Dreaming of Freedom

We’ve spent the last two days cycling into the centre in the lovely sunshine. Yesterday we went on a voyage of discovery to the library. There are a surprising number of books in English, that browsing along the shelves you come across. This all seems perfectly normal because in Sweden everyone speaks English. You can use the internet for free for up to one hour even if you don’t have a library card - all you need to do is ask at the information desk and provide identification. You can borrow books only if you have a library card and you can only get one of those if you have the all pervasive personal number - you need to be a registered resident to get one but you can’t really do anything without it.

The library is at the top of the Avenue (big main street in the centre) and right at the top in Götaplatsen (big square) looking imposing and very 1920s is the big Göteborg Museum of Art. We popped in to look at their free exhibitions and discovered for a mere 40 Swedish Kroner (about £3.35) you can have unlimited access to 5 museums in Gothenburg for the rest of the year. The museums are: Göteborg Museum of Art, Göteborg City Museum, the Maritime Museum and Aquarium, the Röhsska Museum and the Natural History Museum.

Today I tried out my pass and went to the Natural History Museum. The museum is a fine example of its kind and if you like stuffed animals you’ll appreciate the place. I was lured by the numerous chairs, the cafe and the free toilets. The museum had a large selection of stuffed creatures in glass and wood cases and would be a great place to take children. It reminded me of the Natural History Museum in London before it was jazzed up, although it’s much smaller. The museum is set in the green of Slottsskogen so afterwards I wandered around admiring the little lake and waterfall in the fabulous sunshine.

Cycling into the centre takes about 20 minutes or so from where we are staying and it’s a nice cycle ride because of the cycle tracks. It’s as if bikes are actually considered a form of transport here; they have their own miniature roads and little traffic lights. It’s a refreshing change to England if you’re a cyclist. The mixture of pedestrians, bikes, cars, trams and buses makes for a good scene. It’s definitely the future, although none of the concepts are new.

Although it’s a short cycle ride, both days we have found ourselves waylaid the the old area of Haga, where small cafes lure you in with fine selections of coffee and cakes. This green city with its cafes and good transport is definitely the place for me.

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We’re busy moving out of the flat so everything is in boxes. There is that sad sort of emptiness when you leave somewhere and you’re packing up all the possessions you treasure or need into little boxes and bags. We’re attempting to live a relatively possession free lifestyle but there seems to be a never ending amount of tat that needs to be dealt with. I’ve been so busy that I haven’t even been to my favourite gallery for ages now. I did go to the V&A with Eleanor and her partner on Friday night. They stay open late on a Friday so we went on the tour in the afternoon and then sat in in the cafe absorbing the culture from afar. Later on we got to be spectators in a fashion show put on by students from Wimbledon College of Art - some of which was beautiful and some thought provoking. After which we headed out to a nearby Thai restaurant where we availed ourselves of delicious food and bottle of rosé.

I’m heading back to Norwich next week to catch up with everyone and Keyvan off to Sweden to see how nice it is so we won’t be missing North London too much!

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As popular demand dictates so I must blog!!
I seem to have been very busy over the last couple of weeks. I have indulged in a stream of visitors namely Mum, Will and Rich and in an abundance of museum visits. I have been patronising the British Museum, The National Gallery, The V&A and the Tate Britain all of whom give free tours and talks such as delight a person like me ever in search of quality free stuff.

Apart from my forays into the centre I’ve been getting ready to move out of our flat and so have been busy recycling the mountains of papers that result from a life of teaching! Spring has sprung for sure and there are blossoms all over the streets so I’ve been cycling around breathing in the warm spring air. The lighter mornings are particularly nice! I’m off to my contemporary poetry class tomorrow so I’m just about to start reading some more delightful poetry. My latest favourite is called The Emperor of Ice-Cream by Wallace Stevens and if you can bear poetry it’s worth a read.

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After work I wandered down Holborn through Lincoln Inn fields past the impressive Kings College and down Fleet Street. Having no real plan I decided to head towards St Pauls because the dome looked so impressive and I had only work waiting for me at home. Once there it seemed a short stroll to the Bank of England and the museum. After a scintillating scanning of my person and possessions for dangerous or deviant metal objects I spend a pleasant half an hour wandering around in the free warmth and had immense fun picking up a real life gold bar. It was so much fun that I had to go back and touch it several times. I was under the mistaken impression that it was impossible to pick up but this proved unfounded although the act itself had the unpleasant side effect of a slight back ache. It’s good for a visit if you’re near Bank tube station and it’s not far to walk from the Tate Modern.

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