Hej och välkommen!

Well 7 years have passed so it is time for a new sabbatical blog! Diane is a Digital Futures 'Scholar in Residence' at KTH Royal Institute of Technology.








After delaying our January arrival due to Omicron, we finally arrived in Stockholm on February 24. Sadly this turned out to also be when Putin arrived in Ukraine :-( 

Today is our fourth day and we are settling in and slowly recovering from jet lag. Diane has been using Duolingo for over 60 days now to learn Swedish.  Although she was not convinced about the utility of some of what she was learning (e.g., moose), she has been very excited as she is indeed recognizing words both verbally and in writing.  Of course there is Google Translate which is the true lifesaver. 

We live in a 2 bedroom apartment on campus in Drottning Kristinas väg 34B and 36A. Think graduate housing with minimal furnishings by Ikea.  The outside is the photo to the right; click the links above for the inside.  The place seems comfortable enough and the location is good. Short walk to the office as well as to a nice neighborhood with plenty of groceries and restaurants and shops.   Below are some photos from our walk today.


Due to our delay we seem to have missed the worst of winter.  In fact it is very much like Pittsburgh.  It gets light by 7am and dark by 5:30pm.   The temperatures are above freezing and and there is a little snow on the ground.  The snowy roads and sidewalks are treated with gravel, just like in Finland (our first Scandinavian adventure for Mark's Fulbright in 2001). 

Spring is in the air and bulbs are flowering.  Lots of florists selling forced bulbs, cut bulbs, and branches.  Diane bought her first pot of daffodils today and will stock up soon on crocus, grape hyacinth, and even fritallaria for Mark! High priority is buying a vase for the branches and cut tulips. People take gardening seriously here judging by the infrastructure for trellised plantings to come.  

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