Stockholm morning

Back a gazillion years ago, Lisa and I went to Scandinavia. We went because Volvo has this really cool program where you pick up your new car at the factory in Gothenburg, Sweden. Back then, Volvo would pay your airfare (now I think they pay a flat $2,000), pick you up at the airport, put you up in a hotel, then take you to the factory to sign ze papers, and get your new car. The point, from the Swedish side of things was (is) that you then drive your new Volvo around Sweden. I guess that's the point. I don't know. We just thought it would be a great way to pick up a car and have a vacation heavily subsidized. Oh, they then ship the car back to your home auto dealer for you to pick up a month or so later.

On that trip, we started in Stockholm, then took a train to Gothenburg where we picked up our shiny new 240, which we proceeded to drive for the next couple of weeks through Sweden and Denmark. We fell in love with those two countries in general, and with Copenhagen in particular.

My Friend, David Kleeman, is in Copenhagen right now, or was over the weekend. David travels extensively to the neatest places. We are collectively very jealous of his travels, and call him names regularly.  Looking at David's pictures on Facebook is why I'm writing this post.

BUT I DIGRESS

We went back a few years later, and picked up a station wagon (with the turning radius of an oil tanker, by the way). We had both of our girls on this trip, and wound up driving it down through Germany (of course with a few days in Copenhagan, and a side trip to Billund, Denmark, the home of the original Legoland) hanging a right and dropping it off in Paris - never, ever, drive a new Volvo station wagon with manual transmission around the Arc de Triomphe during rush hour. Don't. It will send waves of terror up the back of the strongest individual.

Where was I? Oh, yeah. A few years ago, we went back to Scandinavia, this time to Norway with some friends (no car involved this time), and fell in love with Norway - guess what? We went back to Copenhagan on that trip as well. Want to see my pictures?

I'M ALMOST TO THE POINT OF MY STORY

I've always gone to that part of the world in spring or summer, and the weather has always been spectacular.

Specifically though, on the last day of that very first trip, Lisa and I went for a 4 am walk in a park in Stockholm - it was sunny, as it is for about 18-20 hours a day at that latitude during the summer. The temperature was chilly and the air was crisp. The sun was shining, and it was beautiful. I've always remembered that morning, and always will.

So, here's the point of my story: this morning, on my walk to work, the air had that same crisp feel, and the sun was shining. It was a beautiful morning in Cleveland, Tennessee. It reminded me of that Stockholm morning.