Notes from Today

Today I learned that it not enough to merely attend the breakfast buffet. One must be sure to arrive there before everyone else as well. Failure to do so will result in one being deprived of the good parts. By good parts, I mean bacon. My need for bacon has resulted in me waking up at 6:30 a.m. every morning, an ungodly hour no matter which time zone you're in.

In the afternoon, I visited the Royal Palace and the Grand Hotel today and spent more time than was necessary in both. For the Royal Palace, the reason was that I wanted to get my money's worth as I had purchased the full tour tickets. For the Grand Hotel, the reason was that I needed to satisfy my curiousity that it was indeed too grand for me.

I was too tired to walk to any of my other planned excursions such as the Vasamuseet, the world's largest Ikea, or the Nobel Prize Museum. My chest and throat feels like a mouse went scurrying about in them and left tiny scratches with its paws.

Today I learned that Stockholm is actually composed of islands connected by bridges. Today, I also found Old Town which is a lot like Little Five Points in Atlanta, only blonder.

I am rapidly becoming addicted to European chocolate. Chocolate covered candied orange peel may well be the new crack and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible.

I also get lost everytime I go outside. This doesn't bother me much as I don't really have an agenda and I often have interesting experiences along the way (like explaining to the Swedish Parliament security guards how exactly I found my way into their building).

Tomorrow I leave for Russia and will be there for the next two weeks. I think I can I call my brief time in Scandinavia (one week already?) a success.

Oh, and today for dinner I had buttered salmon with potatoes for 135 kr. I'm beginning to see a pattern here.

Nothing happened today

Ergh.

I woke up with an achy head and a scratchy throat and decided I might be better off taking it easy than jaunting off around the city.

I pretty much slept all day and only woke up to visit the breakfast buffet, the apothecary, and a cafe for lunch (where I had tomato and herring soup).

I don't really feel bad, but I'm scared to death of feeling worse. I'd rather have to take it easy for a day now, than spend a week in bed later because I didn't listen to my body. Despite bundling up in layers with my hat and tights and gloves and scarf, the wind is still cutting me to pieces.

Speaking of hats, my hat seems to be getting a few stares. I bought it in Norway from a local handicrafts kind of shop. It's turquoise and brown striped with a lime green stripe running up the back and a pointy top and ear flaps. I like it; it makes me smile. It also keeps my head warm which is of the utmost importance now.

I visited another street vendor tonight. Around midnight, I got an incredible craving for a chocolate bar, so I wandered up to the 7-11 (they're on every corner here), bought a chocolate bar I've never heard of before (the Lion bar) and stopped at hamburger vendor on the way back to the hotel. I got a drink, fries, and burger for 65 kr or roughly 10 USD. Not McDonald's prices, but quite inexpensive for where I am. The food wasn't great, but it was tolerable, which is all I can really expect.

I think I'm going to go back to bed now. I'd actually like to do some sightseeing tomorrow.