Today we moved on to Stockholm. The trip is about 4 hours by fast
train. We got in around 2 pm, and walked to the Story Hotel in the
Ostermalm area. It turns out that's the high fashion district, and the
Story certainly fits. There's no sign on the front, and no front desk--
just a person at a computer in the hallway. Once you check in, you go
up to the rooms, off of hallways painted off-black. Instead of room
keys you are given a numerical code tonput into a key pad. The rooms
are nice, but again with trendy decorating. One wall has some of the
plaster taken off, with splashes of paint. Others have signed and
numbered art prints glued to the wall. Over all, chic but comfortable--
and not expensive.

In the evening we walked fthrough the Old Town (Gamla Stan) to the
Sodermalm area, where we ate at a traditional Swedish restaurant. (I
had reindeer.) Among other things, the English-language menu mentioned
"butter slunged season vegetables"--we're still trying to figure that
out. But the food was good, as was the house wine, an Argentine malbec
(we toasted the Lilly Foundation again). And of course, the
conversation was great. Tomorrow we will do more exploring in the city.