Volvos in Göteborg, Sweden
Since 2000, the massive Øresund Bridge has connected continental Europe and the Scandinavian peninsula between Denmark and Sweden. For some reason, Danish rail was having trouble getting over the strait yesterday morning and my train was cancelled between Copenhagen and Malmö.
As I was sitting in Copenhagen Central Station studying the rail schedule to plan my next move, a kind Danish lady told me they were announcing an alternative bus transport over the loudspeakers. I thanked her, grabbed my bags and quickly got in the line that was forming just outside.
When I asked the Danish bus driver if he would take us to Sweden, he laughed and joked they wouldn’t leave me on the bridge. Although it was a minor jolt to my schedule, it turned into a great opportunity to enjoy the view from the top of a double-decker bus as we passed over the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe. The lesson? Be flexible while traveling.
Another jolt? Not knowing the Danish word for regular water. I guessed poorly from the packaging on my water bottle in the station store and got a full swig of carbonated water (the Europeans are big on it). Honestly, mit Kohlensäure or “with carbonation” was one of the first phrases I learned in German so I could avoid buying mineral water.
Again, I just went with the flow and fizzed across the border. But not before showing my passport and vaccination records to the Swedish authorities. Once the Danish bus driver had delivered us to the Malmö station, I jumped on a train heading north along the coast to Göteborg (Gothenburg in English).
Somehow I found a great online rate at a swanky old hotel in Göteborg not far from the central station. Hotel Royal advertised itself as the oldest hotel in town, serving guests since 1852. Inside it was pure 19th century with a hand painted glass ceiling in the lobby, beautifully patterned stone floors and an Art Nouveau grand staircase. Thankfully the Wi-Fi was 21st century.
Göteborg is Sweden’s second-largest city (behind Stockholm) and the country’s main port to the North Sea for world-wide shipping. One of the biggest Swedish exports, Volvo, was founded here in 1927. The name Volvo by the way means “I roll” in Latin.
I bought a day transport pass and rode a combination of trams and busses out to the Volvo factory along the port to visit the company’s museum. I’d been to the Mercedes, Porsche, BMW and Audi museums from my time in Germany and figured it was time to pay tribute to a non-Teutonic make.
I’d always associated Volvo with stodgy station wagons shaped like bricks but also appreciated the brand’s many safety innovations. Today, Volvos are quite zoomy but the focus on safety remains a core company value.
Volvo introduced the three-point seat belt in 1959 as standard equipment. The company then opened up the patent so that any car manufacturer could use it in their design. Volvo leadership decided that the invention was so significant, it had more value as a life saving tool than something to profit from. Think of how many lives saved by that decision over the years!
I spent several hours examining Volvos on display from the 1920s up to modern concept cars. Don’t come to a car museum with me if you don’t want to examine a door handle design for several minutes. It all fascinates me.
Once back in the heart of Göteborg, I found a late lunch of baked cod and potatoes (so Swedish) at a busy pub. Of course I couldn’t pass up some Fika time either so later, while strolling through the historic Haga neighborhood, I found a warm cafe and sampled a pastry and hot chocolate.
The Swedes around me were happily chatting away and it was enjoyable just being in the moment and absorbing the atmosphere. It usually takes me a few days to slow down on a trip and soak up the experience but I’m there now.
It helps that America (Central time) is seven hours behind European time. I’m usually back at my hotel ready to do some work and catch up on emails when everyone wakes up back in the States.
Tomorrow I’m jumping on another train north, this time to cross the border into Norway and on to Oslo. Stay tuned, should be interesting…
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