Back from viking territory

Well, I'm back. Our meeting with the Swedish Ministry of Defense went well and it looks like I won't need to make a second trip in the fall. (woohoo!)

I was a little weirded out by the Swedish MOD building's lack of security, but then again, I'm used to working in an enormous five-sided bunker. The building itself had some really interesting architecture and I wish I took some pictures of it (thinking the Swedes would be more concerned with counter-surveillance, I left my camera back in the hotel room).

I really wanted to get a photo of the beer tap installed next to the soda fountain in the MOD's canteen. Maybe its my puritanical American work ethic, but I can't get my head around Europe's casual attitude toward drinking in the middle of the day.

I had a few uniquely Swedish experiences in Stockholm. First, I played a little kubb with some of the younger MOD folks one day. Maybe it was just the beer, but that game is really fun. Second, I was sample a number of Swedish dishes at the Taste of Stockholm -- all of which tasted pretty funky. Finally, I got to see how the undergrads of Stockholm University Stockholm's high school grads [ed. Thanks anonymous in Stockholm, apparently my waiter's details were slightly off] celebrate graduation (namely, riding around the back of 10-12 flatbed trucks in downtown Stockholm, listening to really loud techno music and shouting at passers-by).

I would have taken a few more pictures, but I was worried about catching a beer can in the face like a hapless Japanese tourist did earlier in the day. You will find more pictures in my photo set (more to be added soon). As you might notice, I like taking pictures of urban landscapes.