Day 8: Parting is such Swede Sorrow

Today we left Gothenburg and arrived in Brussels. We didn't want to plan too much for our last day in Sweden, but we did make it out to Ikea. Most of you probably know that Ikea originated in Sweden. What you may not know is that it started in the 1950s at the original furniture-maker's house. I've never been to an Ikea before and even Sal had to admit that there was a kitsch factor involved in seeing an Ikea in Sweden. According to Sal, it was pretty similar to the American Ikeas. One striking difference was a giant playroom that adults are not allowed to enter. You literally drop off your children who get assigned numbers and then you have an hour to shop while they're watched. Not that we were about to leave Nuri there...

We also wanted to try Swedish meatballs and by coincidence, the Swedish meatballs served in the Ikea cafe are considered to be quite good. So Sal and I had our traditional meal of Swedish meatballs with potatoes, gravy, and lingonberry sauce. They were really quite delicious. We had all ordered chocolate mousse as well. Nuri took one look at the spread and immediately grabbed a fist-full of mousse and stuffed it in his mouth, after which he refused to eat anything else.

Reflecting on our time in Sweden, it will be hard to forget the incredible hospitality that we received there from Sheri and Cindy's families. I also feel like the people there were extremely welcoming. Strangers were very helpful and wouldn't think twice about walking with you to the tram stop that you're looking for. When you walk into a museum, you don't just pay your admission and leave; you strike up a conversation with the person who is serving you. The entire country was extremely family friendly. Every museum we visited had a room or several rooms for the express purpose of entertaining children (even in history museums). In Cindy and Ander's apartment complex, each individual building had its own outdoor playground. Even the apartments in downtown Gothenburg had interior courtyards. The middle car on each tram had no steps to get on and a place to park strollers. Paid parental leave in Sweden is over a year long, to be shared between parents and taken at any time between birth and 8 years of age (so it can be used when your child is sick). Daycare is nearly free and high-quality. Public transit is amazing in Stockholm and Gothenburg. You can live way out in the suburbs and still be right on a subway or tram line.

We said good-bye to Cindy and Anders and boarded the plane to Brussels. Partially to save money and partially because we don't have a car seat with us, we decided to take a combination of train and tram to our hotel. Trams are my new favorite form of public transportation. Since they are above ground, you not only get a much better sense of where you're going than you would if you were taking a subway, but you also get to see all kinds of buildings as you go by. The hotel is extremely nice, though the rooms are small and it is located a little outside the downtown of Brussels. Nonetheless, it is only a short tram ride from the city center. In stark contrast to the cars in Sweden, the cars here whiz by on the little cobble stone streets. Watch out pedestrians! I don't consider myself much of an architecture buff, but the buildings here are incredible. I find myself wanting to take out my camera with every building we pass. All of the buildings are so ornate and well-decorated, many of them quite old. We settled in and went to bed rather late, as Nuri is back to his two naps per day schedule.