In order to give everyone a bit of a break, we organized a trip to see Stadshuset (city hall) today and the rest of the day was open to whatever the group members wanted to do on their own. Stadshuset, among other things, is where the Nobel banquet is housed each year in December. The winners of the Nobel prizes (there are six each year, five awarded in Stockholm and one in Norway) have dinner with the king and queen of Sweden and about 1,400 of their closest friends. We had a guided tour of the building where this was explained to us. We learned that the food is prepared on the third floor and delivered to the first floor...the elevators only go down to the 2nd floor, so the servers have to walk down a flight of stairs in front of all 1,400 people to get the food to them. All 1,400 are served within three minutes of each course being introduced. We also found out that it takes three months to wash the hand-painted dinner wear on which the food is served. We all enjoyed the tour. There was much about the building itself and how it was designed and built in the early 1900s.

Eric, Meagan, Stefanie, Lisa, and Troy, with the rest of us behind them, listen to our guide as he starts the tour in the "Blue Room". This is actually inside Stadshuset in the room where the Nobel banquet is held. It's meant to look like you're outside.

 This is a city hall and this is the chamber room where the city council meets...it's made up of more than 100 members. Heather, Jeremy, Meagan and Stefanie are pictured.

A small area between larger rooms. Everyone's in this one except Lisa...she must be taking pictures. It seemed that every time I tried to take a picture of our group, a few of them were taking pictures as well.

This is inside the "Gold Room", where the walls are actually small golf-leaf squares sandwiched between layers of small glass squares...only 22 lbs of gold, in all, to cover the entire room.

Here we all are outside the building. The above represents the Dalarnahess famous in Sweden. They are small, wooden hand carved and painted horses given long ago as gifts. They now represent Sweden. This is a large cement version.

Outside on the steps in the courtyard of Stadshuset.

At that point in the day, we all went our separate ways. The group who was with me and my camera traveled south to see the Stockholm LDS temple. My former mission president and his wife are now the president and matron of the temple. It was a nice chance to say hi to them.

Nathan, Ken, Sister Bonnie and President Paul Oscarson, and Meagan are pictured here. The Oscarsons were kind enough to offer us dinner in their home next to the temple.

Headed outside to take a few pictures. The temple is in the background. Eric and Jeremy were with us as well. Actually Stefanie, Heather and Marcy joined us for the trip out so they could see the temple, but then headed back while the rest of us stayed.

It was a great day for me in so many ways.