The land of models

So I awoke early at 5am and couldn't go back to sleep, just as I suspected I would. But I did have a tour to meet at 9:45am to go to Sweden.

We took a bus to the top of Denmark and drove next to all the cruise ships and beautiful cottage like mansions. They were incredible suburbs, like Bel Air. Cottage mansions I called them, if that's not an oxymoron.

We then took a quick 20 minute ferry ride across to Sweden to the city of Lund. Sweden is the land of beautiful people. Tall, good-looking people everywhere you turn. The men are gorgeous and the women are all so sophisicated and trendy and high-class shops are everywhere you turn.

We were dropped off at a beautiful cathedral in Lund and watched a christening taking place. Then we had free time to roam around the city. All I really did is gawk at the beautiful people and the way they are perfectly coiffed and the men are gorgeous. But then, I walked past a food store that had the infamous symbol of magnums glowing in the storefront...then I saw an advertisement for the new white chocolate strawberry magnums...say what???? Chilled heaven is starring back at me, but I'm in Sweden and I didn't have any Swedish currency on me. Torture! I walked past the store at least 4 times trying to telepathically tell the employee to feed me, feed me, but alas, it didn't work. So then I thought maybe I could flirt and smile my way into a free ice cream bar. I wouldn't normally stoop to such a level, but this is the new strawberry magnum, so drastic times call for drastic measures. But then I remembered that I am in the land of models and my granola face certainly would have no effect on any man. So my dreams of eating a strawberry magnum were shattered.

Then we drove to Malmo, which is quite possibly one of my new favorite cities. It is perfect. Perfect shopping everywhere. All so clean and beautiful and beautiful people everywhere. I found my favorite shops and a mall with models all working there. I had a glorious time window shopping and I am not just talking about clothing...I'm also referring to the men. I would walk past restaurants and just stare. But then, lo and behold, I walked past a shop that said they took Danish currency, so I stopped in and glistening in the ice cream freezer was a shiny strawberry magnum. I immediately ran to the employee and said "Is it true you take Danish krones?" He answered yes and I grabbed a magnum and gave him the money, even allowing him to keep the change.

I walked out and sat in a plaza with the sun shining and blissfully ate away as I watched the perfect people pass by in a perfect city as I ate a perfect ice cream bar. Life felt so sweet, both literally and figurately.

We then came back and saw all the green and large amazing homes in southern Sweden. The homes around here are just gorgeous. We didn't take a ferry back, but just crossed a bridge by bus and were dropped off at the city square.

It is a great day. Sweden is absolutely beautiful in every way.

It stays light so late here. Being so far north and so close to the summer solstice, it doesn't get dark till 10. I forgot what's that like. But I didn't forget what the weather is like...wet and a little cold. Just like Seattle where I grew up.