Party time

[Continued from Post: Extra Details]

We even decided that one night, it was time to let loose. So, we had 2 litres of Vodka left, and some hotel guests had seen us working, and decided they wanted to buy us all a beer, for whenever we were able to drink it. One particular (and now famous) night, all the owners had left, there were no guests either, and it was just Fernando and the 4 of us on the island. Fernando said “Tonight we gonna party, mang!” So when we finished working, first thing the guys did was get onto the 2 ATV’s and rip around the island on them. There was a collision with a bench, thereby breaking it (barbarian style), and lots of hollering. By the time I clued into all of this fun, I was too deeply into learning/preparing Krokholmen’s famous “White Baccalau” dinner, so I couldn’t leave the kitchen to have a zip around on an ATV (I did later however).

Eventually, we all sat down in the dining room, with White Baccalau and Fiskesuppe, and had an incredible meal. Afterward, Fernando said ‘ok, let’s have some beer!’ At first, he handed out a 1L pitcher, and there was me thinking that this is merely a decanter, but then there were 5 one litre pitchers, now making these our beer glasses, hence the whole atmosphere of the night took on a whole new meaning!

Meanwhile, we had started a fire going for the ‘Stamp’ (Which is a Norwegian style outdoor hot tub. Filled with seawater, and with a fireplace which heats it.), so that the water would be warm when we were ready. It takes a long time to heat a Stamp, and takes regular additions of wood.

Armed with Viking standard drinking apparatus, we headed over to the smaller of the 2 pubs. Although we were bought a pint by those guests, Fernando thought he would tempt fate (there is a bookkeeper amongst the owners who reportedly knows where every millilitre of beer resides) and pour us all litres of beer. Before even taking one sip, I can’t recall in the last few years even, when I felt so much excitement over anything, let alone a beer. All of us. We were laughing maniacally over the impending disaster ahead of us, and all of us up to this point, not a sip.

Now then, provisions provided, vodka in tow, we all headed over to the hot tub. I was the first to test the water, and it felt quite warm so I got in, as did Fernando. Let me correct that assessment, the top layer of water was warm, the rest of it was bloody freezing! But, I was in now, and it was nighttime, so to get out wasn’t desirable either. So we stoked the fire, filled the furnace, and waited a while for the water to be good enough for the rest of the guys to get in.

I thought about describing the next part, but I think it’s best for the photos to speak for themselves.

Is it just me or does Fernando (front right) have 3 arms?

Basically, Fernando has never met 3 Poles and a Canadian that lived in Scotland. He was utterly shitfaced, such that the lads had to put him to bed, get him out of his swim trunks, etc. I’m sure as he was falling asleep he was uttering (as he had done all night) “Anita will never know!!” in reference to the bookkeeper. (We didn’t stop at 1L of beer per person…)

Tomek actually fell asleep in the tub.

The next day was rough but bearable. We all still managed our usual 12 hour day, but man was that dog completely shattered… The newly anointed San Fernando however, was a useless heap for most of the day, and didn’t even get up until lunchtime. Hege (no, not Hedge. “Hey-guh”), who helps out in the kitchen sometimes, and is from the adjacent island was laughing at us, because she and many others heard us all singing at the top of our lungs the night before: “WE ALL LIVE IN A YELLOW SUBMARINE…” amongst other tunes. It was really one hell of an incredible evening, despite the mildly gay undertones of 5 guys singing and laughing together in a hot tub, nearly naked.

the sober light of day

This reflected our collective state.