All my posts about Sweden seem to feature The Great Outdoors. That’s where we often wanted to be. I’m going to show you some of Gothenburg’s parks. They were a wonder. Immaculately maintained, beautifully planted. A refreshing mix of formal, informal, and wild-as-Nature-intended. Just like the parks in the other cities we visited: Stockholm, Kalmar, Malmö. Money shortages mean that many of Britain’s parks are shabbier than they used to be – even Harrogate’s former Jewel-in-the-Crown, Valley Gardens. So seeing such cared-for open spaces in Sweden was a treat and a revelation.
Because they were so near our hotel, we spent time in the Botanical Gardens, open every day, all year round, around the clock. But we barely scratched the surface. We went to Slottsskogen. But we only saw a tiny part of the whole (though we rather liked the maze). And on our last day, because it was right next to the station, we had a little time in Trädgårdsföreningen (The Garden Society of Gothenburg) one of the best preserved 19th century parks in Europe. Every one of these offered us open spaces; enticingly planted flower beds; water – both moving and still; palm houses; magnificent vistas. We didn’t get to explore any of them adequately, much less their wilder parts. Here’s a collage of pictures from all three parks. But please note the robot-mower which I spotted one evening in the Botanical Gardens,, moving methodically up and down an expanse of lawn, keeping it neat and tidy. When it had done what it had to do, it chuntered off and put itself to bed in its little hut.
From Pyrenees to Pennines 
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