Stockholm

I haven't flown since 2008.  I was pleasantly surprised by the new amenities that the Norwegian Air flight we were on had: a fairly large touch screen for each seat with loads of games, movies and tv shows available.  The obligatory "where are we now" video can now be pinch-zoomed, swiped and point-of-view changed.  And each seat had a USB and a house power plug type jack for charging phones and laptops.  The last time I flew, I was happy with the earphone jack and continuously playing movies that the airline played.  

After we got off of the plane, we jumped on a bus that went downtown.  Then we jumped on a tour bus that went around it.

The first things I noticed when I arrived in Sweden were:

- Luxury taxis - they had Benz and Tesla Model S' as taxis!

- Amount and quality of graffitti - you're almost sure to see one in any public corner.  Most were excellently done.  I think it's because they had a lot of time to work on them. Maybe because "vandalism" isn't a felony here not like in the States.  That's more points for artistic freedom.

- How good everybody dressed - and I mean everybody.  Haircuts, beards, glasses, coats, dresses, shirts, pants, shoes on people of all ages were like they were picked off of fashion magazines.  Or maybe it was the fashion magazines who were picking their stuff from the Europeans.  How they put things together seemed effortless.  The difference in how people dressed in Sweden is like night and day from where I was in the States.  No shower caps, pajamas, cargo shorts and saggy down-to-your knees pants here, sir.

- Bicycles and bike paths - Two-laned bike paths ran together with the roads and sidewalks almost everywhere.  Add the slightly hilly terrain, you have a cyclist's paradise that is Stockholm.  There is also a level of respect the cars and trucks have for the cyclists.  Whenever a bike goes off of a path into the road, they back off like it was just another car or truck.

- Almost nobody was overweight - maybe it's because they're walking and biking all the time.  This also adds to the "lifted off of fashion magazines" effect.

- Design - nothing looked like it was made to just work.  Be it a bridge, a car, a handrail, a house: it exuded an aesthetic of innovation.  Like someone made it a point to make it look good also.

We only had 6 hours.  We chose Gamla Stan, Stockholm's "old town", as a place to see.

When we arrived, there was a demonstration going on.  At first I didn't understand what was going on because they were talking in a different language.  The crowd of various ages was really feeling the people who were giving speeches on stage.  The audience was nodding to every sentence they finish, like how evangelicals do.  The crowd had small groups in it, some of two, some of a handful.  Some groups were quietly weeping together, consoling each other with hugs and pats on the back.  Some were attentively listening.  The air was emotional.  A small group of cops were hanging out on the side.  There was a Syrian flag.  I put it together after somebody went up on stage and said in English, "welcome refugees!".  Almost everyone cheered.  These people were driven out of their homes, went through hell and have found their refuge.  I could only imagine what they've been through.

It took forever for the tour bus to drive by.  We were getting a bit anxious because we need to get back on it so it can bring us to the airport bus which parks at the City Terminal.  It arrived eventually.  Then, we got stuck in traffic.  We sat on the second deck of the double decker inside tunnels.  Then it started taking a route that went away from the City Terminal.  Concern grew as I asked the driver what the deal was (they spoke English well in Sweden).  He said we won't get back to the City Terminal until around an hour.  We scrambled and got off of the bus and hailed down the first taxi we saw.  "To Arlanda airport, please." we said.  We had "tourists about to miss their flight" written all over our faces.  The taxi driver was receptive and quickly asked what gate and what time our flight was.  I answered him.  Then I asked,  "Will we make it?" He shrugged. "I'll try."  It was rush hour traffic.  The driver was really pushing it with his Volvo taxi weaving in and out of traffic.  It answered back with a roar, snapping our heads when it found the chance.  That must've been a turbo, or a V6.  We arrived at our gate around 10 minutes before it finished boarding.