Prague Dad Visits Son in Sweden

Last weekend I got a chance to visit my son, Sean, in Sweden. He lives about 100 kilometers south of Stockholm in Linkoping where he is establishing a resident life program at the university. I flew into Sweden through Hamberg and got a chance to ride the train to Linkoping. It was a smooth, modern train and an enjoyable ride. Sean said this was going to be a great 40 hours and it was just that. What a great time.(See pic #1 of Sean and I in front of the Domkyrkan church). Since I didn't arrive in Linkoping until 21:00 we went directly to dinner. As it turns out, my first meal in Sweden was Greek - go figure. The restaurant was Afrodite and it was wonderful. Sean had a pepper steak and I had, of course, the garlic steak. The garlic on the steak compared well to the four or five inches of snow outside. It was a perfect steak "garlic capped" in keeping with the prevailing weather. The wine was a Greek Cabernet and was some of the best I had ever tasted. It was a great and much needed meal.
Sean and I stayed in the flat of the owner of Sean's company. It was warm with a comfortable bed and great view of snow-covered Linkoping. It was most welcome since we hiked from the restaurant in 20 degree weather with wind. I slept well and it was a good thing because Saturday was filled with activity.
Saturday began with a quick and facinating tour of the town of Linkoping,(See pic #2 of Sean and I in the town.) Old Town Linkoping and Sean's beautiful university (See Pic #3 of Sean standing near the entrance) . It was an amazing and rapid tour of this quaint but bustling town. About noon I had this terrible need for coffee so we stopped for Fika, a traditional eating and conversation time that many townsfolk enjoy and tourists can't resist. The coffee was excellent in quantity and quality and the sweet roll was very tasty.
About 14:00 we joined three of Sean's friends, Cecilia, Vaclav and Hampus and went to an ice hockey game (See Pic#4 of us outside the arena) featuring the local pro team the Linkopink Hockey Club who are hotly contesting for a spot in the Swedish league playoffs. The stadium was rocking but we had to wait until the third period for any scoring. When the first goal was scored by Linkoping all the reasons I enjoy ice hockey were recalled. The tension and buildup to the first goal was amazing and when that first goal was scored, the crowd erupted in a frenzy of yelling, waving hats and hugging friends. It was a great moment followed by three more goals with similar crowd response. It was a fun game except for the hot dog. I have seen a hot dog and, friends, this was no hot dog. It would barely qualify as a hors d'oeuvre. It was just about a two bite meal. The concept of hot dog is still alive and well in the U.S. I assure you.
After the hockey game we went to our last stop of the day, an English pub, The Bishop's Arms. It was surprisingly crowded and we had to wait to get in. It seems other hockey fans had the same idea. Once we got in we met some friends there and had a great evening of conversation. It was a pleasure to meet Sean's friend Mattis who teaches bioscience at the University. He is from Germany and has some interesting perspectives since teaching at Yale for three years. Also joining us was Katarina, Sean's Swedish language teacher who was also quite nice and, evidently quite patient. The restaurant remained crowded and our table was long so we were joined by three other men from Sweden, Slovania, and New York. Much was discussed and many ideas and perpectives were shared. It was a shock when I found out that four-tenths of a liter of beer cost $10.00. I believe 42.00 was the cost of four beers. That seems quite high but, I guess, the average Swedish income can support that price as beer was flowing freely at the pub.
Sunday was no less hurried as Sean and I attended his Church near the University. The church is quite beautiful and is nestled in some woods near a huge hospital. (see Pic #5 of winter scene near church) The theme for this Sunday was caring for and support of immigrants and church outreach programs. I got a chance to meet some very nice people two of whom are from Iraq. I look forward to seeing and meeting with all of them when I revisit Sweden this summer.
The last stop of the day for me in Linkoping was the train station. I boarded the train, ran through four cars and finally found my seat. I am writing this blog on the train. One more stop and I am at Aranda Airport in Stockholm ready for my return trip to Prague and my 8:00am English Class on Monday. So Goodbye Linkoping and Tock (thanks) so much to you Sean for your great hospitality. I am very grateful. See you this summer for sure. Ahoj (see you).