The Push Is On...

View of the Riddarholmen Steeple


View of Strandvägen from the Skeppsholmen bridge (With Swedish Crown)

An Exhibit at the Modernamuseet

Salvador Dali's "The Enigma of William Tell"

Lunch at the KB

The Clock That Appears at the End of "ABBA The Movie"

A View of Stockholm From One of the Boat Tours

I went to bed last night thinking there is still so much I would like to do here in Stockholm, but I am running out of time. So when I awoke this morning, I made sure that I could have a quick breakfast and get ready so that I could leave the hotel quickly. I was at Riddarholmen church just before 10:00 a.m. this morning... Problem was that it didn't open before 10:00 anyway, so I took my time walking around the area, taking pictures of the exterior of the church. The building, which dates back to the 1200s, is the oldest preserved building in Stockholm. It is located right next to where Agnetha Fältskog shot the video for "I Wasn't the One (Who Said Goodbye)" in 1987. Most of the Swedish kings and queens, as well as noblemen, were buried inside the church until the 1500s, when the Reformation occurred and Sweden abandoned Catholicism. For several decades, no Swedish monarch was buried in this church, but eventually in the 1600s, the kings and queens of Sweden began to be buried here once again. In fact, all of them up until 1950 are buried here, with the exception of Queen Christina, who converted to Catholicism and fled Sweden in the 1600s. The building is magnificient, and visiting the church is a wonderful experience. The crypts of most of the Swedish monarchs are actually above ground and located in various chapels within the church. Needless to say, it is a fairly somber atmosphere, and we are forbidden from taking any photographs inside the church.

I left the island of Riddarholmen and made my way on foot to the National Museum. I thought I was making excellent time, having arrived in front of the museum -- without the help of a map, I might add -- by 10:35 a.m. Once again, the problem was that the museum did not open before 11:00, so rather than waiting around for nearly half an hour, I ventured forth to the nearby island of Skeppsholmen, where I knew the Modernamuseet opened at 10:00 a.m. I got there around 10:45, and I had a quick look at the exhibits, but at a somewhat leisurely pace. The Museum of Modern Art has quite a fabulous collection of works of art from all of the great masters of the 20th century. It is quite strong in the cubist movement. I got to see works by Picasso, Kandinsky, Matisse, Monet, Warhol and Leger, among others. For me, the highlight of the visit was my favourite artist, Salvador Dali, and his painting, "The Enigma of William Tell". But there were also other works of art which I found more inaccessible and laughable. I really got a kick out of two exhibits in particular: the first was a collection of hanging coat hangers just like in "Absolutely Fabulous" ("I mean it looks like bullocks, so it must be worth something"), and the second was a pair of high heels, placed upside down, and trussed up like a holiday turkey, with those white things you put on the ends of drumsticks delicately placed on the heels. Troy, I have a feeling we would have had a great time here...

I made excellent time and without rushing through anything, I was out of the Modern Museum by 12:00 noon sharp. Since I wanted to return to that great restaurant KB for lunch -- the place where I had the raspberry souffle the other night -- I made my way to the Norrmalm/Östermalm border to find the restaurant, once again without the benefit of a map. I am starting to find my way around now... And today I saw a fridge magnet of a quote I found particularly appropriate: Greta Garbo was quoted as saying "Those who choose their own paths don't need a map". Anyway, I got to KB fairly quickly and ordered the räksmörgås (the open-faced shrimp sandwich). When it arrived at the table it was enormous! But unfortunately, it paled in comparison to the version I had at the Vasa Museum. The shrimp had no real flavour, more like a watery taste, and the bread was much sweeter. I can't say that I enjoyed my meal as much as last time. When I got here I was concerned that I might be underdressed. For the first time this trip, I was wearing denim shorts and a short-sleeve shirt (the weather was an amazing 25C today and I got more sun!!). Everyone at the restaurant seemed to be wearing shirts, ties and jackets. I wanted to make sure that I could go in dressed the way I was (which was no problem), but my phrasing in Swedish wasn't the best: "Kan jag äta här i mina kläder?" ("Can I eat here in my clothes?")

When I exited the restaurant, I wondered if I might be able to locate a clock which appears at the end of "ABBA The Movie". I read about it last night in the back pages of "The ABBA Guide to Stockholm", in a section called "For Die-Hard Fans". As luck would have it, I came face to face with it barely five minutes after beginning my search.

When I got to the National Museum this morning and noticed that it only opened at 11:00, I also noticed that on Tuesdays it closes at 8:00 p.m. I figured since it was now only a little past 1:00 p.m., I was in no real hurry to visit it. So, I went back to a cool bookstore I had previously visited on Gamla Stan. They had a whole bunch of ABBA-related books that I had my eye on, but I have been worried about weight restrictions on my luggage so have refrained from buying them. They have books like "Benny's Road to ABBA", "From Waterloo to Mamma Mia!" (revised and expanded edition to include "Kristina från Duvemåla"), and "ABBA in America" (the 1979 tour). In the end, I asked the shop owner if I can order online, and they said yes, they ship around the world, so I will do it that way. But I did buy a gift for Martin for taking care of my cats.

I figured I should stop and see whether the royal apartments of the Kungligaslottet (The Royal Palace) were open. They are the main reason people visit the palace, but it turns out that they are still closed. Hans had said that if this is the case, I can do without the rest of the visit. I would be better off touring their castle at Dröttningholm (which I hope to do tomorrow). But it was at the gift shop of the royal palace that I finally bought gifts for my Mom and Dad, my sister and Troy (yes, another prezzie).

Before continuing on today's adventures, I located the subway and made my way back to the hotel to leave my latest purchases in my suitcase. No need to be laden down when visiting museums. I took the opportunity to take pictures of the hotel (finally!). A quick subway ride back to Slussen, and I was back downtown. It was 2:30 p.m. then, so I spontaneously decided not to do the National Museum right away, but to hop on a ferry to do the "Royal Canal Tour" of Stockholm, a fifty-minute trip that would take me around the island of Djurgården. I ended up enjoying this trip a lot more than I ever thought I would! I had an excellent view out the window, being one of the first passengers on board. As we left the port, my audio-guide (which I got in French) explained that Strandvägen, the street where I stood to see the royal cortege, is a chic street, and the residences along the shoreline here each have about twenty rooms! I knew that Agnetha and Björn had themselves filmed walking along the waterway here in the video for "Summer Night City", but I learned that among the famous people living on this street now is Per Gessle, from the famous Swedish rock group Roxette. (As an aside, at the concert for the Crown Princess the night before the wedding, Roxette sang "The Look", apparently the first time they had sung together since lead singer Marie Frederikson was diagnosed with a brain tumour some 8 years ago). Continuing on the boat tour, when we got about less than 100 metres from the spot where I had stopped for ice cream during my bicycle tour of Djurgården, my audio guide suddenly informed me that to the left of the boat was the house of ABBA composer Benny Andersson!! That was completely unexpected. But by the time I got my camera out, I only had a partially-obstucted view of his home.

