Welcome to the weekend coffee share! Can I get you a cup of coffee? Perhaps ice coffee? Or ice tea? It’s currently around 86F/30C, and it looks like the heat is about to stay for at least the next ten days, or so. It is rather comfortable at the balcony, there’s a light breeze since I opened up almost all the glass windows, let’s sit there!
The picture above shows the current state of my balcony. Spring time was strange, with cold windy weather, and now we are experiencing a heat-wave. Some of the taller plants were injured by the cold nights this spring, and will be exchanged with new plants within a couple weeks. That considered, we still had a decent tomato harvest so far, and I am very grateful. I am warning you that this is going to be a slightly longer coffee share than usual. My daughter and I got back from a trip to Gothenburg last night.
I love traveling by train for many reasons, two of them being that I love watching one amazing landscape give room for the next, and at the same time have the peace of mind knowing that the whole trip generates carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to only about 4 ml of petrol per person, both ways (Falun-Gothenburg and Gothenburg-Falun.) The emission was produced when the renewable electricity from wind and hydropower the train company use to run the train were generated.
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. When it comes to the vibe of the city I’d say that it is similar to San Francisco; the parks, the sea/ocean, harbour, restaurants, culture, music, and the big amount of people interested in living a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. Even the tram system is similar! I like Gothenburg! It’s one of the few cities that I could actually see myself living in, mostly due to the endless possibilities of nature experiences, and the easy access to a sustainable lifestyle, something everything in the city encourages; bike paths, walking trails, parks, energy efficient housing, local food, local business, a well developed public transportation system, the goal is for Gothenburg to have a 100% emission-free city by 2030 – the mindset of the city is very much in line with my values. So is Falun (the town where I reside,) and I am not planning on moving, but Gothenburg is a city worthy of a visit.
We visited one of my favourite parks Slottskogen, The archipelago of Gothenburg, Liseberg (one of the most visited amusement parks in Scandinavia,) and Universeum (the national science centre of Sweden.) To say that it’s been an intense week is an understatement. We usually don’t do this many different things within a few days, but there was plenty of experiences I thought would be beneficial for my daughter to have while in Gothenburg, and we’ll have plenty of time to digest them the rest of the summer, our vacation is just beginning, and the rest will be enjoyed at a slower pace.
The slideshow above is from Slottskogen. One of my favourite parks in Gothenburg. It is 137ha (one hectare contains about 2.47 acres) and the biodiversity of the plants and animals there are widely talked about. The park has many walking trails, and we enjoyed some of them. There are many green fields for picnics and sports, ponds, different types of forests, and a free orchard open to the public. There’s a children’s zoo with; farm animals of local breeds (including Gotlandsruss for pony rides,) seals, penguins, and a bird house. There are several playgrounds for children of different ages, and an outdoor gym for adults. Slottskogen is the home of many music festivals as well. The last photo of the show is a bench for anyone that would like someone to talk to. If you sit down on that bench it’s an invitation that you’d like to have a friendly conversation. The atmosphere in Gothenburg in general is very open and friendly.
The slideshow below shows part of the archipelago of Gothenburg that we visited. It was wonderful to visit the sea.
Gothenburg is the home to a fabulous amusement park, Liseberg. When I lived in Gothenburg I had a year pass to this park. Naturally I had to let my daughter experience the thrilling rides and beauty of this park as well.
When I lived in Gothenburg I also had a year pass to the science center Universeum, next doors from Liseberg. I really wanted to include a visit there as a part of my daughter’s experience this trip, and her education. (Hopefully many more visits to come.)
Universeum is the national science centre of Sweden and a powerful arena for education and popular education in science, technology and sustainable development. Our large house in the middle of Gothenburg houses science and experiences about the whole world – from large world oceans and the Amazon rainforest to a chemistry lab, technology lab and space. We give children and adults the knowledge and power to make the earth a better and more sustainable place to live.
– https://www.universeum.se/experiences/house/
At Universeum we took a guided tour of the aquarium, and of the reptile room. We also learned a lot about space, and the planets in our solar system. We spent three hours there before taking the train back home to Falun. Three hours wasn’t enough. We could easily have spent more than one day there. Some parts of the science center is the same (more or less) throughout the year, and some themes are exchanged on a regular basis. The rainforest room and the aquarium is always amazing. There is a lot of hands on learning for children throughout the science center. My daughter LOVED it very much.
