May 3rd, 1964
Today I arrived in Sweden for the first time. My plane arrived in Stockholm from New York at 2PM, and after going through customs, I took advantage of the public transport, and took the train to Stockholm Central Station. From there, I hailed a cab. I was driven through the busy streets of Stockholm for almost half an hour, noting that all the traffic drove on the left hand side, which was in contrast to the right hand drive I'm used to back home in America. I eventually arrived at the Grand Hotel, on the waterfront, overlooking the Royal Palace on the opposite bank. I was shown to my suite on the 5th floor, which had a perfect window view overlooking the city. I immediately saw Stockholm Palace, which was directly ahead of the hotel. It took me more than a moment to notice that the palace was on an island in the middle of the river. To the right of the Palace, I recognised the Parliament Building, and behind it I saw the Bonde Palace, the residence of the Swedish Prime Minister. Behind the island, the famous Stockholm Town Hall tower dominated the skyline. I glazed in awe at the beautiful city for the next dozen minutes, taking in it's beauty. By the time I had finished, I realised the sun had begun to set, so I put on my dinner jacket and headed down to the Hotel's Dining Room.
I was served marinated salmon for my starter, known to the Swedes as Gravlax. I was then served a sort of Haggis related conception, a traditional Swedish dish named Polsa. Desert was Cheesecake, but a Swedish type, very different from the American variation I'm used to. I believe it's Swedish name was Ostkaka. After dinner, I retired to my room, where I bedded down for an early night, excited about exploring the city tomorrow.
