Something in the Grass

When in Pittsburgh, my brother also took me to the conservatory - a series of greenhouses filled with all sorts of plants, that can be visited any time of year, even in the winter.

There were some strange things growing in the grass.

Some very interesting plants.

And aliens!

They had an orchid room - filled with unique orchids.

This one sort of looks like Gandolf, don't you think?

The funnest place to visit was the butterfly room, where hundreds of butterflies flitted around.   It was fun to stand among them, trying to photograph them with my brother.  Butterflies are shy, so they don't stay in one place long enough to be photographed.  It takes a lot of skill to catch them - luckily, I have that skill.

This one looks like a crunched, dry leaf!

Joey tries to photograph the butterflies.

This giant flower is nicknamed the "corpse flower".  It rarely blooms, but when it does, it smells just like rotting flesh, attracting all sorts of flies and other unsavory insects to come and pollinate it. 

Time for lunch.

My brother enjoys playing in the conservatory.  Here he is, inside the tiny fun-house for kids.

And pushing a cart through India.

Next up - the bonsai room, including this unstable specimen.

An amazing flower - made of glass.

Outside, we find this furry creature, and have fun following him through the bushes trying to get a good shot of him.

Winning the Noble Prize

After crossing on the ferry (and receiving little sleep), we arrived very early in Stockholm - just after 6 am.  After navigating the subways on very little sleep, we decide to check into our hotel... at 7:45 am.  The man at the hotel took one look at us and at our bags as we walked into the hotel, then one at the clock.  "You want to check in before the hotel breakfast time even starts?" he asks us.  Luckily, our room was ready...

Awesome room!

And we were able to go back to bed for a while.

Then we head out to the city.  Apparently, it's the nicest summer that the Nordic countries has seen in 10 years, and everyone was out and about to enjoy it.

People in the skate park.

Stockholm has lots of waterfront property, given the fact that it spans many island.  A point if you can guess how many (no google!)

The combination of sun and water gives rise to some really nice picnic places.

Of course, the weather is not always like this.  This sign serves as a reminder of the rest of the year.

And of course, no modern European city visit is complete without a cow sighting.

We visited the hall where Nobel Prizes are awarded.  Next time we visit this building, it may well be to receive this award ourselves!

In front of the tower.

Later on that day, we actually did receive Noble Prizes!  Nobel Prizes in ice cream eating.

Stockholm is also known for its interesting metro stops.  If you visit in the winter and the weather is horrible, one of the suggested itineraries is to go from metro stop to metro stop and look at the art.  Our favorite by far was the metro stop decked out in retro video game tiled walls. 

And of course, no retro video game metro station is complete without space invaders...

... in love.

Another one is decorated with "fake" ruins and neon street lights.

Even in the summer, it can get a little chilly.  But the Swedes,  after not seeing the sun all winter, still want to enjoy outdoor cafes.  The solution?  Many cafes provide blankets so you can sit outside and not be cold.

The Chocolate Invasion

The departmental Christmas party this year had a theme of "video games".  Of course, this had to feature the ultimate video game, Space Invaders. 

Sadly, some of the "younger" members of my department did not know what Space Invaders were.  Those who did only knew of them in the "historical" context.  Sigh.  I remember playing them at the local Pizza Hut as a kid.  I am now officially old.

As part of the party, people dressed up as their favorite video game character.

Tasting a traditional cold weather food - pea soup.

The annual tradition of the department is a cake/pie contest.  I made a flourless chocolate cake with butter cream frosting, and I took hagelslag and cut it into "pixel" shapes and arranged them as space invaders.  It was awesome.  I was quite proud of my space invader cake...

... but then I saw the competition.  This cake is made in the theme of Minecraft - and is complete with marzipan people, animals, and a tree made of cake and chocolate.

Hans with his creation.

Needless to say, I did not win.

The other competition.  I really liked the Pac Man cake complete with dots that were cupcakes.

Trying to open the champagne...

... and successful opening of the champagne, literally seconds after the light was taken out by the cork.  (Note, it is darker in this picture than the previous one.)

During the cake tasting portion of the competition.

The best part - we are all winners - we all get to eat the cakes! 

The evening ends with a surprise visit from Mario! 

One of the taller students holds a box that Mario can jump for. 

And a point if you can name a video game depicted in this post that I have not already mentioned.  One point per person possible!