Day off in Stockholm

[View from the park, in central Stockholm. This channel makes this portion of the city an island and takes you out to the Swedish Archipelago.  photo be Shel.]

Rick and I took a well-need day off. I have seldom needed it more. In the morning we took a pleasant hour's train ride from Nykoping, through forests, farms, fjords and assorted waterways into Stockholm, which turned out to be one of Rick's favorite cities.

He's right about the place.  It is charming and near the waterways, downright beautiful, particularly, this time of year, when the tree are turning very much like they are in New England at this time of year.

Rick took me to the Vasa Museum.  I can see why it is his favorite and why he has come here so many times. The Vasa was a 17th century 50-gun ship of the line, built as a weapon in Sweden's war against Poland. The problem is that it was built top-heavy and foundered and sank before it even got to open seas, drowning at least 50 of its crew.

It remained underwater until 1957, where an incredible four-year effort raised it and brought it to shore where the museum was built around it. What a remarkable place.

I'm sitting in the airport now, waiting for the plane that will deliver us to Tallinn, Estonia, which promises to be an absolute highlight in a trip filled with an abundance of highlights.  We will be meeting with the current president and former prime minister, the CEO of Skype along with several other notables.  I'm also getting to visit a first grade classroom in session.

This trip has exceeded my very high expectations. We have met so many interesting people, gained so many insights into the ironies of how much people are alike and how cultures colors us differently. Sometime today, I started to see the book. It's about how the world changes when culture and technology intersect. More about that later.