stockholm in the snow on the sea

Last week I was in Stockholm for about 72 hours to visit a few companies. While I was there, I chatted with H&M folks about supply chain sustainability, with Acne about sustainable fashion and with Electrolux about sustainable consumption. In between all that sustainability, I managed to walk from the old town to the new town and snap some photos. These should explain why I love Stockholm, but they aren't the whole story.

A couple specific reasons:

Swedes are actually very friendly (as a gross generalization). They are not quite as obviously full of inner joy as Norwegians, but they are very nice to foreigners, which I deeply appreciate. They are nice despite having to do things like unblock frozen drains and shovel snow off of rooftops to ensure they don't cave in. It takes a deep well of cultural positivity to maintain good vibes in these circumstances. Don't believe me? Boston is the perfect converse example.

They are also quite smart about design. The airport had these lovely colorful tints on the windows and I stayed in a "design hotel," which had suitcase-shaped light fixtures and couch pillows. Lots of whimsy and color helps them cope with miserably cold winters.

I also like the pretty skylines. These are a couple snaps of the view from the bridge between the old city and the new. They are somehow able to have old and new co-exist side by side, not just co-existing, but actually enhancing each other. Very impressive.

Finally, though I don't know really how Swedes feel about wildlife, any city that takes care of ducks and swans is okay by me. Notice how the swans seems happy even though they occupy precious and soon-to-melt real estate. No doubt there are other places they can stay during the summer.

And this is me, just before I headed to the mothership, i.e. the H&M in Stockholm.
Stockholm, you'll be seeing more of me, I promise.