The ship docked at its starting point near Gamla Stan about 50 minutes after we had left, but I had a great time. So much so that I vowed I would return to do the other tour, the "Under the Bridges of Stockholm" tour which circles the island of Södermalm, and which lasts close to two hours.

It was close to 4:00 p.m. at this point, and I figured I really should try to do the National Museum now. After all, it was right around the bay from where I was. Five minutes later, I was entering the building. The National Museum has an impressive collection of world art and, not surprisingly, the largest collection of Swedish art in the world. I wasn't too thrilled with the layout, however. We start with exhibits on the royal objects from the 1500s and the Renaissance. Then, suddenly, without any warning, I found myself in a room with modern designs for household items, by the likes of Electrolux and Eriksson. It was more than a little jarring. On the second floor, I came to works of art by the great masters: Monet, Rembrandt, Rodin, Van Gogh, Gauguin, among many others. On the mezzanine level, there were copies of famous sculptures which, without wanting to sound pretentious, I had already seen in Paris and in Italy: the Venus de Milo, the Laocöon, the discus thrower, the fleet-footed Mercury...

Once again, without rushing through the exhibits, I came out of the museum around 5:45 p.m. As I neared the place where the boat tours operate from, I noticed that I was just in time for the "Under The Bridges Tour". I knew it would last two hours, and I was getting hungry, but I also knew that I could get something to munch on during the excursion. It was from the vantage point of the boat that I finally understood why Stockholm has been called the Venise of the north. From the perspective I had, it was true that it reminded me of Venise. The tour brought me around the island I have come to know so well because my hotel is on it. An unexpected highlight was seeing the Årsabron bridge again, the one from the video "The Day Before You Came". What I never imagined became possible: we were actually passing underneath it!! Definite highlight for me! As we slowly made our way along the southern coast of Södermalm, I got a good view of Hans's flat and the library he liked to hang out at. As we were passing through the locks, my audio-guide said that it would pause for a while and play some Swedish music, and the song they chose was ABBA's "Thank You For The Music". As we toured the island, I enjoyed some Pringles potato chips and a Mariestads beer, my third different brand of Swedish lager.

Upon my return back at the dock, it was 8:00 p.m. I thought I would go through Gamla Stan to see if I could find something good to eat for dinner. I walked down the narrow cobblestone streets of Gamla Stan and stopped in at a shop where I gave in and bought myself a few more souvenirs: a Sverige (Sweden) t-shirt: blue with yellow lettering and the three yellow crowns. And I also decided to get myself a few Swedish Christmas tree decorations. Troy and I had been talking about Christmas a few weeks ago, and I am thinking of finally putting up my very own Christmas tree this year, so these new decorations will be a welcome addition.

Back at Slussen, I thought instead of taking the subway tonight I would take the Katarinahissen (the Katherine elevator), which brings people up the cliff of Södermalm. The Hep Stars (featuring a young Benny Andersson) filmed the video for their song "Bald-Headed Woman" here in the 1960s, and it is a stunning view of the city down below. From this point, it was easy enough for me to walk to the hotel. I didn't find anything much to my liking for a late dinner, so I just stopped off at the McDonald's nearest the hotel for a quick, cheap meal. My friend Nick had asked me how the McBehemoth had targetted the Swedes, but I don't see much evidence that it has. The Swedish McDonald's does offer them three popular Swedish favourites: spicy wings, kannelbullar (cinnamon buns) and small korvar (hotdogs). When I pulled out my camera to snap a picture of the menu, I was told that it was forbidden to take pictures. Oh well...

Had a quick meal in front of the TV, and I learned that apparently on Friday night, they will be showing -- for some strange reason -- "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". Nothing says midsommar quite like a Chevy Chase Christmas movie... I am a little sad that I won't be staying here for Midsommar celebrations. I thought that these were always held on the solstice, but it turns out that it is always on the first Saturday after mid summer. When I discovered this, I asked how much it would cost to change my flight, and I was told it would be another 300 dollars, so I guess I can live without it... In any case, they might be celebrating it in Reykjavik.

Guess that's it for tonight.

Kramor och pussar
(Hugs and kisses)

M.

A Day With The Dead

The Final Resting Place of Screen Legend Ingrid Bergman


Shot of the Landscape at Norrabegravningsplatsen



Another View of Norrabegravningsplatsen

Tomb Stone of Ted Gärdestad

The Tumba Railway Station Where Part of the Video for ABBA's "The Day Before You Came" Was Filmed

Kroppkakor, on a City Park Bench, Near the Saluhall.

The Bartender Getting My Drink at the Ice Bar in Stockholm. (Even the Glasses Are Made Of Ice.)

Me and My Absolut Archipelago Cocktail at the Ice Bar

I've got a lot to write, so I had better get to it!

I woke up at 8:00 a.m. this morning, feeling completely rested. I hadn't felt so good in a very long time. Ten hours' sleep really does a body good! I watched a bit of TV this morning, "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "According to Jim", and then I got ready for breakfast. My stomach was feeling perfectly fine, but I still wanted to be careful. I had pancakes with maple syrup and a few minimuffins. Then, I checked my e-mails and was thrilled to have news from both my folks and from Troy. I am happy to learn that everyone is OK and that my cats say hello. Troy, I miss you very much. Having a lengthy e-mail message from you was a great way to start the day...

