Travel Adventures

Spring has Sprung!  Or has it?

This blog was supposed to be full of beautiful pictures of spring in Göteborg and it is, but some of those pictures may surprise you. Spring in Sweden isn’t quite what everyone is expecting.

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Spring has always been my favorite season.  I love the rejuvenation that takes place after a winter of dormancy.  As a Pacific Northwest native and a recent resident of the United Kingdom, rain does not bother me (most of the time).  Watching great beads of water drip off leaves and knowing they are nourishing the earth and cleaning the air always makes me feel optimism for the future.  Moving to Sweden, I wasn’t sure quite what to expect.  I was told that Göteborg was “quite raw” and to be prepared for a lot of rain.  Thus far, the city has not lived up to this reputation.  Instead, Spring has been filled with crisp and cold morning air, followed up by warm afternoons (as high as 55 degrees!).  Sometimes I even go out in long sleeved t-shirts, though the brisk wind often discourages that idea.  Above me, the sky has primarily been a gorgeous blue, with puffy white clouds.  This is not to say it doesn’t rain, it just seems to come and go in the night.  As I thought about it the other day, it reminded me of my time at Gonzaga.  Spokane in the spring is beautiful as is Göteborg.

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How about the scenery? That too is spectacular (aside from the slightly larger number of individuals enjoying bouts of public intoxication…). In the past two weeks, the ground has gone from barren to being littered with tulips and daffodils of all colors. They are everywhere! Even the cherry trees are blooming. As you might imagine, this warming trend had me planning to store away all of the winter clothes and begin the spring cleaning. Just as I started to mentally prepare, the hubs warned me to expect snow this weekend. Huh?? Snow? Why on earth would there be snow in spring? This isn’t Colorado! No, it’s Sweden. 😛

Surprisingly, today the weather forecast proved itself accurate.  Small balls of hail started mid afternoon while we were out, then quickly gave way to brilliant blue skies.  We were lured into complacency!  Around 5pm, we decided it was time to grab some groceries.  As we reached the store, the hail began.  By the time we left, there was a full blown hail storm outside! Great droves of hail pummeled us all the way home.  Shortly after closing the door, it was gone.  Poof… no more hail.

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This spring weather may not be for everyone, but for a person who hates sweating, I much prefer it to the 70 + degree weather back home in the Seattle area. Global warming is not my friend.

If you are moving to Göteborg, or planning to visit in the spring, make sure to pack for all possibilities.  Personally, I will be keeping out the winter gear for at least a little longer.

Until next time…

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