Krum swimming/Durmstrang location

[Florence]

No: HPFGUIDX 20380

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., atypke at y... wrote:
> > 
> > Then we are told how awkward Krum looks while walking.  Not to 
> > mention his swimming in that freezing lake in January.  Normal
> people 
> > can't swim in water like that.
> >
> Swimming in ice cold water is a custom in Russia and the Ukraine
> (don't know about Belorus). I think they particularly do this around
> Easter. I lived in Poland for a few years on a study abroad thing, 
and
> every year the news would show "what those crazy russians" were 
doing.
> If Durmstrang is in fact in the cold north eastern slavic countries,
> then Krum's behaviour wouldn't be all that strange. 
> 
> Agatha

Norwegians also take cold swims in their fjiords.  Although I think 
Krum's swimming in the lake was because he'd figured out the egg clue 
and was practising or trying to familiarise himself with the 
underwater terrain.  

I don't have a problem with the distance between Norway and Bulgaria, 
beacause with only three prestidgious European wizarding schools lots 
of people will have to travel a long way to one.  As far as I see the 
fact that they have long hours of daylight in summer and darkness in 
winter means that Durmstrang must be very far north despite its 
Germanic sounding name.

Florence