I got my stuff together to leave the hotel this morning, and on my way out I asked the hotel staff about museums. As I suspected, museums here, as elsewhere in the world, are closed on Mondays, so I had to come up with an alternate plan for the day. I noticed that the sky was really overcast, so I didn't want to spend the day on Djurgården if it wasn't going to be sunny. I decided that I would finally spend some time exploring the cemeteries in the suburbs of Stockholm. I began by getting information on how to get to Norrabegravningplatsen, the largest cemetery in Stockholm, located in the suburb of Solna. I took a subway from Skanstull station all the way out to Solna, and from there, then a bus to the cemetery. Before leaving Canada, I had done my research online and come up with the references to the grave placement in the cemetery for all four celebrities I wanted to see. When I arrived at the cemetery, I was pleased to see that it was laid out very neatly by kvarter (quarters), and then the graves within each quarter were numbered sequentially. There was no map of the cemetery near the gate, but to be honest, I managed a lot better without the map, knowing there was a system in place. In fact, it felt like being in a huge library with the dead catalogued in a giant Dewey-decimal system-like plan. Even though there appear to be thousands of people buried here, I came to the first grave I was looking for within minutes. It was the grave of Vilhelm Moberg, author of the Emigrants series of novels which inspired Benny and Björn to write their musical "Kristina från Duvemåla" (Kristina from Duvemåla) in 1996. I was fortunate enough to be at the world-premiere of the English-language version of this musical with my friend Neil in New York City last fall. And Neil was right about one thing: getting an iPod changed my life. I enjoy it so much, and it allows me to carry close to 8,000 of my favourite songs everywhere I go. In this situation, I was able to listen to a song from Kristina as I stood over Moberg's grave: the very moving "Du måste finnas" (You Have To Be There), sung by Kristina herself when she has a crisis of faith and is no longer sure that God exists. It seemed like a good song choice.

From quarter 12 B, grave 147, it was easy enough to locate quarter 11F, grave 228, the grave site of Ingrid Bergman. She had a wonderful performance as the self-absorbed mother in my favourite Ingmar Bergman film, "Höstsonaten" (Autumn Sonata). As I stood near her grave I listened to Julia Migenes on my iPod singing "As Time Goes By", the theme song from "Casablanca". It seemed very appropriate. When the song ended, I had to laugh. I had found the song by flitting alphabetically by song title, so the next one that came up alphabetically was morbidly appropriate too... David Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes"...

The cemetery was absolutely stunning. I can't believe it, but Swedish cemeteries seem to be the most beautiful of all cemeteries I have been in in the world. The amazing lushness of the bushes, and the distinctive colouring of the trees, especially the bark, was reminiscent of Disney animation, particularly the work on "Sleeping Beauty". The landscape looked way too stylized to be real!! Needless to say, I took several photos.

Quarter 13A, grave 101 was a little harder to find, but I eventually did. It was the final resting place of August Strindberg, a Swedish novelist and playwright whose play "Miss Julie" ("Fröken Julie") I studied in undergrad in 1992. I had no music associated to him, so I decided to listen to Pergolesi's Stabat Mater for the rest of my tour of the cemetery.

The last grave was the hardest one to find, because it was nowhere near the other three. The final one was located in quarter 4A, grave 170. This was the grave site of Alfred Nobel, inventor of dynamite and founder of the Nobel prizes that bear his name. What was truly ironic is that as I exited the cemetery, after spending an hour there with no map whatsoever, I found the map to the cemetery right beside Alfred Nobel's grave. I had to laugh. But I know that maps aren't that helpful to me anyway... Just give me something like the Dewey decimal system any day!

I walked back to the bus station from there and made my way back to Solna. When I got there, it was 12:30, so I decided to break for lunch. I was still not feeling too adventurous with food, so I stuck to pasta for lunch and had a rather nondescript lasagna at a cafeteria-type cafe. I figured if I still had no problems with that, I could get something heavier for dinner.

Since I was already all this way out, and Sollentuna was just a little further afield from here, I decided to enquire about going there. I was truly amazed at my abilities all this time. Out in the suburbs of Stockholm, no one here speaks English (believe me, I asked). So, I asked for directions to all these places in Swedish, and made due with what I could understand, which, surprisingly, allowed me to get to where I wanted to go without once making a mistake! A feather in my cap indeed!

The other cemetery I wanted to see today was Silverdals griftegård, near Sollentuna. I took the pendeltåg (train) to Sollentuna -- my first time on a Swedish train, but very similar to the subway -- and then a bus to Silverdalskappella (Silverdals chapel). Unfortunately, I didn't have the reference for the grave I wanted to see, but I asked a kind groundskeeper where Ted Gärdestad was buried, and she was kind enough to lead me to his grave. She talked a lot as she did so, and I am afraid I didn't catch much of what she said.

Poor Ted... Ted Gärdestad was discovered in the late sixties by Stig Andersson, ABBA's manager. Ted was referred to then as "The Wonder Kid", because he was still a teenager but composing and singing his own songs. Benny and Björn helped produce his first record when he was just 15 years old in 1971. He had a great career in his native Sweden -- the other night, for instance, they played part of his song "Satellit" before Nanne Grönvall's show, and at the bear bar they played his song "Sol, land och vatten" (Sun, Land and Water). I remember seeing him in the ABBA in Switzerland special in 1979, because ABBA wanted to give him exposure to an international audience, and he performed his song "Take Me Back to Hollywood" on that special. But his career never really took off. My understanding is that in the 80s he started suffering from manic depression, and what really didn't help matters at all is when the Swedish press started printing rumours that Ted was the crazy person who had murdered Swedish prime minister Olof Palme in 1986. Ted never really recovered from this slander. And in 1997, at the age of 41, he committed suicide by jumping in front of a train. Ted Gärdestad is buried in a family grave in Silverdals griftegård, alongside those I presume to be his father, Edla (1900-1969), his mother, Margrit (1921-2008), and his brother Kjell (1944-2000). I don't have any Ted Gärdestad on my iPod... yet. One of the first purchases I made here in Sweden was the complete works of his in one box set. It was quite a coincidence, but I got to see his grave on the eve of the 13th anniversary of his death.

I made my way all the way back to the city, and when I looked at a map, I realized that I just happened to be on the same train that goes to Tumba station, well to the southern suburbs of Stockholm, so I decided to stay on the train all the way there. The attraction of Tumba is that this was the train station that ABBA used to film part of their last official video, "The Day Before You Came" in 1982. I took a few pictures of this station where Agnetha meets a stranger and flirts with him on the platform while awaiting her train. I couldn't see the China theatre where they filmed the stage shots, but at least I could see the train station!

