Greetings from Stockholm, home of Ingrid Bergman , Ingmar Bergman, Bjorn Borg, Abba , Greta Garbo and dynamite  . It’s a beautiful city. I’ haven’t been here since the mid 80’s but it’s still one of my favorite cites on the planet. I’m not exactly sure why I like it so much.. it’s kind of grey, , usualy cold.. and full of big sately buildings.. but it has a beutiful colorful life to it inside of the pale grays and browns of it’s architecture..

I got in about 9::30 this mornign to Arlanda airport.. You have to understand that I just finished reading all 3 of the Stieg Larson Books (Women with the Dragon Tattoo, Woman Who Played WIht Fire Woman Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest)   Places like Arlanda .. and Vasgarten, the steet my hotel is on.. factored big in those books. I feel like I’m right in the middle of som  twisted and misogynistic, Swedish spy thriller/romance/psycho novel.. very exciting.

They even ask you to check your teargas at the door.. it’s a crime to carry it here.. (just liek in the book !)

Speaking of crime, I was very glad to se my suitcase come out intact.. The last time I saw it, it was splayed out over two tables whit all of its contents being photographed and separately scanned. I have some demo equipment in there for my talk on Tuesday.. Evidently it didn’t look good on xray. .especially on 9/11..

I caught the Arlanda express into town..

Found my hotel down near the water, changed into my running clothes and went out for a run in the cool, gray morning..

The place is well layed out for bike commuters

and chock full of art.

Here’s a veiw over into the Gamala Stan- The Old City

Ahhhh.. here’s the newspaper where Monica worked in the book (I think)

I ran back home showered and headed out to meet up with my old freind Madeline.   In the way I noticed this huge screen on a building showing a data glitch.. – FAIL !

I loved the old streets.. a great mix of old and new architecuture and fittings. Very clean.. very muted..

I met up with Madeline at the appointed restaurant, more or less on time, only to find it closed, We found a small busy place around the corner. and proceeded to catch up for the last 30 some odd years.

Madeline had been an exchange student  staying with my good friend Sandy in Houston. We were very good friends in high school… and have stayed more or less in touch since. Diane and I visited Madeline her in Stockholm in the mid 80s.. then we saw her at Sandy’s wedding.. and once more when she visited us abut 12 years ago  in Vermont.   I hadn’t spoken with her since Sam died. To day I learned that her 27 year old step son Theo died just about the same time as Sam in a beach accident in Rio de Jainero. I was so shocked to here that / We spent the next couple of hours talking about all of our kids, our lives, grieving. healing, re-finding ourselves, our missions in life..  It was a really, really wonderful and deep  conversation. It’s amazing how easy it is to drop back into a conversation with a good friend, even if it’s been years since you last talked.

After lunch Madeline walked with me for a bit  then headed off to pack. Her son is getting married this week in Barcelona and she’s leaving somtime tonight..

I did a little more exploring of the city.. then headed back for meditation and a short nap (only 3 hours of sleep last night)..  

My dinner plans this evening fell through when my business friend here

called to say that he too had been up all night and needed to get some

sleep  No proble for me, my friend Dirk from Belgium is teaching here

outside of the city. I called him up and he agreed to meet me for a

late dinner down in Gamala Stan..  

Dirk met me around 7:30 .. and we walked across the bridge into the old quarter. It was so magically beautiful ..

We passed the Nobel museum..Dedicated to Alfred Nobel, the inventor of Dynamite.. (and the Nobel prize)

Dirk’s been living in Stockholm for about 9 months, so he was an exclellnet guide.. he led us to this small restaurant  with typical swedish stuff.. ..

Here’s Dirk contemplating the coming 4 types of herring for dinner

We drank god beer .. great brand, no ?

Ah.. here are 3 types of herring

and the fourth .. yum !!!

Around 10  I had to get back home for a work meeting. Dirk walked me that way.. past  Yxsmesgrand street .. that means ‘bad scrabble hand’ street if you didn’t know..

OK.. Jet lag kicking in big time here. time for sleep.. More from Sweden tomorrow.

god natt al, god natt Sam
-me