Gothenburg // Part I

July 2, 2015
Our trip to sweden has come and gone but it honestly was a once-in-a-lifetime getaway that I have spent so much time thinking and dreaming about since getting back stateside. I am horrible at editing down pictures to share so, I have decided to break up my vacation recap into multiple posts so I don't totally overwhelm or bore you. Hang on tight, here we go...

(the view from our hotel, the gothia towers, on the 29th floor. sorry for the poor photo quality, these were taken through glass)

A little background on our decision to go to sweden for our #babymoon... ryan's company has their european offices based in gothenburg and he was asked to book a trip in june. So, before you know it, we were booking an additional plane ticket and extending his business trip to create our last international vacation before our little bebe arrives. Traveling when you are 6 months pregnant brought on a couple challenges but I think I will save those details for a follow-up post.

(left to right: a snap of the cobble stone streets which are everywhere in the city  /  sunny afternoon walking by the paddan canal  /  overflowing irises found during one of my lost jaunts  /  me, the day we landed  /  ryan while at dinner at 8:30p in the sun on a patio  /  ryan's cheeseburger and fries... with an extra large serving of tasty aioli)

We arrived in gothenburg right as the rainiest and most brutal month of weather in history was literally wrapping up. 'Summer' was upon us and in sweden that meant temps in the high 60's and the sun was out... which we learned quickly was a very big deal. Every restaurant and cafe patio was crowed with people soaking in the sun, even when the wind kicked up or the temps dropped into the high 50's. I packed a lot of pieces I could layer together which worked out nicely for our 10-day vacation.

(more images of the padan canal and the stunning botanical gardens which run along side the canal)

Ryan had 2 days of work on the front end of our trip which left me to do a little exploring on my own. I learned quickly that I need to work on my map reading skills and also to check my 'tourist ego' at the door because in fear of looking like a complete sightseer with my map out, I got lost many times while venturing out on my own. Now, I have to admit, getting lost was not the worst thing ever because I stumbled upon some great parks and shops along the way and got in a lot of extra exercise by walking additional miles looking for my destination. However, it was a bit frustrating at times.

(ryan's company threw a big party in conjunction with sweden's big mid-summer festival; we got dressed up for an awesome evening and party)

Below are some highlights of our trip along with some fun facts we learned along the way. I have a lot more sweden to share so come back tomorrow for installment.


Trip highlights:
- The city of gothenburg is the 2nd largest in sweden; it is bustling with every mode of transportation you can think of which is great for getting around (and it’s super affordable)
- The sun does not set in the summer months until 10:30p which was a nice placebo to our jet lag, allowing us to see and do a lot more in the evening hours
- If you enjoy fresh seafood like oysters, salmon, shrimp and cod, there is no better place
- There are hundreds of islands called an archipelago that are scattered up and down sweden’s coast; we loved jumping on a ferry for a day of island exploration
- The entire city is covered in cobble-stoned streets… while gorgeous, plan on comfortable walking shoes
- I would highly suggest taking a train into the center of the county; all of the beautiful small towns and vast country side was awesome to see

Interesting Facts:
- Swedes love their coffee and sugary treats; they even have a name for it… fika. Fika is taking a coffee break in the afternoons with a friend to talk and relax together before getting back to your work/schedule
- A customary greeting upon meeting or interacting with anyone is ‘hey hey!’
- Everyone speaks english but nearly all signage is in swedish
- The entire country is gorgeous! Men are super g.q. and put together while the women have the most stunning skin and dress incredibly fashionable
- Swedes love butter! Many dishes are served in rich cream or butter based sauces and every meal comes with bread and butter.
- The summer months are precious and sweeds will spend every possible moment outside. Every restaurant has outdoor heaters and cozy blankets to keep you warm as the evening passes.
- There are very strict alcohol restrictions and laws… .02 is the legal limit. So, most people will not even have 1 beverage while out because the fines are so steep. 
- Over the course of our trip we took planes, trains, trams, buses, ferries and taxis to get around... and there are bike lanes on every street in the city

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