From here, I figured I could take the train back into the city and, since it was getting close to dinner time by then, and since I knew the Saluhall was open until 6:00, I decided to take the subway back to Östermalm and see if they have kroppkakor here today (kroppkaka is singular, kroppkakor, plural). Stepping out of the subway station at Karlaplan, I figured I would just check a street address before going to the food halls. And I found what I was looking for at Karlavägen 83, the old flat that Swedish director Lasse Halström used to live in. He is the director of such films as "Ciderhouse Rules" and "Chocolat", and it was in his apartment in 1980-1981 that he shot the ABBA videos "Happy New Year" and "One of Us".

I finally got to the Saluhall around 5:35 p.m., well before it closed. And I finally found the kroppkakor. The man asked how many I wanted, and I ordered two, which were served with a pat of smår (butter) and lingonsylt (lingonberry jam). There are apparently dozens of varieties of kroppkakor in Sweden and I think the kind I got was the least similar to Acadian poutines râpees. Instead of using equal parts of raw, grated potatoes and boiled, mashed potatoes, I think they only used the mashed potatoes. So the consistency was more rubbery than what I know. Also, there was much more meat inside, and it was flavoured with cloves. All in all, not a bad dish, but nothing like what I knew. I had my meal on the same church bench I did when I last ordered from the Saluhall.

After dinner, I wondered how I could get to see the bridge that appeared in the video for "The Day Before You Came". The original bridge, the Årstabron, is no longer as visible throughout the city as it once was, because they have since built a new bridge that runs alongside it and obstructs the view. However, one can still catch a glimpse of the original structure from Liljeholmsbron, so I took the subway to this southern part of the city and snapped some shots of the bridge.

Instead of taking the subway back, I opted to walk back to Slussen, a three kilometer walk. I was sort of hoping that somewhere along the way I could find a public toilet because I really needed to pee! But I walked, and walked, and walked, all the way back to Gamla Stan with no toilet in sight. From Gamla Stan, I took the subway back to the Central station and -- thank heaven! -- found a pay toilet. My decision to go to Central Station was no fluke: I had decided beforehand that I would try my luck at going to the ice bar tonight. The ice bar, located in the lobby of the Nordic Sea Hotel on Vasaplan, near Central Station, is a Swedish institution. The staff tells us (thankfully in English) that it was the very first of its kind to open in the world, and since then (in 2002), many others have opened, notably in England, in Oslo and even in Tokyo. The bar is kept at a chilly -5C all-year-round, and the entire bar is demolished and resculpted out of fresh ice every 6 months. Before stepping into the bar, we each buy our ticket for admission, which also includes one drink. So, I paid my 160 SEK (around 23 dollars), and was outfitted with a winter parka with a fur-lined hood and mittens. They then opened the doors and we were admitted inside. Everything, except for the ceiling (and perhaps the floor, I didn't look) was made of ice. The counter, the glasses, the walls, the sculptures. It was an enchanting experience. The played loud electro-dance music, and the bar-tender handed us the drinks menu. I opted for the Absolut Archipelego: Mango-flavoured Absolut vodka with orange juice and pineapple juice. When the bar-tender was not busy, I asked him to take a picture of me, which I think really turned out well. (I don't have too many pictures of me on my trip: the only other one I can think of is me all dolled-up for the opera. But I was so focussed on sucking in my gut that I forgot to smile on that picture... LOL)

After that delicious drink, I was tempted to have another, but I abstained. Instead, I took the subway back to the hotel where I got in a little after 9:00. I am thinking that tomorrow I may try to go to the museum. They are calling for absolutely gorgeous weather for the rest of my time here in Stockholm: 23C tomorrow and 25C on Wednesday, with plenty of sunshine. If it does turn out to be so nice, I might want to just laze around all day on Djurgården, and maybe go to Gröna Lund amusement park... We shall see...

Good night all!

Feeling A Bit Better

After my last post, I went up to my room on the sixth floor, turned on the TV, watched a Swedish quiz show called "Vem vet mer?" (Who Knows More), and promptly fell asleep. I think I slept for just over an hour and woke around 5:30 p.m. When I awoke, I was feeling shivery, feverish and not altogether alert. I figured it was because I hadn't had anything substantial to eat since breakfast. The good thing was that I was having no problems with the baguette I ate, and I was feeling hungry, so I figured I could perhaps handle something a bit heavier like pasta.

So I put on my coat, left the camera behind because I wanted to recharge the battery while I was gone, and made my way north of the hotel. Amazingly, the walking did me good, and I was suddenly struck with the desire to see more of the city. Clearly, I was already feeling much, much better. Perhaps I was simply overtired and the sleeping helped. In any case, I walked all the way to Slussen, a half-hour walk, then decided that I would continue onward to Gamla Stan, because I hadn't yet seen anything to tempt me.

When I got to Gamla Stan, I found this old-style little cafe along one of the small cobblestone roads, and one of their specials tonight was spagnetti bolognaise, so that's where I decided to eat. The waiter there really impressed me. When I was struggling to tell him in my lousy Swedish that I wanted water with my meal, but nor carbonated water, he instinctively asked me if I meant, in French, mineral water without gas. French is not all that common here, and he spoke it fluently. So, I said yes, and ordered the spaghetti. He turned to the chef and placed my order in Swedish, then continued his conversation in French with a fellow waitress. Another waitress came along, and he spoke with her in English. At the table next to mine, an Italian family was getting ready to leave, and the waiter stopped what he was doing and spoke with them all in Italian for about five minutes. When he came to my table, I commented on his fluency in many languages and said that I was impressed. He responded that he impresses himself, and that he wants to keep learning. "How many languages do you speak?" I asked, and he answered, jokingly: "I speak them all". He also told me that his native tongue is Portuguese. On my way out, I noticed he was conversing with a large group of tourists in German.

As I made my way towards the Gamla Stan subway station, I noticed a huge banner hanging off one of the bridges, well in sight of yesterday's procession route. The banner read, in lousy English, "Stop Comercialize Love". I guess it was a statement on the whole Love 2010 festivities here in Stockholm.

I just got to my hotel moments ago, and I am feeling OK. I obviously wouldn't go out and have wine or ice cream, but my stomach seems to have settled somewhat. I think I will just relax a bit tonight, maybe read or watch something on TV. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to go out and do plenty of stuff. And I do hope that my stomach is fine enough to have smörgåsbord later this week and perhaps have an Absolut vodka at Stockholm's ice bar (a building made entirely of ice, where I am told everything, even the counters and the glasses themselves, are made of ice).

