Yes, it is a beautiful city.

I remember now just how beautiful this town is. Sparkling water, blue skies, boats in the harbor, people strolling, green trees everywhere. All of Sweden is amazing, but Stockholm on a day like today is breathtaking.

I spent my time revisiting some old sites and seeing some new ones. I took some AOB related videos and other videos for fun. I did get to walk around Skansen and see Allsång at 8 pm, which was fun. I didn't actually see too much because I wasn't in the front row, but I got to enjoy it anyhow. I wonder how the tv production turned out. It will be fun to watch it later on. The most well-known international guests were Malene Ernman (La Voix) and A Camp with Nina Persson as lead singer.

I also found my favorite candy of all time, Polly. I can't quite explain the taste because I've not found anything else like it. The bag puts it this way, A taste of chocolate, arrack, buttertoffee and vanilla. Its a squishy, chewy chocolate covered something which I love. That's really why I came almost 5,500 miles. I didn't come to see AOB, I came for the Polly. I do love the fact that the Swedes seem to have as big a sweet tooth as I do. Candy everywhere. Love it.


Strawberry Marabou chocolate. I have to get some of this.

In Stockholm!

Ah, it's a hot day in the neighborhood. And sunny too. I just arrived a little while ago and am about to go out to hunt for food and a phone card, so I can set up those Twitter feeds. Also a little video to send back.

As for tonight, I'm not sure what I'll be doing, as I didn't plan anything. But Skansen looks good because Allsång på Skansen is filming today. Not sure when you have to get there to be a part of that. It may already be too late. Would be fun though.

Catch you all later!

One flight down...

I'm in Philly waiting for my flight to board in a few hours. The flight from Houston worked out well. A little turbulence, but I don't mind that. Been walking around the airport and it's nice. It's bright, clean, good signage. A+ for Philly.

Some pictures from the airport:



An authentic Philly Cheesesteak. Midnight snack! The departures board. How sweet it is to see Stockholm on the board. Ah! And my plane loading up with fuel for the flight.

More from Stockholm once I arrive.

Only 20 minutes left!

Where is this, where is that? Will it all fit into the suitcase? What else do I need to do? Am I missing anything? Several thoughts running through my head right now.

It's down to the end and I can safely say I'm almost ready. At least I think I have everything. I almost couldn't find a few things but they showed up just in time.

I'm getting a ride to the airport in about 20 minutes, even though my flight doesn't leave for another 2 hours 45 minutes. Security takes an awfully long time. And as I mentioned before, the first stop is Philly. Never been there before. New airports are always fun.

I'm off to fly!

T-minus 8 hours

Still haven't packed. I will wait until the last minute and curse myself for doing so.

I tried to get some good sleep last night because that's good for fighting jet lag, supposedly. I didn't succeed very well and now I'm afraid I'll fall asleep waiting for my flight to Stockholm. As long as someone wakes me up to board the plane, I'll be good.

I'm going through Philadelpia first and I have a pretty good layover there, some 5 hours. A little shopping may be in order. I'm actually looking for an authentic Philly Cheese Steak. I've never had one and they look heart-attack inducing good.

But, right now it's 9:30 in my head. For everyone else here, it's 2:30 in the morning. It's a little lonely! But, that just means I have time to pack. Eventually.

Sunday 28 June 09

It's a day for, eh, cleaning clothes.

I'm spending the day cleaning up so I don't come back to a mess. Boring but necessary. I haven't packed yet, as I'm still trying to decide what to bring.

There's not much more to report on the travel front. Just the necessary stuff; checking off lists, making sure I have everything I need for tomorrow. Trips are always more fun once you've finished all the preparation.

Saturday 27 June 09

Last bookings, final plans.

Everything is coming together now for my trip. I'm still thinking about how to pack and what to bring. I don't have that much space because I will be using several methods of travel (bus, train, plane, car...). Swedish airlines have a low maximum weight allowance for luggage, I've found.

I've also switched my days around to avoid jet lag. Right now, it's 11:15 a.m. for me, but everyone else is asleep because the clock says 4:15 in the morning. It makes shopping for last minute things a bit of a chore. Consequently, I work until it's time for bed (5 pm for my co-workers but midnight for me). It's jet lag in reverse. Not so fun, but it will keep me from feeling so worn out when I arrive in Stockholm.

I haven't started panicking yet. That comes tomorrow and Monday. Until then, I'm off to figure out where I put that darn passport...

Friday 26 June 09

I will be using this blog to document my trip to Sweden starting on the last day of June until the 8th of July, but the highlight for Acers will be the three AOB concerts I'll be attending from the 2nd of July to the 4th of July.

Three concerts.
Three cities.
1,165 miles (1875 km).
in 48 hours.

I will upload videos and twitter feeds to the blog during the trip to keep Acers updated. Drop by and enjoy the crazy trip along with me!