The wedding itself seemed to be pretty much like a wedding in Australia. The limo didn't turn up on time, thinking that the wedding was an hour later, so the bride's family had to go get the bridal party and bring them in their cars.…Read More

The wedding itself seemed to be pretty much like a wedding in Australia. The limo didn't turn up on time, thinking that the wedding was an hour later, so the bride's family had to go get the bridal party and bring them in their cars. (The limo company said that the limo (a Volvo!) would be free to take them away from the wedding, due to the mix up!)

When everyone finally got to the church, the wedding went as you'd normally expect. There was the bridal march, the minister marrying Stephen and Lena, some singing of hymns (some in Swedish, some in English and some a mix of both!), and some singing by the soloist. It was a beautiful wedding, with the bride looking wonderful, and my brother scrubbing up well for the event. After saying the vows and exchanging the rings, they kissed and were married without another hitch.

Moving on to the reception was where the culture shock really happened. It was a Christian wedding and apparently in Sweden, the Christians don't drink and they don't dance -- it's more liberal for Christian weddings here in Australia. So there was a whole reception without dancing, which was very odd. There was no bridal waltz, no space for dancing, no nothing. They did, though, have a few light (low alcohol) beers and some pear cider. I discovered that I love pear cider, the decent stuff they have in Sweden anyway.

What do the Swedish do at a wedding reception (from lunch time and continuing on into the evening) when they don't dance and there isn't much in the way of alcohol? Well, they have speeches, songs, skits, and games!! There was even a booklet about the couple, filled with photos, song lyrics, and an interview with the couple!

It was pretty much like going to a games night at your local church rather than a reception! There were the normal wedding speeches -- some in Swedish and some in English -- talking about the bride and the groom from friends and family.

As for the rest of the reception? There was the food, stopping to get everyone singing from the booklet (I can't even begin to pronounce Swedish!), and playing a strange game where you put a plastic bag on your head, plastic cups for glasses over your eyes, two sugar cubes for teeth, and paper plates over your ears!! There were people going up on stage to do various skits and sketches about the couple to playing a game where my brother and two other guys went behind a curtain, and Lena had to be blindfolded and guess who was Stephen by feeling hands and the like! And there was even a magic show by two people all dressed up as clowns!

Culture shock. I've never ever seen a wedding reception like it, but apparently all the games and skits are quite normal in Sweden. It is meant to be a celebration of the couple, a fun party for the wedding couple. It was a fun afternoon and it was an interesting insight into the Swedish culture.

Celebration of the Wedding Couple

Hylla Lena och Stephen, fyll med glädje vart bröst.
Sång till dagens brudpar tolkas nu av var röst.
Mäktigt vi saluterar, med allsång och bröllopsdagslåt,
Brudpar ty ni skall firas här med pompa och ståt!
Brudpar ty ni skall firas här med pompa och ståt!

Lena och Stephen nu firas, se er omkring nu och le.
Se hur ni fått oss att trivas, känn hur hjärtat är me.
Jubelsången nu klingar från oss alla idag.
Vi vår hyllning er bringar på er brö-ö-llopsdag!
Vi vår hyllning er bringar på er brö-ö-llopsdag!

(stand up and blow up your balloon)

Glada vänner omkring er nya, gamla är här.
Sådan vänskap förgår ej genom livet den bär.
Bröllopssången skall ljuda, sång och salut i vårt lag.
Vi vår hyllning vill bjuda på er brö-ö-llopsdag!
Vi vår hyllning vill bjuda på eeeeeeeeeeeeer. . . brö-ö-llopsdag!

(pop the balloon!)

Hipp hipp. . . Yeää!

Gothenburg, known as Göteborg (pronounced something like 'Yot-eh-borie' by the Swedish), is a beautiful old harbour town in the southwest of Sweden. My family and I travelled from Australia to Gothenburg to go to my brother's wedding, so our trip involved a lot of wedding preparations…Read More

Gothenburg, known as Göteborg (pronounced something like 'Yot-eh-borie' by the Swedish), is a beautiful old harbour town in the southwest of Sweden.

My family and I travelled from Australia to Gothenburg to go to my brother's wedding, so our trip involved a lot of wedding preparations and, of course, the wedding itself. My brother Stephen married a lovely Swedish girl, Lena.

During our stay in Gothenburg, we stayed with Lena's family at their house just outside the city itself. The house and all the houses in the area were all set in a forest. During a quiet time in the wedding preparations, I even went for a walk on one of the forest trails by the house. It's such a beautiful place and the houses don't seem to upset the natural balance of things. One day there were even deer in the backyard who'd come from the forest to eat their flowers!!

Unfortunately, a lot of time was taken up by getting ready for the wedding, so we were often at the house or at the local shopping centre getting things we needed for the wedding or the wedding reception.

The up side was that we got to experience the way that the Swedish people normally live, from the food they eat (their cheese is to die for!) to listening to their language to watching what they watch on television.