So far, the only definite plans I have are the Millennium tour on Wednesday, a night out with Hans on Thursday and my departure to Iceland on Friday. Man, this trip is going by fast. I said to Hans today, "It's going by fast, isn't it?", to which he responded, "Yes, life goes by so quickly". I said, "Yes, that too, but I meant this trip..."

Anyway, that will be it for today. Should any of you wish to e-mail me, because I am told not everyone has access to the comments field on this site, please send me a message at agnethafan2002@yahoo.ca

And Troy, when you write, please let me know where you are at in the "Tales of the City" series!

Nighty night,

M.

Just A Lazy Sunday

A View From Skogskyrkogarden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site


Final Resting Place of Screen Legend Greta Garbo

Close-up of the Tomb Stone

I woke up around 7:00 this morning, turned around and slept again until 8:00. The problem this morning was that my stomach was really upset and I didn't feel like doing too much. It was clear that I would have to cancel my reservation for the smörgåsbord, which I will have to try some other time. I am not sure what is to blame. Last time, it was nerves about my finances and adjusting to new surroundings. I am guessing it could be something I ate (the shrimp, mayonnaise, wine, metre long candy, slush, beer, souffle, sorbet... many likely culprits...).

I went downstairs and had my breakfast and then worked on my blog for a while at one of the computers in the business centre. Then, I went back to my room, shaved, got ready and called Hans. It was around 11:00 a.m. then, and I wanted to let him know that I had waited for him last night until around 10:00. He told me he got there around 10:00, so we must have just missed each other. In any event, he said that he was just hanging out in his garden this morning, and if I wanted to, I could come over for coffee or something. So, I had a pleasant stroll through a park and got to his place about a half hour later. Hans's house is really quite nice. It's a corner flat in a townhouse condo thingy, and across the street from his house is the southern shore of Södermalm. Hans kept apologizing for the mess at his place, but I said that my place was always messy, so I didn't think his was. We sat on his back deck for a while, just chatting and admiring the view. I took several pictures. He then asked me what my plans were for the afternoon. I said that I had not really made any, I was just trying to take things easy and rest a bit after doing so much the past few days. I was pretty sure I wouldn't want to do another museum today. So he suggested that I go for a walk with him across the canal, on Hammarby, an area I had not yet been to. We took a ferry to Hammarby, and Hans showed me the small library he likes to go to to read the paper and listen to music. It looked like a very quaint spot. From there, we walked around for a bit until Hans said he should do some grocery shopping. I suggested that since I was south of Södermalm, it might be a good occasion for me to continue further south to get to Skogskyrkogården, the cemetary where Greta Garbo is buried. Hans told me that would be a great idea and that I should take plenty of pictures, because he has never been there. He escorted me to the bus that would take me to Slussen so that I could take the subway south to Skogskyrkogården.

I was very tired -- and not having lunch did not help things -- but I took the bus to Slussen, all the while struggling to stay awake. I thought it would not be a good idea to fall asleep on the bus, because then I would have no way of knowing where I'd end up. I got to Slussen around 2:00, and took the subway something like 8 stations south from there.

Skogskyrkogården is a stunning cemetery set in the woodlands. It was designated by UNESCO as a world heritage site, and I can see why. I took several photographs while I was there. At the entrance to the cemetery, there is a map indicating where Greta Garbo's grave is located, so I made towards that spot. After a while, it became obvious to me that I would simply follow the tourists. There were not that many, but they were clustered in one area near where the map had indicated she was buried.

When I got there, it was a very beautiful grave site, set aside from all the other graves. There is an elegant grave marker with a very long bed of red roses. I sat on a bench near the tomb and remembered scenes from movies she had starred in. Then, I took out my iPod and listened to the only song I could think of that had some connection to this site: America's "Right Before My Eyes", which has the line: "And then just like Greta Garbo, Staring like there's no tomorrow".

I slowly left the cemetery and gradually made my way back to the Skogskyrkogården subway station to take the subway back to the hotel. I got to the Skanstull station around 3:30 and stopped at a grocery store to get a small baguette. I was starving, and with my very upset stomach, I didn't want to risk anything heavier. So that is pretty much where I am at right now. I may very well decide to go back to some TV this afternoon. If I rest up well enough today, perhaps tomorrow I can tackle more museums.

Thinking of you, Troy.

I miss you.

M.

This Cost How Much?!?

Skeletons of Some of the People Who Died in the Ship Wreck, on Display at the Vasa Museum


Reconstituted Face of One of the Victims of the Vasa Ship Wreck

Lunch at the Vasa Museum

Reindeer at the Skansen Zoo

People Awaiting the Royal Cortege Near Djurgarden

The Royal Cortege on Strandvägen

I was dead tired last night and hit the sack as soon as I finished my crême brûlée. I was so tired, I didn´t bother asking for a wake-up call. Instead, I woke up on my own. And that was, remarkably, at 7:00 a.m. this morning. I spent some time just lazing in bed catching parts of reruns of American sitcoms -- "The Nanny", and "According to Jim", as well as "The Biggest Loser". Boy oh boy, can I waste time in front of a TV.

I got ready and dressed and went to get this morning's complimentary breakfast at the hotel. Alas! no maple syrup for my pancakes this morning, so I had the Queen jam instead. After breakfast, I went to the Skanstull metro station and sat on the subway for close to ten minutes, waiting for it to leave the station. Because of the Royal Wedding today, all modes of travel were running late, and the buses were actually not even running.

I finally got to the Slussen station, then walked to the ferry to Djurgården. On my way, I bought a metre of lace-like candy, watermelon flavoured. I figured I could munch on this during the day for extra energy. I wasn't entirely sure where I was heading today, but I figured I could find lots to keep me busy on Djurgården. The ferry crossing was once again very quick, and I could look at the warships stationed in the harbour for the wedding.

I got to the island around 10:30 a.m., and figured I could probably start with the Vasa museum today. I checked at the hotel before leaving this morning, and the staff reassured me that despite the wedding, all museums should be open during regular hours.

The Vasa was the largest ship ever built in Sweden. When it set off for its maiden voyage on 10 August 1628, it sank in the Stockholm harbour in front of thousands of horrified eyes. Apparently, the ship's ballast was not enough to counterbalance the weight of the guns and masts and for this reason it sank. The shipwreck was located in 1961, and it was salvaged and tons of conservation work was done on it. Today, it sits in a museum which was inaugurated in 1988. Words fail to describe just how majestic the ship wreck really is, and there is no way to evoke how haunting the whole experience really is.

