Göteborg Postcard 5

The New Year in Gothenburg was marked with a crescendo of fireworks - starting sporadically at 11pm in the harbour area and then steadily building to a cacophony that enveloped the whole city in time for the bells.

Bizarrely, at about 5 past midnight, the area that we were in went mental. We found ourselves caught in the middle of a mini-riot between skinheads and muslims. One guy- not sure which side he was on -got a real doing from another guy. And then that guy got a doing from 2 Swedish police. Really horrible. The rest of the night had been really quiet and easy going as well. 10 minutes later and it was all over.

Back to our hotel. Thankfully the Scottish couple (Natalie and Baz or Daz or whatever his name was) that we'd previously attracted in the bar weren't there. (Earlier in the evening, in 10 long minutes, we had learned that - Daz is married but his wife thinks he is in hospital just now - Nat is ecstatic about getting rid of her kids for 7 days, - And they both think that the bruises that she'd given him last night were hilarious. hahaha.)

And with that it became 2007.

Woke up this morning and toddled off through the once again peaceful, clean and civilised city to catch our plane.

*********

All that remains to be said is that it has been amazing being a part of this blip thing (sniff) in 2006. Happy 2007 blippers (and blip-lurkers).