What a city ...

I admit it, I don't want to leave. I am ready to take up bartending, serving ice cream or just bussing tables to live here. It is spectacular. So clean, so nice, so pleasant. Bikes everywhere and walking is more than common, it is a way of life. Most people here have beautiful complexions, gorgeous bodies (lots of exercise) and seem happy with their way of life.

I know in Indy, bike lanes are infrequent at best. Here, the cars have fewer places to go than bikes and pedestrians. Most streets are a max of two lanes in each direction with a full lane on each side, divided in two, for bikes and pedestrians. It seems to work well here, with apparently 1/3 of Stockholm residents owning a bike. I can tell you by looking at the calves of people who live here, they are in shape. It is amazing. I only wish that Indy would develop a healthy understanding of what it takes to make it a happier, healthier city rather than embracing the sprawl that is so overwhelming.

The focus here, aside from general health, appears to be the home. After witnessing all the beauty that is here, I can fully appreciate the need to thin the herd of stuff at home for a more sparse lifestyle. For example, at IKEA here in Stockholm, I saw a kitchen in a cabinet ... literally an armoire with a sink, two burner stove and space above and below for dishes. Everything here has a purpose and function, while decorative pieces are essential to their living as well. I saw a great deal of armoires at Skansen which were decorative on the outside, while fully functional on the inside. Lovely, really. I'm sure I've purchased more than my fair share of goodies, but holy hell, some things are just ridiculously cheap here.

Shopped the morning away then back to the hotel for a quick nap. Bought jewelry, postcards for framing and other nonsense. So far have shopped my ass off and then some. Sister and Mom took off to shop and wander, then I woke up about an hour later and took off for Gamla Stan again. Managed to find a lovely little jewelry shop that was more than happy to relieve me of some krona (the Swedish dollar). My My what fun!!!

After the jewelry shop I went to an Irish pub, O'Connells, where I took in some Swedish beer. Very tasty. The bartender was English and very tasty himself ... apparently moved here for a Swedish girl and has lived here 5.5 years. He said the tax rate is between 39-55%. Doesn't seem that different to me after the spanking I took from the IRS earlier this year.

Now soon off to dinner with Sister. Mom is done. She had a hot dog at a local hotdog stand (they are EVERYWHERE) and is ready to get in her jammies for the night. Tomorrow is our last full day here. I am so depressed about that I can hardly speak. Again, bartending in Stockholm. Doesn't sound like such a bad gig, really.