Oh, we also learned -- much to a friend's mirth -- that horses don't say “neigh” in Swedish. . . they say “gnägg gnägg!!” If I say “gnägg” to her now, she still laughs!!!

Other than the shops in Gothenburg, we did go on a few tours. One of them just involved my friends and I wandering around the town and seeing the sights by foot.

One of the more interesting things we saw was the old fortress, Skansen Kronan (Crown Fortress). This was a medieval tower built on top of a hill for defense of the city. It was a long, long climb up a large amount of steep steps to get to the top, but the view was worth the climb! (There is apparently a museum inside, but it was closed when we went.) It is called Skansen Kronan because there is a golden crown on top of the building.

We did not see the other fortress, Skansen Lejonet (Lion Fortress). It was another medieval tower built for the city's defense. It is called Skansen Lejonet because -- funnily enough -- it has a lion on top of the building!

The other was a canal tour of the city, recommended by Lena's family. It was a good way to see the city, and to figure out where you wanted to go later on. The thing that sticks most in my mind about the canal tour is the bridges. Some of Gothenburg's bridges were built very low to the water. At certain points on the tour, you have to duck down in your seat otherwise you'd get a bridge to the head!!!! Obviously, the original builders of the bridges had not envisioned a group of tourists wanting to travel under them on a boat!

Gothenburg is a thriving city, surrounded by beautiful forests, many lakes, harbours, islands, canals, and the ocean. There are so many things to see and do that I can't go into them all here, but more information about Gothenburg can be found, in English, at Göteborgs Stad.

By the way, one important thing that we discovered in Gothenburg is why the local's don't really drink there. We went into a nightclub one evening and found that alcohol there is very expensive! We each bought one drink, then realised the price, and decided not to buy another! I recommend bringing your own duty-free alcohol into Sweden. (Though the pear cider is really nice. . .).

Aberdeen was the greatest British football team of all time, and I had the honour of being their captain. The final itself took place in Gothenburg, which is a beautiful city. For first-time visitors, I would go to the Ullevi stadium for a tour.…Read More

Aberdeen was the greatest British football team of all time, and I had the honour of being their captain. The final itself took place in Gothenburg, which is a beautiful city.

For first-time visitors, I would go to the Ullevi stadium for a tour. This is where I became a legend. If you quote my name at the door, they will give you a 50% discount because I am their hero.

For about 20 euro per adult and about 10 euro per child you can the Göteborg Pass, which gives you access to a host of experiences. Whether you want to see the sea and the bare cliffs, have fun at Liseberg amusement park, discover our…Read More

For about 20 euro per adult and about 10 euro per child you can the Göteborg Pass, which gives you access to a host of experiences.

Whether you want to see the sea and the bare cliffs, have fun at Liseberg amusement park, discover our fine museums, dine in the city or hit the shops, the Göteborg Pass opens doors for you.

And if you want to go by tram, that's included too! Below there's a list of activities that's included in the pass.

Activities---------------------Ord. Price

Restaurant offer

Shopping offer

Trams, boats & buses------------40 SEK return

Ringliniens Vintage Tram--------30 SEK return

Parking-------------------------4-25 SEK/hr

Admission to Liseberg-----------50 SEK

Universeum----------------------125 SEK

Natural History Museum----------40 SEK

Göteborg City Museum------------40 SEK

Göteborg Art Museum-------------40 SEK

Röhss Museum--------------------40 SEK

Maritime Museum & Aquarium------40 SEK

Museum of Medical History-------30 SEK

Sports Museum-------------------20 SEK

East Indiaman Götheborg III-----70 SEK

Göteborg Maritime Centre--------60 SEK

Tropical House------------------60 SEK

Auto Collection-----------------60 SEK

Paddan boats--------------------85 SEK

Elfsborg Fortress---------------85 SEK

Sightseeing by bus--------------80 SEK

GötheborgsUtkiken---------------30 SEK

The Palm House------------------20 SEK

Trädgårdsföreningen-------------15 SEK

Butterfly House-----------------35 SEK

Hothouses - Botanical Gardens---20 SEK

I went to Sweden earlier this month - because Volvo paid for it! :) It was time to get a new car - so I found out about their Overseas Delivery program (http://carplusvacation.com/vod/) where you buy your car from Europe and you get to go…Read More

I went to Sweden earlier this month - because Volvo paid for it! :) It was time to get a new car - so I found out about their Overseas Delivery program (http://carplusvacation.com/vod/) where you buy your car from Europe and you get to go pick it up in Sweden! It includes 2 weeks of European car insurance and 2 rt tickets and i had a fabulous time exploring the region. Theres actually an incredibly diverse amount of things to do - exploring a wide variety of natural and historical sites, hikes, fishing, golfing, and plenty of festivals and arts! (They've also started a contest to help promote the program so you dont even have to buy a car anymore!! you could just WIN a vacation just like that! -
So definitely think about it next time your in the market for a car or just want to win a vacation!Close