August 16, 1998 - August 30, 1998
Hehe...They
Let Me Drive Over There!
What a great little
car to drive, a SEAT Cordoba. The license plate was NOT an omen..."maybe
oh oh". And the price was right too..just over $550.00 Cdn for 2 weeks.
The cheapest price my travel agent could get was almost 4 times that. If
you're looking for a rental car in Gotenburg, look up Mabi Rent, great people
to deal with too. This car just fit the bill, let me go at 140 kms on the
highway and just a little slower with no problems to get through all the
little country roads. (shhh don't tell Peter at Mabi Rent!)So, I left the
airport and got to Gotenburg and picked up my car, and headed out to the
wilds! Shortcut? Did
someone say shortcut?
What's
at the End of the Shortcut?
There's
A Road Up There?
After
recuperating from my near-shortcut-dip into the awaiting lake at the bottom
of the hill, I made it to Trollhattan, I'm sure by far the most beautiful little
city in this part of the country. If you look hard enough, you can see the road
winding up the side of the mountain, its hidden - you'll have to look pretty
hard to see it! Believe me, its there, I drove it! This road brings you down
into the heart of the downtown part of the city...where all the action is!
I Made It To The Top -
Kopparklinten
So,
here I am driving along with traffic, can't read a road sign, but this direction
feels good, so why not. The scenery was breathtaking, a little like Northern
Ontario but much more extreme. I managed to find all the little sideroads my
heart desired. Til I found this one. The road was just barely wide enough for
my little car, and full of hairpin turns...very exhilerating! Til traffic started
coming the other way. Another 22 kms of this, come around a bend in the road
at 80 kms....and this is where the shortcut ended...abruptly!
Cupper
Hill. About a third of the way down the mountainside road, there is a small
parking area tucked into the roadway. There's just enough room there for about
4 or 5 small cars to park. From this point, there is a paved pathway that leads
back up to a lookout point with a terrific panoramic view! The day was a little
hazy, but still an amazing view from up here!
And
To The Left...Olidestationen !
Turning
about 45 degrees to the left, this is the view from the very same vantage point.
Now, the Goose is deathly afraid of heights! Don't ask me how I managed to get
up here, I was being brave. This is a hydro station. Its over 100 years old,
and is still in service. There are guided tours of the inside of the plant (which
I happened to miss) during the summertime. I'm told that the salmon fishing
just in front of the plant is very good - which, of course, I also managed to
miss...maybe next time :-)
Another
Fountain!
This fountain
is just outside the downtown corridor in the river. Quite close to the
fountain there is a large map of the City, put there several years ago.
It seems that very few of Trollhattan's citizens even know about this
map. I found it very helpful, and not the least bit confusing, however
some inhabitants confuse this map with the map in the middle of the walkway
downtown. The nicest thing about the fountain was seeing all the Canada
Geese hanging around with their little goslings - it reminded me of home!
NO...This
is NOT the new Queen of Hearts 88 !!
Anyone
who knows the gg00se, knows of my affection for race/stock cars. On the way
to Stockholm on Saturday morning, there was this nice little distraction! From
the size of the parking lot, its very popular in Sweden - something called Folkrace.
This is where everyone can partake in the wonderful world of racing. The track,
as you can see, is dirt and is somewhat shaped in a figure 8. No four corners
for these folks! The driver of this car is Maria Buhr - you go girl! It was
a lot of fun to watch. The weekend in Stockholm was amazing - especially since
my camera decided to quit working! And if you're looking for a B&B close to
Stockholm - I recommend Guni Backen :-)
Hindasgarden
Sports & Conference Hotel
The
last few days in Sweden I stayed at the Hindasgarden Sports and Conference
Hotel - very busy place for being out in the middle of nowhere. Its just
a little south of the Gotenburg airport, and in the middle of beautiful countryside
of Hindas. All around the complex for miles, there are lakes and places to relax
and just enjoy the scenery - a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Gotenburg.
Right in the backyard of the Sports Complex, and right outside my window, stands
the wooden frame of a huge ski jump! And the food was incredible...a little
pricey, but what the heck, I'm worth it (lol)
So
Hard to Say Goodbye
The time finally came when I had
to say goodbye to Sweden. This is the Gotenburg Airport at 10:00 a.m. on a
Saturday morning - not as busy as I had expected! I stayed the night before
at the Gotenburg Airport Hotel right across the road from the airport - again
a little pricey but the room and the service were excellent. Typically Swedish!
The floor of the airport is all hardwood and in the most beautiful condition.
Yes, that is an airplane hanging from the ceiling! I managed to scour the
duty free shops for my wooden horses that I had been searching for...they
sit in my china cabinet and bring back such wonderful memories...
Thanks folks, I had a great
time!
