pile on a small piece of rye bread.

People were nice and friendly and interested that we were from Australia, the other side of the world.