Sjobaren's

OK, I've finally managed to get my Swedish meal. I had a second round of meetings at Goteborg University, this time with the History of Ideas department, which also went embarrassingly well. I'm feeling better about this project all the time. The support has been enthusiastic and really encouraging. After the meeting a couple of the professors took me for a walk through a really charming section of Goteborg - lots of shops and winding cobblestone streets - to a traditional Swedish fish restaurant called Sjobaren's. I had their fish au gratin with cod filet, shrimps and mushrooms served with white wine sauce. Oh my good god. It was so good I actually took a picture of it in the restaurant, and then quickly hid the camera under the table and looked around to see where the flash had come from (I was thinking that some sort of Harry Potter inspired apparition might fool people, but Swedes are too crafty). After that I went for a long walk and took some great pictures of the canals and a good picture of an Gustavus Adolphus statue (it's hard to think of a time when the peace-loving, liberal Swedes were the most feared military machine in Europe, but it hasn't been that long since the early 17th century - at least not for a historian). I finally managed to track down a place to work out and made a mad dash for Sportlife, although after that amazing meal I don't know why I bothered. Oh, and since when did I become that person who cuts short his sight-seeing to go pay to work out - there's something wrong there.