Our tri-city adventure had left the Balkans after a visit to Sofia and Skopje. It now continued into its last stage in Gothenburg, Sweden. I had traveled twice to Gothenburg for work earlier during the year. For Susann, it was several years since the last visit and Little A had never been in the city before. We were staying at a hotel in the center, a hotel with an indoor swimming pool. This was one feature that made an impression on Little A who still wants to return.
A Cold Evening in Gothenburg
When we arrived in Gothenburg in the afternoon the skies were already dark. In fact, the city felt haunted by the cold chilly winds. We spent most of the evening at the hotel, only running down to the mall Nordstan to buy some light dinner to bring to the room. The evening was, however, partly spent at the hotel’s swimming pool. Probably the main reason why she “loves” Gothenburg now and wants to return.
For my part, I was less in favor of the pool. That might be because there was a small staircase of maybe 10 steps down from the pool area to the showers and it didn’t matter that I was careful, I was “skiing” down the stairs either way. At the bottom, I hit my back in the last steps. Fortunately, I was aware enough to keep my head up and protected. This was also when I noticed why I had slipped. There was a broken soap container in the shower with liquid soap all over the floor. Good luck standing with that.
So with a severely bruised back, it was just to walk down to the reception and tell them to urgently send someone up to clean. They could have had a much more severe accident with a kid or an elderly person. Sadly Scandic didn’t care that much, but we did at least get a fruit plate to the room the next day.
With a hurting back I made sure to take one more evening walk to not just sit still. No clue if it helps, but it felt better to be moving and not let the back get stiff with the bruising. Kids can melt your heart when something like this happens as well. I was doing quite well, but Little A was worried for me at this time. She really tried to make me feel better that evening.
A Day for Walking and Shopping in Gothenburg
Gothenburg greeted us with gray skies and cold winds the next morning. Despite the weather, we had decided that we were heading out for a longer walk before returning to the Nordstan Shopping Mall after lunch. The walk took us along one of the canals before we entered the narrow streets in the center of the city. Eventually, we reached the canal on the other side and followed the waterfront to the boulevard known as Avenyn. This is one of the main entertainment areas of the city, with several restaurants and other nightlife establishments. The boulevard itself is quite boring during the daytime, especially if you are just out for some sightseeing. Let’s just say that we were soon on our way back towards the center.
With a few stops in the shops we passed by we were soon back at Nordstan looking for some place for lunch. We eventually ended up at a kebab restaurant where Little A and I could share a kebab plate. Sharing with a six-year-old is a lot harder than sharing with a three-year-old, that is for sure. She eats a lot more now, leaving less for me. But at the same time, it was good not to eat a whole plate by myself this time.
After lunch, we only had a short time left for shopping before I was going to leave Susann and Little A alone for the afternoon and evening. They had already planned for more shopping, eating some sushi, and going back to the swimming pool. For me, it was time to head back to our Gothenburg office to meet up with a colleague. It was time for ice hockey!
Ice Hockey at Scandinavium
Modo Hockey moved up from the Swedish second-tier league Hockeyallsvenskan the previous season and this was the first time my favorite team visited Gothenburg after the advancement. Last season I had several locations nearby to see the team play when they were in the area around Stockholm. This season in SHL is a bit harder. Needless to say, me and another colleague with an interest in Modo Hockey, had soon planned to see this game in Gothenburg. Which was actually why our Balkan holiday extended to the western coast of Sweden.
I met up with my colleague at the office. I also got the opportunity to say hello to a few more that I rarely see. We continued to a restaurant close to the arena for some pre-game beer and pizza. This is also where we met up with some more family members of my colleague who would also join the game. In summary, we had a very nice evening. No, the “wrong” team won, but it didn’t matter so much. I finally got to see a game in Scandinavium, had some great company, and this regular season game had some great hockey to offer.
One amazing thing about Gothenburg is also how close the sports and entertainment centers are located to the center of the city. After the game, it was possible to take a walk back to the hotel where I got to hear all about my girls’ evening.
Read More About Gothenburg and Sweden
Join us when we explore Sofia, Skopje, and Gothenburg here: Autumn Holidays 2023
