The first time I was in Uppsala was in the fall of 2001, to stay for a month with my girlfriend, who had returned home after a year as an au pair in Brooklyn. I had a wonderful time touring and photographing the landmarks of the city (I’ll have to dig up those pictures), living in Flogsta, visiting the research labs where she was studying, and generally enjoying being away from the weirdness going on back home in New York. My last visit coincided with the explosion of Shuttle Columbia, and the invasion of Iraq… strange and awful memories, but a great and beautiful city, where I spent time with a wonderful girl and her friends.