This morning, I woke up in Stockholm, Sweden. The train was loaded onto a ferry again, but I was so tired, I barely noticed. Stockholm is very cold and I think I'm catching one myself. I bought some post cards and stamps and searched in vain for Ikea. It requires a long bus trip and I just don't have the motivation to get there.
Instead, I strolled along the ferry docks and made inquiries to get to Helsinki, Finland. The first person I asked told me the earliest I could go was on the 17th. Disappointed with this answer, I thought I'd ask someone else and compare responses. The next answer is very different. I can get on the ferry tonight to Turku and take a 2½ hour train ride to Helsinki from there. The lady at the information desk warns me that it is a very busy route and offers to make reservations for the return trip back to Stockholm.
Stockholm, at least the part I'm in, is a very clean, very generic and orderly city. It's cold enough to be uncomfortable walking around outside and I'm not feeling well enough to exert the effort to seek out Stockholm's more interesting side. I decide to seek shelter in a bar with a pleasant view close to the harbour and wait until it's time for the ferry to leave.
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"It is amazing how much crisper the general experience of life becomes when your body is given a chance to develop a little strength."
~Frank Duff
