Stockholm is NOT a short-cut to London
My SAS flight took off from Chicago within minutes of its 4:25 p.m. scheduled departure. I followed our progress on the small screen in the seat-back in front of me. We angled northeast along the Lake Michigan shoreline, crossed directly over the Mackinac Bridge, then proceeded over northeast Canada toward Greenland. I had seen much of the world on those in-flight maps but never my own town so that was pretty exciting.
When I checked the route map in the airline's in-flight magazine I was stunned - and bummed out - to learn that Stockholm is NOT on the way to London at all but far beyond my destination. The trip would require a 2.5 hour aerial back-track. Of all my world travels, I was not familiar with the Scandinavian countries in relation to Europe and now my ignorance would cost at least five hours in travel time, not counting the two-hour stop in Sweden.
When I got the ticket, on-line, I requested a window seat since I could at least get a glimpse of Swedish countryside on our approach. But I was given an aisle seat instead. Also, just to see what I would get, I checked 'Hindu' for my preferred meal request. That turned out to be a fine meal of rice, chicken, and curry which was rather nice. For the second meal, however, we were handed ham and cheese sandwiches. As I was about to unwrap mine, the stewardess realized I was Hindu, grabbed it, and replaced it with one of lettuce and cucumber. Grrrrr.
I didn't see city at all as we approached Stockholm; instead, thick green pine forests surrounding the airport. It resembled flying into Fairbanks or Anchorage, Alaska, with fresh and cool air of the higher latitudes.
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