Gothenburg is the second stop on our Interrail trip through Scandinavia. We reserved a hotel, but surprise! there are two hotels with the same name in different locations. Hmmm… taxi it is. We arrive across the Göta älv river into Lindholmen, home to a tech park, conference center, and our hotel. It’s definitely not the Gothenburg Lisa visited before. So we drop our bags and catch a free ferry back to the action.
Mary’s dream commute: bike + ferry
We have the evening to ourselves before meeting up with Lisa’s cousin Kim tomorrow. Our walk from the ferry takes us by the harbor.
Gothenburg harbor with the large schooner
View with the “Lipstick Building” in the background
We search for the Customs House. The Customs House was the departure point for Lisa’s grandmother in 1897 when she emigrated to the US, on her own, at the age of 20. Instead we find a Casino that seems to be in its place, but later, with help from Kim, locate it on the backside of the Casino, by the river.
We take a quick detour to Postgatan Street, the place where the immigrants paused while waiting for their paperwork to clear. The next day Kim explains that some never made it out of this area, instead losing their money to gambling, whores, or getting robbed.
After wandering for a while we finally find a street with several restaurants of interest. Where do we eat? El Barrio, the “South American Fusion restaurant.” We devour delicious Bolivian tapas and sweet potato fries, a favorite in these parts.
We get a late start meeting Kim due to the torrential rains. It has not rained for months. Sweden had as many as 80 forest fires simultaneously this summer. We think this is a good sign for the drought stricken area. Kim’s partner Robert joins in the tour.
A quick history tour before heading to the docks for shrimp and wine. We visit Postgatan Street again,
and then onto this memorial to Holocaust survivors.
A remembrance of the Holocaust circa 2009
In 1621, when Gothenburg was settled a church was built on this site, named Gustavi kyrka, after the king who had fallen in battle the year before. Later converted into the cathedral, now standing, Domkyrkan, renamed for Gustavi Domkyrka.
A young visitor walks along the map of the old city, laid underneath his feet in stone.
Seahorse unicorn, Mary’s favorite.
Kronhuset, the oldest building in Gothenburg, served as a munitions depot until 1954.
And a quick stop at the city market,
After saying goodbye to Kim and Robert, we head to a nearby Gothenburg Botanical Garden. Among the amazing display of flowers and fountains,
the quiet serenity is quickly interrupted by dance jam/party hosted by DJ Mr. French.
Flashing lights and music so loud it followed us all the way out of the park. We head back to our hotel to relax. Perhaps we are not the only ones that find some entertainment among the chairs placed at the entrance to the elevators on each floor.
On our last morning we take a walk along the water by the hotel before departing for the Central Station en route to Oslo.
“Kuggen” (Swedish for cog), part Chalmers University of Technology.
Rainbow flags all around celebrate Euro Gay Pride the weekend after we left.
Outside the dining room of our hotel, this sculpture spins slowly in a Göta älv river inlet.
© Lisa Howells and Mary Reynolds, 2018
Las Chicas in Berlin 