I was very excited for my first trip to Stockhholm to visit my friend Per. We had a major consulting engagement in the Middle East, but instead of flying from London to Bahrain, I took a side flight to Stockholm, where Per and I hung out for a couple of days.
This took a bit of planning on our part, because we were shifting from one climate to another. Normally when I flew out of Chicago for the Middle East, in the winter, I didn't wear a coat to the taxi ride to O'Hare Airport. On the return trip, my wife Karen would bring me my coat, and this freed me up from hauling winter clothing across continents.
I obviously needed such clothing for Stockholm in February. I brought one or two heavy sweaters, socks and boots. But otherwise, Per lent me a coat, hat and gloves. I had another trip planned to Stockholm in a couple of months, so I left my sweaters etc. at his flat, as we headed off to Bahrain.
The following is my journal entry:
February 22nd 2004, Sunday afternoon and evening.
Took the Arlanda Express train to Central Station in Stockholm. Very clean station, fast train ride (20 minutes). About $25.
Dial 08 for local calls in Stockholm (no need to dial the country code). For mobiles, dial just 0.
Arrived at Central Station a little after 3 PM. Per met me there, and it was a short 10-minute walk back to his flat. Small but very nice, elegant but simple, like the wood. If I were single, I’d have an apartment like his.
Worked out at S.A.T.S., about a 10-minute walk away. A lot of pretty Swedish girls!
Ate dinner at Helene’s Krog and Bar. Had a large chicken club sandwich (kyckcling).
Believe we had an Amaretto nightcap.
Saw DVD “The Seventh Seal.” A 1950s Ingmar Bergman film of strong religious tones during a plague-ridden Sweden in the mid-teens century. Starring Max von Sydow. It was a compelling film, Per translated some of the Swedish dialogue.
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