The ship takes up about the whole six floors of the museum, and there are floors built around the ship that feature various exhibits. The film on the main floor is a brilliant introduction to the subject. It runs for 25 minutes (fortunately in English) and is narrated by Stellan Skårsgard, one of the three possible fathers in the film version of "Mamma Mia!".

My favourite part was an exhibit on the second floor called "Face to Face". It allowed us to learn more about the unfortunate people who perished in the catastrophe. Most people managed to jump ship and flee to safety, but about 30 people died, and the museum displays about 10 of the 15 skeletons they have found. A truly gruesome display. The skeletons are named: the first one is called Adam because he was the first one located. Then, each subsequent discovery begins with the following letter of the alphabet, all to way to Johan. These people's personal effects -- scraps of clothing, money, keys, etc. -- are also on display. But most amazingly, with the funds collected by visitors who make donations to the museum, the curators have been able to use the latest scientific technology to analyse the skulls and to reconstruct the faces of some of the people who died in the wreck. So, in the display, I could stare at the reconstructed faces of people who had met their doom nearly 400 years ago.

Around 12:30, having finished touring the museum, I went to the museum's restaurant for lunch. According to the menu, it was rather expensive, but I didn't really pay all that much attention. I decided to get a bottle of water, the räksmörgås (an open-faced shrimp sandwich with mayo, a boiled egg and fresh dill, served on rye bread), and a glass of white wine. When I got to the cash, she announced that that came to 250 SEK (about 35 dollars Canadian). That came as a total shock. Oh well, Dad had said that I should spend an extra thousand dollars on my trip, so maybe this is the way to start doing that... My meal was superb, and I definitely want to have that again, although perhaps not in this expensive restaurant!

I exited the Vasa Museum around 1:15, so I was wondering what to do next. The Royal Wedding korteg (cortege), where the newly-wedded couple would parade around town, would only begin at 4:40 p.m., so I had plenty of time before then. I was hoping to meet Hans on Jarl Birgersgatan in Östermalm around that time. So, I decided that since I was on Djurgården anyway, I should go back to Skansen and see the rest of what I missed yesterday because of the thunderstorm we got.

The entire area around Gröna Lund, the Vasa Museum and Skansen was thriving with tons of people celebrating the wedding, carrying Swedish flags, having picnics on the various green spots, playing games with their children. I finally got to Skansen on foot, and entered once again the historical reconstruction of Swedish yesteryear. I especially wanted to see the zoo area that I missed yesterday.

The first site I came to in Skansen was the Solliden, which I missed completely yesterday. It was here on the Solliden stage that Frida won the Nya ansikten (New faces) contest in 1967, launching her career. It was also here that Agnetha gave an outdoor concert in 1975 and sang "Tack för en underbar, vanlig dag" and "De har glömt". From the heights of Skansen, I had a pretty good view of the city, all the way to Södermalm and my hotel, and even beyond. In fact, I had a good view of the Globe theatre, a huge golfball shaped concert venue where Benny and Björn joined U2 on stage in 1992 to sing "Dancing Queen".

I gradually made my way to the area that houses all of the Swedish animals, and I expanded my Swedish vocabulary by seeing the varg (wolf), the vildsvin (boar), the häst (horse), the svartbjörn (black bear), the brunbjörn (brown bear), the elg (elk, or moose), the gråsäl (grey seal) and the ren (reindeer). Near the church at Skansen, which is, according to the brochure I have, one of the most popular churches in Sweden in which to get married, there was a small wedding ceremony, but it wasn't the princess. A coachman was waiting for them with his horse-drawn carriage.

On my way out of Skansen around 4:00, I felt like having a slush at Gröna Lund. So, I found a concession stand that had slush machines in the window, and I ordered a cola slush. She handed me a two-foot long, narrow plastic bong thing and said that I could fill it myself at the machine. Total cost, 49SEK (7 dollars Canadian!) So, I made my way to the Djugården ferry with my 7 dollar slush in hand. Problem was that the ferry service was down for the royal wedding. The woman at the dock said that I could still leave the island on foot if I hurried to cross the Djurgården bridge before it closed. So, I went through the throngs of people, on my way to cross a narrow bridge that remained open next to the real Djurgården bridge, which was closed to traffic for the wedding. It took forever to cross it, as there were masses of people trying to reach Djurgården, but eventually, I made it to Östermalm. I knew there wasn't much time left before the cortege was scheduled to arrive, and I wondered whether I would have time to make it to see Hans and his Red Cross flag on Birger Jarlsgatan. But suddenly I heard loud cheering coming towards me, and I realized that the cortege was making its way down the street I was standing on, Strandvägen, on the waterfront. The media reports that there were hundreds of thousands of people lining the streets for the cortege, and I can believe it! I got closer to the street to have a view and caught quite a few pictures of the passing guards. Then I saw the princess and her new husband, a commoner, drive by. It was so quick, I couldn't get a picture. But Hans would tell me later that I was lucky because he didn't even get to see them at all.

Since I was in Östermalm, I thought I would return to the Saluhall to see if I could get some kroppkakor. I have been in Stockholm for well over a week and I have still not tried this delicacy. And the staff at the hotel tells me that the Saluhall has them. Problem was, when I got there around 5:15 p.m., it was closed. It closes at 4:00 on Saturdays and is closed on Sundays. Grrr. So, I checked my Frommer's Guide and decided to have dinner at a recommended restaurant nearby, the KB.

I decided that I had had too many McDonald's and Subway meals and that tonight, the night of the royal wedding, I would treat myself to a good meal. I ordered a glass of white wine (a Bordeaux), and for my meal, the seafood Wallbergare, basically a fish version of the meat dish I had had at the hotel, with dillpotatis (baby potatoes with fresh dill), fresh snow peas, and a cream sauce with chives for the fish burgers. Absolutely delicious. For dessert, the raspberry souffle with a side of fresh blueberries, strawberries and blackberries in ice wine, served with a scoop of pear sorbet. My meal cost about 60 dollars, but it was delicious. Still, I eyed the open-faced shrimp sandwich my neighbour was having. I definitely want that again!

