The Essential Bike

The most essential item it appears you need in Linköping is a bicycle.

The distance to work, 4km is a little too short for catching the bus (30 mins minimum as the bus stop isn't all that close), and too far to walk, but a bike is just perfect. Fifteen minutes there each day, probably faster if I didn't have to lug my laptop there.

So last weekend I went out with the help of one of my Swedish colleagues to buy a bike. Of course it cost much much more than I had intended to spend, but given the way I ride a bike, (more than just commuting) a cheap one was really not going to cut it. It is a hybrid bike built in Germany and I really do like it (picture above).

Today I took it for a ride to the big lake Roxen just north of the town. Here is where the river that runs through Linköping meets the lake.

Here is a map of the route I took (from the GPS phone I was carrying). Also open this in Google Earth by clicking on this link.

View Larger Map

Very pretty morning in Sweden

Took this photo on the way to work and posting this on the bus. After being deprived of snow last year it was nice to see a few centimeters fall last night making the whole place brighter.

Back in Stockholm

Enjoyed a weekend in Stockholm, a city I am very familiar and when coming back here felt like a second home.
Pictured behind me is the hostel (the sailing ship) that we stayed at. I have always wanted to stay on this boat.

The view from our room on the ship looking back at where I am standing above. Not a bad view to wake up to.

My favourite Stockholm island - Djurgården from the Stockholm TV tower, somewhere I hadn't visited in my previous year here. As you can see much of the lake here is frozen over.

Linköping, Sweden

I have arrived, finally after a 38 hour trip in Linköping, Sweden (map). This will be my base for the next few months during another assignment for work in this northern European country.
Linköping is about 200km south west of Stockholm and about one third of the way from Stockholm to Copenhagen. There are about 100,000 people in Linköping with a large hi-tech industry including where they make Saab fighter jets, also with a very large university.

Sweden is just coming to the end of its winter, and unlike last year in Stockholm, this year there is plenty of snow and ice.

Here is one of the main parks in the town as I walked through it returning to my apartment from the city centre.

A high point in the park overlooking the town.