By Lakshmi:

Today we had a sunny, mild day in Gothenburg.  So the day was filled with walking expeditions around the city.  Honestly, I have walked so much around the city or trammed it that the streets and squares feel familiar.  That’s a true testament to having explored the city.

This morning, we took a long, leisurely walk from our hotel in Majorna, a very old part of Gothenburg, to the Varldskulturmuseet (also known as the World Culture Museum) in Liseberg.  Here are neighborhoods we covered during our walk.

–Majorna is a relatively quiet part of the city and the streets are dotted with cafes (including a gluten free one!), schools, apartments and stores.  There are multiple design/home goods stores and in the last several days, I have covered all of them.

–Stigberget and Mast Hugget have storefronts on one side and the water on the other.  Mast Hugget ends at Järntorget (or the main square which is filled with stores and cafes).  Yesterday, I sat on a bench for a while,  watching students mill around Järntorget.

–Haga is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Gotheburg and is filled with antique shops, book stores, cafes, and of course Cafe Husaren, the place with the giant yummy cinnamon buns.  Unlike their cream cheese icing soaked brethren in the US, these buns are the perfect breakfast or snack food with a cup of coffee.

–Vasastaden is an old, elite neighborhood, filled with greenery and home to the impressive structure of Gothenburg University.  In fact the university has many buildings scattered across multiple blocks.

–Lorensburg is filled with more cafes and one consistent feature of the outdoor sitting area in these cafes is the presence of blankets on the seats.  Given the weather changes, the cafes sure know to take care of their patrons.

When we finally got to Liseberg and the museum, we were taken aback.  The local tourist office mentioned this spot as a must do in Gothenburg, and given our outlook, we were very much looking forward to the experience.  However, we were both disappointed with the museum.  The exhibits were spartan, several in Swedish alone and even the ones claiming to be a cultural journey were very basic.  Maybe the target audience for the museum is kids and not adults.

They say the joy of travel like life lies in the journey and not the destination.  That was certainly true of our outing today.  While the World Culture Museum did not delight, our walk enabled us to savor many of the sights and smells of Gothenburg which were accentuated by the continual presence of a breathtaking assortment of flowers and flower arrangements throughout the city.