First leg of journey: Scandinavian Airlines from Chicago to Stockholm. Just after the 4-hour car trip to Chicago, with my kind, indulgent father driving the 7 of us.
Culture shock; a language, or several maybe, that I can neither understand nor speak; not even a word! The Swedish airline stewardesses speak fluent English, and take good care of us. And so many blond heads in a row. Clearly, I am a mere provincial who has barely traveled outside of my comfort zone; English, Romance languages, a tiny bit of German. To my left was a good-natured man from Estonia, who spoke a few words of English; just enough to reassure me that the five noisy kids to his right were not a worry.
Upon arrival at the airport in Stockholm, one quickly separates the Americans from the rest of the Europeans; we are dressed...like Americans, and they are dressed like chic, sleek and put-together fashion plates and do not look as though they had spent a single minute in flight. Ugh.
The coolest play space ever was at this airport: Waldorfish-heaven. Here are some photos:
