Dreaming of Freedom

What a week - the rain seems to have been nonstop and I’ve spent very damp mornings in my SFI classes. I’ve also spent an unhappy amount of time on trams and buses after getting a puncture mid week. Despite classes starting at 8am I have spent a very happy week at SFI learning Swedish - but it’s early days still and I’m still trotting out the sentence: ‘jag förstår inte svenska’ (I don’t understand Swedish) whenever I have to talk somewhere that isn’t class.

I’ve been spending the rest of the time meeting up with Karin and Cheri and of course going to the bookclub where we discussed The Sea by John Banville at length (well in between the cups of tea and life stories!). There really is nothing like sitting in a warm room with a cup of tea and a whole bunch of woman.

On Wednesday night I went to see When We Dead Awaken by Ibsen at the Pustervik Theatre in Järntorget which I thought was very well done. I hadn’t seen that Ibsen play before so it was great to stuff it into my mind along with his others and where better to see it than in a Nordic country in the depths of a rainy November.

Today I introduced Jin Sook from my SFI class to the delights of the Stadsbibliotek (City Library) and she treated me to lunch in the lovely little restaurant opposite where for about 79ske (£6.60) you get a very hearty lunch. I finished off today by going to the Arbetsförmedling (unemployment office) to see if they could help me to find a job. I’m not sure they can but still it was probably worth a try. They suggested that I come back when I have learnt Swedish and in the meantime contact my embassy to ask what companies there were here that employ English speakers!

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I’ve just cycled to Gunnebo House. It’s an absolutely lovely eighteenth century house and gardens and I think the first of it’s kind that I’ve actually wanted to live in just because of its simple charm. The house is built in a clean simple neo-classical style and boasts a fully functioning organic kitchen garden that supplies the busy cafe there. It also has a formal garden as well as surrounding parkland, a stage for concerts and at the moment a somewhat dead looking Swedish maypole!

It’s about 10km outside Gothenburg and so only takes about 1 hour to cycle there and it’s a simple journey to make matters even easier. If you start at Liseberg, you just head towards Mölndal until you see a sign for Gunnebo.

The first thing you glimpse is the sparkling blue green lake, then the little sandy beach. Through the woods you arrive at the bottom of the drive and you can glimpse the white house and the beautiful white gated, grass bordered steps that lead to the house. It’s completely free to wander in the gardens but you do have to pay 70 ske to go into the house. There are toilets in the cafe and one near the house that non-one seems to mind you using if you’re not a paying customer. All in all it’s a golly good day out and if you’ve never learnt to cycle it is possible to get a bus or a tram out there and so it’s a little slice of heaven accessible to everyone.

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The weather is lovely again and on Sunday Keyvan and I went to the Botanical Gardens. They are absolutely fabulous. I’m not an expert on the different species growing there but the place is really pretty, it smells good and there is plenty of grass for people to sit down and enjoy the space. They are also the most interactive gardens I’ve been too, I think you get that sense from the variety of little paths and stepping stones to walk on; tunnels to walk through and little hills to climb up. At the far end of the garden there is a mini valley with steep rocky sides, a short climb allows you to enjoy a view of Gothenburg. For the budget conscious it’s good to know you can wander round the gardens for free because the entrance fee of 20 kroner is voluntary. A trip inside the hot houses will however cost you 20 kroner. It was pretty busy on Sunday as it was so sunny but I guess that the hoards as well as the queues in the cafe are significantly less during the week.

I’ve also finally finished my first short story. It’s still in a considerable rough state and I’m pretty sure it’s not good but I still feel as if I achieved something!

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We have found a lovely flat to move into next month. It’s got a fairly good view of the lipstick building and is in a idyllic residential area. Each L shape of flats surrounds a little area covered with flowers and hosting a miniature playground for children. As it would appear is usual for blocks of flats here, each resident has a key to a laundry room where washing machines and driers are laid on for the residents free of use. It’s a one bedroom apartment and the bedroom and sitting room look out over the city of Gothenburg. The kitchen faces the other way but is also particularly nice as it leads on to a balcony overlooking the said flowers. Enough extolling the virtues - we’re off to sign the papers later. Blocket has been the website that facilitated all this flat hunting.

Although we have been busy flat hunting we have still found time to sit in the candle lit cafe in Konstmuseum and eat the delicious homemade food there.

We have also been indulging in a spot of tec stuff as Keyvan has kindly updated my wordpress so this site is now up to date. I’ve also started creating a whole new gallery to replace my rather grim old one. It’s only got a few pictures on it so far. He has been busy as always working on his code and I have even started on the promised novel.

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