After dinner, I took the subway back to my hotel for a bit, to change so that I could go out to the bear bar. The bar turned out to be quite disappointing. I got there early, around 8:30, while Hans had said that he would meet up with me there at 9:30. I ordered a Swedish lager, a Sofiero, which was served almost at room temperature, and sat in a corner, taking in the room. People came in in groups and stuck to each other to socialize, so it was very hard for me to break the ice... especially since I could only hear Swedish. Nine thirty rolled around, and Hans wasn't there. Simply stated, I was really getting bored. The highlight (lowlight?) of the evening was when a young woman tried to enter the bar. When she was told that this was a men's club, she crouched down on the floor and started screaming at the top of her lungs, but I had no idea what she was saying. She was calmly escorted out the bar. Around 10:00, I got up and left the building. Hans would later tell me that he was delayed at a restaurant by a waiter who was slow in getting their bill.

So, I took a subway home to the hotel, wrote my blog for a while, then went to bed. Before doing so, I asked the staff of the hotel to book a reservation for me for the next day to go to the Grand Hotel for an authentic Swedish smörgåsbord (buffet). And I went to bed without requesting a wake-up call.

A Quiet Friday Night

Well, I thought of possibly having dinner at the hotel. When I went to have a quick look at the menu, I didn´t feel like paying 40 dollars Canadian for a main course. So, I decided to go to my room and think about my options.

I switched on the TV and flipped through the channels. There is a lot of American programming -- "All About Raymond", "Friends", "Two and a Half Men", "Family Guy" -- all in English with Swedish sub-titles.

I looked at my Frommer´s Guide to Stockholm looking for an interesting place to have a bite, preferably here on the island of Södermalm. I found a place called "Garlic and Shots" that serves an entire menu of garlic-inspired foods, including garlic ice cream (Dad would love it here; Mom, not so much...) So, I grabbed my leather jacket, my passport and my wallet and headed to the Skanstull subway station. I got off the subway one station north of here, at Medborgsplatsen, and made my way to the restaurant. When I got there, I was surprised to find that it looked like a post-modern heavy-metal café, complete with AC/DC blaring on the sound system and skulls as decorations. At least I was dressed for the venue... Problem was that there was a list of people waiting to be seated: table of 6 and table of 4. I waited at the bar for close to 10 minutes with no one coming to take my name or anything. I figured that this was ridiculous, and as it was past 8 o´clock at this point, I thought I would not get to eat any time soon. So I left "Garlic and Shots" and started walking back towards my hotel, looking at restaurants on my way. A light rain started to fall again. Finally, a block away from my hotel, I found a McDonald´s. It was a bit of a cop-out, but at least it was quick and cheap. I got some food to go, and walked back to the hotel.

I had my food in my room while watching some TV. Sveriges Television Channel 1 is broadcasting a special concert for tomorrow´s royal wedding. Princess Victoria and her bethrothed, Daniel Westling, had the best seats of the house, watching a mix of different acts performing for them. A singer I didn´t know sang Puccini´s "Nessum Dorma", and Peter Jöback sang an old Charles Aznavour song, "She". All the while, I munched contentedly on my fries. I will confess that I am feeling a little lonely tonight, but I am simply exhausted from lack of sleep, so going out is out of the question. I thought I would work on my blog, and perhaps later I can have a bowl of the hotel´s delicious crême brûlée.

I was surprised when I was surfing the Web earlier tonight. It seems that Benny and Agnetha have recently recorded a video here in Stockholm, probably on Skeppsholmen, welcoming people to the new ABBA WORLD exhibit in Melbourne, Australia. They say that as none of the four can travel to Australia, they did want to send their best wishes. Now this was a first! I don´t recall Agnetha partaking willingly in promoting ABBA. From what I have heard these past few years, she still thinks the whole experience with the group was traumatic. I found this completely unexpected.

I think that´s about it for now. At least my blog is up to date, and when I wake up in the morning, I can head straight out the door. I will have the morning to spend in a museum, I think.

Good night all.
Good night, Troy.
Good night, John-Boy.

M.

Closed until August

Johan, the Receptionist at the Clarion Hotel


Pytt i Panna and a Swedish Lager

The Repainted Dalarna Horse on Skansen

The Original Dalarna Horse On Skansen That Benny and Björn Posed With

It took such a long time for me to figure things out with the computer this morning and then to type my entry that I was not ready to leave the hotel before 11:00. When I did, I borrowed a paraply (umbrella) from the front desk. It will be different not having glorious sunshine today as we did for the past two days. I never had expected to be tanned from my trip to Stockholm, but that is precisely what has happened. My face is a glowing red, tanned but not burned.

I started off my journey with a quick trip to Åhléns, the department store next door to the hotel. I was hoping to find a light jacka (jacket) I could wear, but I could not find anything. The thing is that wearing a leather jacket with a backpack on your shoulders is perhaps playing the fashion victim, and I have been walking around in a simple t-shirt all the time. Today promised to be cooler, and I wanted something warmer. (Troy, you were right: I should have bought that jacket thing at Eddy Bauer...) Anyway, by the time I exited the building, the sun had come out and it turned out to be a warmish day.

I took the subway from near the Clarion hotel to the Slussen station (the one Lisbeth Salander gets attacked in in the first Millennium novel). When I got outside, it was about 11:30 a.m. then, and I thought maybe I would try to find the restaurant that the hotel found for me that serves kroppkakor, the Swedish answer to Acadian poutines râpées. Johan, the very cute young receptionist at the hotel, had recommended a restaurant that serves them and he had located the restaurant and marked it on my map near the Slussen subway station. It was called Blomgrens Chark. I started walking down the street he had marked for me, looking for number 90. The problem was that number 90 was not where he had located it. I kept walking, walking, walking looking for the restaurant. I finally found it, located well south of where Johan had marked it. It was so far south, in fact, that I had completely left Slussen, two subway stations north of my hotel, and was now south west of my hotel. (And my feet, especially my baby toes, were killing me.) In the window, a sign saying that kroppkakor season has now ended, and the restaurant is now closed until August.

So, I walked to the nearest subway station, Zinkensdamm, and, since it was now well past noon, I thought I would take the subway to Gamla Stan and try my luck there. Kroppkakor are definitely a rarity! One person who worked in a small shop on Gamla Stan suggested I try a restaurant near the coast, but when I got there, there were none on the menu. I noticed this restaurant was very posh: there was a waiter inside dressed in 18th century clothes with a powdered wig, and the menu in the window recommended the beef steak for 50 dollars Canadian. So I gave up my search for this elusive meal today and ended up in a small pub in Gamla Stan for lunch around 1:00 p.m. I asked the waiter if he could recommend a good Swedish öl (beer), preferably a lager. He suggested Falcon, which was quite good. For my meal, I ordered what was touted as a traditional Swedish dish, pytt i panna. This was a sort of Swedish hash: chopped meat and potatoes, served with a fried egg sunny side up on top, and a side of beets. I found it quite to my liking and it went well with the beer. For dessert, I had the chokladtårte med vanilijglass och grädde (chocolate torte with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream).

