Tea with Billy Holiday

7/21/07

I have been back to Stockholm now for 3 days and feel more and more like I need to extend my trip. I have only seen a few cities in one country and there is so so much more to see, and so many people to meet. I made a new friend Tobias at an internet café in Stockholm and we visited the Stockholm National Museum today. The national Museum is quite large and has art works from around Europe…but the most beautiful pieces I thought were from Swedish artists. I feel very attracted to Swedish design, even in their older works from the 17^th and 18^th centuries.

If you did not know, Sweden still has a Royal family, and their lives can be followed in the newspapers and tabloids. The crown princess Victoria has just turned 30 years old and has a boyfriend who the country anticipates she will marry. Victoria is not necessarily known for her physical beauty, but there is a quality about her that the people love – which is that she is real. She interacts with the public and has no sense of arrogance about her. It seems that the whole royal family has this characteristic of being approachable, and even the King of Sweden likes to drive himself to work every morning. Some people think that the family is even too common.

Yesterday evening I was invited to a Jazz club to meet the piano player of a band called Fredrik Noren. The piano player is the son of a neighbor which I met in the countryside earlier in my trip. His name is Kalle and he did a very good job of welcoming me into his routine. I got to sit and talk with his band. They each are masters with their instruments and have a caring warm attitude that was very comforting to be around. Kalle's father was a jazz musician as well, and although I do not know the full extent of it, I know he was very successful in his career.

They played fantastic music and the vocalist that evening had alot of Billy Holiday in her. I went up to the bar to order a cup of tea and the bar tender said “it will be 20 crowns“ and I said “I’m here with the piano player” and he said “oh, well go right ahead”… giggle.

Ulla showed me a picture of my great grandmother-to my surprise, she looks just like me. I included a picture so you can compare - its very very strange and comforting to see that you are a product of someone who lived before.