God dag, Stockholm

So, this is going to be an interesting week, as my brain attempts to interpret every bit of language it hears or sees as Icelandic. It's not Icelandic, it's Swedish. I'm in Sweden. Looks and sometimes sounds like Icelandic, but, Sweden.

I can't even say hello (god dag), because my attempt comes out something like a cross between Icelandic and Dutch. Which, no, it's definitely not that.

But, yes, hello Sweden!

It's sort of odd, because I didn't come to Stockholm for Stockholm. (I picked the public library that seemed best for the research I'm doing; to be honest I was kind of hoping for Oslo, because Norway is the Scandinavian country I know the least. But you go where the evidence leads you.) So I hadn't thought at all about what Stockholm is like, or what one does in Stockholm. I'd completely forgotten that it's a lovely place! Here's the sky this evening, from my hostel window:

I love Stockholm already. Cars stop for pedestrians. The evening light is lovely, reflecting off the buildings. The city is full of parks. Everything seems to be named after Astrid Lindgren. And the LIBRARY, OH, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE LIBRARY.

Today, before starting my research proper tomorrow, I went to check out Stadsbiblioteket, the city library. (This isn't even the library I'm here to study; it's another amazing library.) As you walk up the stairs, it's like emerging into some great temple. But a temple of books:

Pictures don't do it justice at all. Imagine my face the whole time I was in that room; it was something like this:

And that's just the main room; there are also side rooms for nonfiction, and spaces for quiet study, and a wonderful children's section with children's books in so many languages (always my kryptonite). Children's books in Farsi! Children's books in Sami! So many children's books in Finnish. A whole shelf of Icelandic.

Here's the "baby carriage parking area" – can't say they don't know their audience:

So that was the library; other than that I've mostly just been getting my bearings (and some groceries) before diving into my research all this coming week.

Good lord, I must be in Scandinavia. So many yogurt products and variations on yogurt products:

 

Back in Aberdeen (but not for long...)

Hello again, my lovely River Dee:

Yeah, it's been a whirlwind. After moving back to the US from the UK in July, I'm now already back in Europe. (Though just visiting.)

The point of this trip was 1) a friend's wedding, and 2) some research I needed to do for my master's thesis. But as always, I added things...

In the past just-under-a-month, I've been in:

Iceland, to once again be part of the Melodica Reykjavík Festival, and to see some of my dear people there. This is only the third time I've been part of Melodica, but it feels like something that's always been, and is essential. I really didn't think I would be able to make it to Melodica Reykjavík this year, but I needed it so much that I made it happen.

Germany, for a friend's wedding and to see more of my dear people there. It had been two years since I was last in Berlin (and nearly four years since I moved away) but once again it felt like I could simply step back into my life that was there ready and waiting for me. Two years is too long to be away from the place that's still where so many of my friends are. I hope I can get back sooner next time.

Scotland, to knuckle down in the uni library and get a lot of work done on my master's thesis, so I would be ready for the research I need to conduct next week. Also to wrap up loose ends I didn't have time to deal with when I left so precipitously. (Hello, boxes that still need to be shipped to the US...)

Now I've just arrived in SWEDEN, where this coming week I'll be doing a case study of a couple of really excellent public libraries. I got a grant to fund this research and everything – feels pretty unreal. And amazing!

God kväll, Stockholm!