Two Lovely Days in Stockholm

After sleeping 12 hours post-book party, Linda's hubby Fredrik, Helena, and I met Linda's mom Anette and her beau, Bo, for a lovely traditional Swedish lunch at a restaurant in "Animal Park" near the Nordic Museum, called Carl Michael. I had yummy cabbage stuffed with meat, mashed potatoes, and lingenberries, which was recommended by Anette. The weather has been lovely and clear and cool. Great for long walks and taking in the beauty of this city.

Last night I took my lovely hosts to dinner at Kungsholmen, a restaurant on the water. Quite the hotspot with great cocktails - sake martinis and passion fruit margaritas and champagne cocktails. Then more drinks with Anette and Bo in Gamla Stan (Old Town) at Rouge with red velvet banquets and candle chandeliers. Lovely. We all were feeling very tingly as we headed home to bed. An interesting coincidence - Rouge is the sight where both Anette and Bo AND Fredrik and Linda shared their first kisses! Both couples were reminiscing.

Linda has been so busy - as if promoting her book wasn't enough, she is also finishing a big article on J. Lindberg, the Swedish designer, for her magazine AND she and Fredrik signed papers for a big, beautiful, new apartment. Plenty of room for the SWiSH kids to stay on the next trip to Stockholm! Their families are very excited that now they will have room for a "family." (That was mentioned several times by both sets of parents at the book party.)

Today I met Linda for some shopping near her office and lunch, and a walk around the winding, cobbled streets of Gamla Stan before another interview to promote her book. Now we are waiting to hear her interviewed on a radio show, and tomorrow we go to a slash, or fan, fiction convention for a book signing. She is quite the celebrity these days. And may become a bigger one because of a local scandal between a male TV reporter (who is rumored to be gay) and the female politician he was photographed kissing in the papers. Scandalous because it is unethical for a reporter to curry favor with politicians by giving them gifts or buying them drinks, let alone get caught canoodling with them. The politician has been fired, and the twist is that the mainstream press isn't allowed to report that the journalist is gay - but the blogs have been all ablaze with the gossip, and have been citing Linda's book! So if he comes out publicly it will be a HUGE fag hag story, and ultimately might help Linda sell her book. Ah, the tangled gay webs we weave!

Dinner with Linda's gays tonight and some gay clubbing, too. Although I have been warned about the music in the Swedish gay clubs - very poppy and campy, I'm told. Most people hate it apparently. Should be an experience. More later. Hugs. S.