An early start back

It’s been a busy few days in Sweden and, thankfully, I’m told my after dinner speech to an academic audience specialising in Democracy from 20 different countries, was well received. I was apprehensive about doing, as requested, a humorous speech to an audience like that but it’s done now and I’m relieved they liked it.

The Klosterhotel in Vadstena where we had the conference was an amazing venue. Remote and historic, dating back to the 13th century, it was originally a large convent with a myriad of reception rooms all exquisitely decorated and with ‘period’ furniture. I was only there for just over a day and when I left to get in my taxi at 5.45 this morning the snow was falling and it was that ‘cutting’ cold you find in Scandinavian countries. The open flamed lanterns which led the way from the hotel to where my taxi was waiting made it feel like a scene from a James Bond film.

Leaving so early in the morning, the flight from Linkoping Airport to Copenhagen made for some amazing sights of the sun rising over the frozen glacial scars in the landscape and despite a two hour stopover at Copenhagen Airport, the whole journey back to the UK has actually gone quite quickly.

I’m writing this post sitting on the train back from London to Lichfield. Despite the Heathrow Express, and more particularly, the London Underground conspiring to stop for no apparent reason at every opportunity I managed, by the skin of my teeth, to catch the train back an hour earlier than expected. We’ve been invited to a local Christmas ‘Cheer’ event in Whittington tonight so being a bit earlier will give me a chance to get my head down for an hour before we go.

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