It was on page 222 of the book ’Notes from a Small Island’ that I fell out with Bill Bryson. He’d been sampling some of the fine curry houses of Bradford on his last trip around Britain before declaring the following.
”For some reason I had it in my head that I would be cheating to go home now with the trip half-finished, but then I thought: Sod it. I’m cold and lonesome and I’m not about to spend a night in a hotel 20 miles from my own home.”
I felt cheated, Bill.
So I stop off in Uppsala and it’s time for dinner. Curry sounds good. It’s a bit chilly. And I’m eating alone. It’s not my first visit to this university city but I rather like the place. I’ve already seen Linnaeus’ botanical gardens and perused his 1,300 species of plants. I’ve also been to Celsius’ Observatory and…errr….observed things – science was never my strong point.
Indeed, Uppsala has many notable connections and natives which would make for an dream dinner party guest list. It’s the birthplace of film director Ingmar Bergman, eminent diplomat Hans Blix and world famous photographer Mattias Klum. I forgot about E-type (long-haired Swedish Eurodance sensation). Just think of the ethical discussions they could tackle over three-courses.
But I had my own moral dilemna to deal with. After taking a stroll to Scandinavia’s largest cathedral I found myself quite liking Bill Bryson again. The question is do I take the six-kilometre hike to the hostel or do I choose the 40-minute train ride back to Stockholm for a comfortable night at home?
Find out when part two of the journey begins in Gothenburg on Friday. What a cliffhanger, eh?
You write “eh?” Are you Canadian and you didn’t know it?
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My money is on the 40 minute train ride.
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