Stockholm via Malmo

Yesterday, we took a packed commuter train to Malmo to connect to a larger passenger train to Stockholm. Arrived at Central Station last night and made it to our hotel on the underground (dubbed the longest underground art gallery in the world, as the tunnels are carved out of exposed rock and painted with murals).

Our hotel, The Rex, is in the commercial, downtown area of Stockholm, home to big department stores, cafes and organic bakeries, and hundreds of colorful low-rise apartment buildings. This morning, we chilled out in The Rex's quiet breakfast room, where the humble spread included smoked ham, salami, raisin bread, flax bread, cream cheese, sour milk (like runny yogurt), muesli, fresh vegetables, and apple juice.

The weather is rainy and grey, so this morning we bought warm things: wool mittens and a plateof jam-jam cookies at Cafe Blom, shivering outside in the old town to watch the changing of the Royal Guard. Quite a fanstastic sight to see the shiny, custom-cast helmets and hear the heart-thrumming drums.

Stockholm is situated on a series of small islands, connected by municipal ferries and wooden pedestrian-friendly bridges. After lunch, we clomped over one of those bridges to Moderna Museet. For the longest time, I stood staring at a black and white wall sculpture by Italian artist, Marcello Mondrini, feeling so comforted by its repeated sling shapes, which hung satisfyingly low. As I described to Adam how nice I thought it would feel to be one of the objects inside, how nice to just be held and supported, I found myself crying at the thought: just to be held.

My own tiny Dala Horse. Adam named him Alvar.