Since we were now in Sweden, of course we had to pay a visit to the hometown of my friend Lars, aka Okki, aka "Okkiman" on the playa, and out in the world at large.
(side note: After quitting his steady job in Boulder, Okkiman sold most of his stuff, put the rest in storage, and is currently in SE Asia on his own epic adventure)
Gothenburg. The locals call it YOO-ti-boar-ee. It's the second largest city in Sweden. It was built on Sweden's west coast, on the fjord of the Göta River (hence the name). From the Göta, one can reach the other coast of Sweden by canals that go from one large lake to another. Gothenburg is of relatively recent vintage, dating only from the Seventeenth Century.
It is industrial. Coming into town on the railroad, around the foot of the green steep bluff, I couldn't help but be reminded of Portland.
We stayed there five days, rounding our our first week in Sweden. We ate in the train station several times, including a place that served a delicious hamburger. One could sit in a a patio inside the station and watch the folks coming and going, beneath the well-illuminated signs and video screens containing train information.
On one free afternoon, I took the commuter train out to the farflung suburb where Okki himself grew up. Stefan suggested it, as a way to see "the other Sweden."
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