Friday, December 6. We arrive in Stockholm at 8 am. I change a heap of dollars to kronor. Light rain falls. The expected limo does not appear. Our luggage is stuffed with white-tie costume, dark suits, evening gowns, newly acquired white shirts and ties, and provisions for winter weather of all possible kinds. A minivan takes six of us and a prodigious number of bags to the Grand Hotel. We hand over a heap of kronor to the driver. Our room is not ready. I explore the public facilities. Today's Herald Tribune is posted in the men's room. Madeleine Albright is the new Secretary of State. Now the room is ready. Conserving my remaining kronor I hand the bellhop a $5 bill.

The Grand Hotel is selectively grand. The bathroom is magnificent but there are not enough closets for two Nobel guests, no bureaus whatever, and the desk drawers are stuffed with phone books. We set up camp for the week making ingenious use of all available surfaces. We go for a walk. We forgot to bring an umbrella, but never mind. The Grand Hotel provides. We cross a bridge into Gamla Stan, the old town. Cobblestones glisten. The buildings are lovely in the pale light. We return to the Grand for a brief nap. I discover I left important pills home. The Grand Hotel rises to the occasion. I am instantly connected with a soothing doctor who asks appropriate questions, consults appropriate texts, and sends me to the nearby Lion pharmacy. Pills are sold in units of 100. I have to acquire 5 times the needed number. An enormous fee for the soothing doctor is added in. I put it on the Visa card.

Night comes at 3 pm. We dine at an unpretentious little spot where I hand over my remaining kronor. We take an after-dinner walk to an ATM machine and get another heap. Back at the Grand we find Dave Lee and Bob Richardson newly arrived from Gothenburg. They wear tiny gold lapel pins throughout the week so reporters and autograph collectors can tell them from their guests. They have already been celebrating for several days in Gothenburg. Bob has a bad cold. Both are very happy and a little high. I get a perfect 8 hours sleep, but the first night is always easy.