Posts


Walking in Gothenburg

Soon time to return to Skåneland after a couple of calming days among friends and family in Gothenburg. where I’ve been both doing some soul searching and collecting new textures and walls for my “Resurfaced” series.

This is the perfect time of year to visit one of my many old hometowns. The weather has been extraordinarily pleasant. Crisp, clear air, mostly sunny and comfortably warm.

Yesterday, I went for a 5-hour walk from Gothenburg’s Opera House, along the harbor to the Älvsborgs Bridge where I ate lunch at Röda Sten Konsthall (an art museum), and then I literally crisscrossed my way back to the hotel through the Majorna and Masthugget districts.

I lived in Majorna for a summer back in the early 1980s. The wooden building I rented a flat in was so old that the two apartments on my floor shared a common bathroom. I thought it was interesting at the time. At least for a while. The guy I rented the place from was the manager for a Swedish fusion jazz band named Hawk on Flight and much of the apartment was filled with stuff somehow related to the band. I think I paid SEK400/USD$40 a month in rent but I can’t remember how the heck I got a hold of the pad or why I needed a place to live that summer.

It’s a little scary when memories fade or vanish. Then again, it was only two, maybe three months of my life that played out almost 40 years ago.

I love the architecture and the somewhat edgy vibe of Majorna. It’s bohemian and authentic and the abundance of mom and pop shops, restaurants and cafés make it seem like a cozy place to live.

For better or worse, of the other areas I’ve lived at during younger years, including Kålltorp, Vasastan and Johanneberg, today, Majorna feels the least changed and the most genuine “old Göteborg”. Much more so than, say, Haga.

I shot the images above with my now 2-year-old iPhone. Apple has yet to announce its new lineup and I have yet to decide if I actually need a new phone. The camera in my phone is still phenomenal and though I carried the Fuji x100v in my pocket during my walk, I mostly used it for capturing surfaces on walls and utility boxes. Still, every time Charlotte whips out her 2019 iPhone with its ultra-wide 13mm lens, I feel I’m missing out a little. Like I’m not getting the big picture.