Last weekend we were invited to a PhD graduation party in Göteborg (called Gothenberg in English). the party was on a Saturday night, so we decided to spend a little extra time on Sunday looking around the city. The party was lovely, and the city was very nice too. Göteborg is on the West coast of Sweden, and between the jet stream and it being further South than Stockholm it has a different climate. The first thing we noticed is that spring is a lot further ahead there, with cherry blossoms and bulbs and forsythia and even magnolia, which I have never seen in Stockholm.
Cherry blossoms in most city squares and parks 
cherry blossoms alongside white magnolia 
Springs flowers on every stony outcrop 
The City garden 
Springs flowers in the park bench 
Forsythia alongside a stream 
A modern city tram runs alongside a waterfront park 
No date on this sculpture, so unclear if this is, or inspired Falcor form the Neverending Story
Göteborg was founded 400 years ago as a merchant/trading port at the river delta and is the second-largest city in Sweden. Lots of the architecture reflects seagoing heritage, its 2 big universities give it a youthful vibe, and it has a history of production and manufacturing as well. Volvo is headquartered here, and if we had spent more time I would have been tempted to go to Volvo World.
Repurposed military warehouse complex that is now a Granville Island-type artist-and-café neighbourhood 
Cute historical Haga neighbourhood 
Café Husaren in the Haga neighbourhood, home of the ‘Haga bulle’, a MASSIVE plate-sized cinimon bun with pearl sugar. They seemed puffy and pale to me: not very appealing. I did learn in Göteborg that my favourite kind of Tengérs bun is called a ‘Stockholm knot’. I’m not pikcing sides for soccer but for bullar I am team Stockholm all the way. 
Poetry bench in Haga, it seems Lady Lilac has a comrade in Göteborg! 
Historical basements like this one used to hold shops for goods and services 
Old warehouses in Haga 
Lovley glazed brick entrance 
the ‘Church of Fish’, a big seafood market 
Cool old library – this one is for Michelle 
A collection of old buildings in city centre 
Canals bring river water to many sections of the city 
the Seafaring merchant history brought style influences form all over 
This mural commemorates the time everyone decided to make oatmeal.
We are not in general big on shopping, but it is neat to walk through a new city and see all the downtown shops and cafés.
This was one of 2 display windows for a 600-sq-ft downtown shop specializing in BUTTONS (!?) 
Unicorn and Sons shops of cute gift items 
Rainbow books and jewelry 
Göteborgs oldest gay nighclub is right next to the Church of Scientology 
This is like a typical Swedish cancy shop, but with more than 1000 types of bulk candy 
Govindas-Göteborg! When I heard there was a Hare Krisna restaurant, I definitely wanted to go there for lunch. We had a very nice buffet lunch, complete with mango lassi and carob halva. 
‘The Irish Embassy’ is a pub
Multi-media extra: Håkan Hellström is a popular singer-songwriter in Sweden, and one of his earlier (and still popular songs) is ‘Känn igen sorg för mig Göteborg’ (Don’t cry for me Gothenberg). Coles notes: a young man lost in the nightlife, finds emptiness, does not want pity.