I decided that I would walk from Gamla Stan and go to Skeppsholmen to visit the Modernamuseum. As I made my way towards that island, I noticed a small crowd of people in front of a large ship. When I enquired what was going on, I was told that it was a Danish ship, and people thought that some celebrities, perhaps the Danish royal family, had arrived for the wedding tomorrow.

Continuing onward, I came to the makeshift IKEA display for Love 2010. There wasn´t much inside, but I did take a few photos of the displays, including one featuring a whole bunch of heart pillows with arms. Just outside this tent, on the opposite shore near the Grand Hotel, a bunch of photojournalists were cordoned off, positioned in front of the hotel, waiting to photograph God knows which celebrity who is in town for the wedding. The crowd of onlookers outside seemed genuinely intrigued by it all. Still I walked on.

I crossed the bron to Skeppsholmen and arrived in front of the Modernamuseum at 2:15, only to discover that because of the royal wedding this weekend, they closed at 2:00 today. So, I had to find a Plan B. For the time being, I had another quick look at Mono Studios (and noticed today that it is also the homebase of Stefan Lindé, Agnetha´s PR person). I continued onward and decided to have a quick look at a small island on the southern coast of Skeppsholmen called Kastellholmen. Near the bridge to this island, a small group of Stockholmers dressed in traditional costumes were playing folk music on a small stage.

It was on Kastellholmen that I realized there were ferries operating out of Skeppsholmen, and as the pass I bought is good for both subways and ferries, I decided on the spur of the moment to go to Djurgården. The trip was exceedingly quick: I was on the island after about 5 minutes, whereas it would have taken me well over a half hour to walk there! I hadn´t quite decided where I was going yet. It was a toss up between Gröna Lund (the amusement park), the Vasa Museum (a museum devoted to a huge shipwrecked ship from the 1600s that was salvaged in the 19th century) or Skansen (the world´s oldest reconstituted historical village). I decided to visit the last one. When I got to the gate at 3:15, I was told that Skansen takes a good two hours to visit (Hans had told me three). The park itself was open until 8:00, but the buildings close and the people who portray the villagers in period costumes stop work at 5:00. I thought I would at least have a quick look around, and if interested, I could always return. Skansen ended up being an incredible experience, from the little I had time to see. Even if I skipped the zoo with its displays of Swedish animals (the Swedish animal of the month being the reindeer), I still saw many wonderful sights and took several photographs: small Swedish cottages with thatched roofs, a harmonica player in period dress, a splendid garden (Troy, you would love it here!), a stately manor house and two beautifully-painted, authentic Viking runestones from the 11th century. I noticed a large Dalarna horse sculpture in a sandbox beside a small one, and I wondered whether this horse just might be the one that Benny and Björn posed on in an early photo shoot. Lo and behold, it sure was, according to my ABBA guide. It was exciting to take a picture of it.

While I had my guide book out, I noticed that Julius Kronbergs ateliej (artist Julius Kronberg´s workshop) is located on Skansen. Inside is the display of paintings that appear on the front cover of ABBA´s "The Visitors" album. I definitely wanted a closer look. According to the guide, the building is not often open, but the curious visitor can usually arrange to have a look inside by asking the people who work at Skansen. So, I came upon two groundskeepers and asked if I could be let in. They suggested I see the information centre about this, and they said that if I were lucky, I might get to go in. So, my heart racing, and feeling completely elated, I made my way to the information centre, with the beginnings of thunder growling in the distance. When I got there, I explained that I had come from Canada, that this trip for me was my own ABBA Love 2010, and that it would mean so much to me to see this workshop. She consulted a schedule and then informed me that the building is closed until August. "Not even a little peek?", I persisted. No, sorry. So I went back outside now in the pouring rain, with the umbrella the hotel lent me, and found some shelter on a bench under an awning. My first thought, which I repeated out loud to myself was "I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry". My second thought, an angry one, was that if I had waited until my actual birthday to visit Sweden, then I could have eaten kroppkakor, seen Julius Kronbergs ateliej and seen the China theatre. My third thought was: I will have to tell Troy that when we come to Sweden together, we will have to come to Skansen then. (After all, I have to have some things left that I will not have done yet). I don´t think I have ever worked through grief so quickly in my life!

I made my way through the downpour outside the main grounds. There was no point in staying as the main buildings would close soon and the staff were getting ready to leave. If it is nice this coming week, perhaps I can return for a more proper visit. I stopped for a soft ice cream in Gröna Lund before taking the ferry back to Slussen. From there, a quick subway trip to the hotel.

I was greeted at the front desk of the hotel by Johan, who was absolutely beaming to see me. "Hej, Maurice, how great to see you again, my good friend. How are you doing?" I guess names don´t matter... I told him all about my kroppkakor misadventure, and he said he was really embarrassed. He found another spot, and said that he could call there before I go tomorrow to make sure they have them on-hand. I said I had another question, and he excused himself a minute. He came back, apologizing, saying he needed nicotine, so he brought back some snus, like chewing tobacco placed in a tea-bag-like pouch and placed above the gums. (Neil had warned me about this noxious substance). Johan offered me some, but I declined. Anyway, turns out the weather tomorrow for the wedding might be good after all. And it seems like most museums are open tomorrow, so I might take in a museum tomorrow before the wedding procession through the city. Hans has told me that he will be on Birger Jarls gatan for the procession. He will be representing his work, so he will carry a large flag of the Swedish Red Cross. (When he and I started chatting about two years ago, he was working in Elfenbenskusta (Ivory Coast) in Africa. So, I might try to go see him during the procession tomorrow.

So, it is now about 7:40 p.m. and I am feeling hungry, and tired. I am thinking of having dinner, perhaps at the hotel, and then an early night. If I can leave the hotel early tomorrow morning, I can make the most of my day. It will be the Royal Wedding, and Stockholmers are excited. I am told that even Prince Charles and Camilla are in town. And I am guessing that Frida, who happens to be a close friend of Queen Sylvia, might also be here as well.

Anyway, I am off...

M.