I hope you enjoyed the tour of Gothenburg, and I apologise for the long post. Thank you Natalie for hosting the Weekend Coffee Share. Have a fabulous rest of your weekend!
Love,
Maria
GreenDreams 
Maria, Thank you for your weekend coffee share. No need to apologize for the length of your post. I’m glad you and your daughter had a great time in Gothenburg. I enjoy reading about travel destinations. I hope to visit Gothenburg next time I’m in Sweden. So many wonderful places to explore and so little time. Have a wonderful week!
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Awe, thank you! I hope you do visit one day! It is a lovely city 🙂 I also enjoy reading about possible travel destinations.
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Thanks so much for the wonderful photos and tour, Maria! Your daughter looks so happy! The ocean views are beautiful. Your balcony shows how big your green thumb is, amazing! I see that you have a tattoo on your left arm but can’t see it. Have a great new week! By the way, Vegas will hit 106 today with 108 coming for the next few days. Hot! 🔥🌴
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Thank you for your kind comment John! We had a marvellous time in Gothenburg. It was so fun to finally be able to take my daughter to some of my favourite places. moving to a new country right when Covid started haven’t been easy on her. I enjoy showing her around now when I can.
Enjoy the heat! The new dog park that you’ve showed us looks wonderful.
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It is a nice upgrade for that park. Your little lady has had several tough adjustments to deal with by moving to Sweden, but from my perspective she has done very well which is wonderful. God bless your family, Maria! 🇸🇪
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Thank you!
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Sounds like quite the non-stop week! If only more cities would follow that path… I hope you had a good weekend and have a wonderful week ahead!
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Yes, it was a non-stop week for sure! I am so happy that I finally got to show my daughter Gothenburg. The science center is something I’ve really been wanting to show her ever since we moved to Sweden. I haven’t visited so many coffee shares yet, but I am heading over to yours now 🙂
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What a great vacation… you packed a lot into those days! As you said, you’ll have the rest of the summer to distill the experience! Gothenburg sounds like a great city, a model for the rest of the world. Zero emissions in 8 more years is impressive, proof that it can be done.
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Thank you Eliza! It was great to be able to show Miss H something else. I think she likes Gothenburg the most of all the places in Sweden I’ve showed her so far. I hope you are well. I was almost worried when I didn’t see a Silent Sunday post from you yesterday.
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Maria, this looks like a wonderful vacation. You look like a little pixie. I thought you were another daughter at first until I kept reading. What a special trip this is for your daughter. I remember a trip with my mom when I was about 10 when we visited a college. I loved it and will never forget the way I felt being there with her. You are making such beautiful memories with her. This was so fun to read. I don’t think SF is as wholesome, though as where you were. There are streets full of homeless people, which is a bit messy and not sustainable at all. 🙂
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Thank you so much! Your kind comment made me smile. I hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer 🙂
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Same to you – wonderful summer. 🙂
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Thank you!
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It has been years since I was in Gothenburg – in fact I think it was for a wedding in January 2012! My husband has an aunt and cousins there too.
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How fun that you have been there! What did you think off Gothenburg then?
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I love taking the train. I would take it more often if I could…but I also wish the trains in America would run more often and run faster. I use to travel a lot for work and I would take the train if the schedule worked. I wonder if those train trips kept my car running as long as it did. Gothenburg looks like a fun city to visit. I like the whale playground.
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I think all countries should be encouraged to develop sustainable transportation for everyone. I’ve been without a car for three years now, but I doubt I could have skipped the car if I stayed in the US. Here it is doable, even though it would sometimes be more convenient to have a car of course. I hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer (despite the heat you are experiencing.)
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Gracious Maria.
Why did you ever leave Sweden for California? Given what I know of both, I’m not sure that move made any sense. I suspect other motives were involved. I’ll bet your daughter had a wonderful visit. You know that trains are kinda rare here, but I do love the memories of the few train trips I’ve taken and the remarkable views you get to see along the way.
Sorry for being so late this week. I had – distractions.
Hope your week is wonderful so far.
Blessings.
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Definitely other motives involved 🙂 I never planned to leave Sweden.
I hope your new week is filled with joy and happiness! Summer offers many distractions 😉
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Absolutely lovely. Thank you 😊🌍
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Thank you 🙏
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You are welcome 🙏
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