It was 9.30am before Oceana berthed at Gothenburg in Sweden. I'd been able to watch our approach from my balcony as we glided gently through the archaepeligo of tiny islands. It was FREEZING cold, quite literally, and even by the time we docked the temperature had only reached 0 degrees. But it was the sort of morning I love - cold and crisp with a hint of magic in the air. Oh, if only it had been snowing - but then I mustn't expect too much. I filled my tummy with a huge bowl of porridge sprinkled liberally with sunflower seeds, flaked almonds and a trickle of maple syrup. Now I was ready to start the day.
An extra layer of clothes was called for so over everything else I donned a large duvet type waistcoat which I'd bought on my last trip to Hong Kong. The new angora hat which I had found in Bruges completed the outfit. I skipped down the gangway and jumped in front of the ships photographers who were standing there shivering with cold - then it was onto the shuttle bus for the 30 minute journey into the centre of town. My lasting impression of that drive will be one of snowdrops - not flowers decorating the banks but huge street lights with lampshades which looked just like the flowers of those little bulbs. Quite how these strange images and ideas pop into my mind I have no idea.
As we drove to our "drop point" the driver pointed out the main shopping district near King Gustav Square and then the major department store. We alighted a little further along the street. The shopping district did nothing to entice me so I headed off in the opposite direction to a small park by the side of a narrow canal. The canal was totally frozen over, hurrah, at last I felt as if I was in a Scandinavian country - but, cripes, the cobbled pathway was also frozen and my damn boots which I thought would be slip proof were far from it. I skidded and slid all over the place. Walking was going to be very difficult - the last thing I wanted to do was to slip and end up breaking a leg !! I ventured on very gingerly but thankfully when I reached the footpaths within the park I found they were of a rough tarmac and just a little easier to walk on.
After 45 minutes or so I found myself opposite that main department store which had been pointed out to us and there on the ground floor was a coffee shop. Hot chocolate was definitely the order of the day and in here it came with marshmallows - how decadent did I feel ! Purchasing a drink had the dual purpose of providing me with some much needed change in order to use the loo - yes, even in the department store a coin was necessary to use the facilities. After the hot drink I headed off - here was the sign to the Toilett and the first door was clearly marked in both Swedish and English - it was the Men's. I took a few more steps towards the next door and expected to see Ladies after the Swedish word but it said Knivven. Oh dear, was this the Ladies? Was it a store cupboard? Was it something else? I had no idea but I had no option but to push the door and see. I've had very embarrassing incidents in the past when I've walked into a broom cupboard etc. instead of the required loo so anything is possible when I'm left on my own!! When I peeked inside, thankfully, I found a queue of ladies and as there was a queue I didn't need the little coin because as one lady came out she held the door open for the next. Very courteous.
Now in a comfortable state I headed off once more in search of adventure. This time I went in the opposite direction along the little canal and found myself at the entrance to Tradgardsforeningen (The Garden Society). The small iron gate was pushed open a few inches and a sign indicated that the garden was open until 1700 hours. I entered and within a few minutes found myself in a Magical Misty world. It was one of those mists which gently swirls around a few feet off the ground giving everything a magical appearance. I glanced towards the trees - bare of leaves - and saw the winter sun wrapped in another icy mist. It was desperately trying to break through but the ice had it in its grip. This was a photographer's paradise - but I'm only a "would be" photographer so how on earth was I going to capture these visions of loveliness. I wandered around in a trance taking photo after photo. Would they convey what I had seen - the young mothers with pushchairs catching up on news after the Christmas break - the family huddled up in winter clothes heading off home - the incredibly beautiful metal flowers setting off the winter grass - the eerie statues in the mist. Oh so many wonderful sights.
It is sights like this which make holidays SO enjoyable and so memorable. This ranks alongside the very best I have such as the sun dawning on beautiful Langkawi; climbing the great wall of China; standing beneath those wonderful Egyptian pyramids; wandering around the Valley of the Kings in scorching heat; and not to forget the exquisite turquiose colours of Guam.
I headed back to the ship in a daze. I had only seen a tiny portion of this lovely city but it has made a lasting impression on me. After lunch I returned to my cabin to rest my legs for a few minutes - but the tiredness caught up with me and I drifted off to sleep. The next thing I knew it was 5pm and time to shower and dress for dinner. It was Curry Night in The Plaza and there was no way I was going to resist the Chicken Tikka Masala and all the trimmimgs. I would leave my fellow dinner companions to sample the everyday fare in the formal surrounds of The Adriatic Restaurant. What a delicious curry and it was followed by a hot pudding from the Kerala district in Southern India. I can't remember the name of the dish but it was vermicelli & cashew nuts cooked in coconut milk infused with cardamon. Every mouthful was like a little bit of heaven. The chef was delighted when I told him how good it was !!
So just one more day at sea before another lovely cruise comes to an end at Southampton.
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