Given that I'm here in Sweden for a conference, it's not surprising I have little to say from a travelogue point of view. Still, here are some highlights from this trip so far:

- Jet lag sucks. I've been sleepy all day, but tossing and turning in bed all night. But my nap this afternoon helped.

- Also helped: a trip down to the in-hotel spa. Swam in the 38ºC pool, soaked in a Jacuzzi, tried out various baht salts, drank some lingonberry juice, and had a nice time. Didn't try the egg-shaped sauna because of lack of the right kind of change.

- Sweden has enormous slugs, like 6-in long, that creep out onto walkways, particularly in the mornings and evenings.

- The conference is taking place at this resort hotel on the shore, with lovely views of the seas. Sunday and Monday night featured spectacular sunsets. Tonight's was only okay, because I managed to have my camera with me. Murphy's law.

- Because the hotel is so swanky, everything here is expensive. I had a $8 pint of cider with dinner tonight.

- Swedish sounds like a mix of German and English with a Swedish accent thrown in. Luckily, most people I've encountered speak English, too. I'm such a privileged American.

- This is the furthest north I've ever been. However, it's close enough to the equinox that there's isn't a noticeable lengthening of either day or night.