MD Sabbatical 2010: Sweden

So, now I am in Sweden (since May 19th) and so far I have been working everyday with little time to explore. It’s good I had the opportunity the last time I was here. The weather has been cold and wet; otherwise I would want to be out more. My colleagues think 10 or 12 Celsius is warm enough to sit outside and eat. I actually had to go buy an extra fleece on Friday to keep from getting so chilled. Finally today (Tuesday), it has warmed - so much nicer.

I won’t write much about Sweden. Nothing has changed since I was last here, except that being here in late May/early June means little darkness – about 18 hours of daylight right now. This is nice because people stay out at cafes etc much later. I think I’m also looking more like a local and less like a visitor because at least once a day since arriving, I get asked for directions or information. When I say I don’t speak Swedish, most proceed to ask the same question in English. So far, I’ve been able to answer all questions.

So that’s all from here. I’m off to Liverpool next.

Some Pictures (most taken in the last 3 days because it is warmer outside):

The lilac trees are in full bloom right now, so very pretty along the streets.

I took a walk through the botanical gardens on Saturday – which is one of my favorite spots here.

This is the street in the Haga area that I walk everyday to and from the university. It is very old and has numerous cafes - also one of my favorite spots.

My Swedish fish soup (very good).

In late May and early June, the high school grads rent trucks and drive through the city yelling and cheering (and drinking). They all get white sailor hats during the ceremony. Here are some of them having a great time!