December 10

Snow at KTH. You can just make out the icicles hanging from the roof.

On December 10 the group at work went for a Julbord lunch celebration.

We all walked through the woods to the restaurant which was on the KTH grounds.

The Julbord is much like a regular smorgasbord but with a few additions like a special potato dish, Christmas ham, and a very rich rice pudding.

The salmon was great -- smoked, cooked, pickled...

One starts with a herring course -- of course. My favorite was probably the yellowish one which was herring in a mustard sauce.

A must at Christmas is Julmust -- a soft drink that is sort of a like a cross between cola and root beer.

There was also Julol (Christmas beer).

The tables were festive and the desserts were popular -- my favorite was the raspberry tart with vanilla cream sauce.

God Jul!

December 12

Sture Gallerian.

If you look closely, you can see streamers of fresh evergreen lit by white lights. This is the entrance to a mall that was voted "Shopping Center of the Year in Europe" by the International Council of Shopping Centers in 1990! Go figure.

Biblioteksgaten. A swank pedestrian shopping street all decked out for the holiday shoppers. Note the red carpet. On this street is a cafe/bakery that makes the very best kanel bulle (cinnamon buns) in the city. We're frequent customers.

Winter kayaking in the middle of Stockholm. What's with that?

Storkrykan. Literally translated: Big Church. You get the point.

Founded in the 1200s but it's been rebuilt many times in the interim. It's where the royals go for coronations and weddings.

We were inside, up in the balcony seats to listen to Handel's Messiah. The acoustics were amazing; the voices of the choir resounded within the vaulted stone ceiling.

A Highlight.

The Christmas Tree competition.

Each tree was decorated by a different country. We think the participants were from the local Embassies. Of course, we're never completely certain of details such as these due to our near complete ignorance of the language!

The tree enclosed in glass had real candles and glass ornaments on its branches. Denmark.

Awarded Best Tree.

U.S.A.

Our Award: Best Shopaholic Tree.

Awarded Most Innovative Tree.

Chile.

Stretched green yarn.

Need we say more?

We think this was Czecholslovakian.

It was decorated with dried fried.

Our Award: Most Nutritious.

Estonia.

Upon close inspection, we found that this was a real, standard Christmas tree like all the others, only wrapped up in golden gauze.

We were impressed.

The HUGE ice skating oval by Michael's office at the University.

We often see speed skaters on their long skates, bent double in a racing position practicing on this rink. Cool.

Picture taken around 4:30pm.

Another marzipan treat! This time a tomte (Santa). Ho ho ho.