Second Cities

We've had a great time here in Gothenberg the last couple days. When I was doing my homework planning the trip, I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I had a feeling that this would a city that we would enjoy and that's certainly proved to be the case. Like my description of Oslo, it's not really a city that will blow you away. Gothenberg is decidedly the least geographically interesting place we've been to on this trip. The only water present is a tiny little canal that divides the city into 2-3 different sections. There aren't any individual buildings that will blow you away. There are a couple little neighborhoods that are incredibly quaint and there are several buildings that are architecturally intereresting but nothing really overwhelming.

What there is here is a sense of the good life. People seem to be happy. There are great cafes, good food in general, great style in general. There's a friendly feeling here that we just haven't really encountered anywhere else on the trip thus far. This got me thinking about "second cities," those cities that are either statistically the 2nd biggest in a particular country, or those that occupy something of an underdog status, culturally speaking. I've always loved "second cities" and have always found a certain comfort and easiness about them that you don't necessarily find in the glamor destinations. Chicago, the city that perhaps coined the term 2nd city, comes to mind. It's always been one of my favorite cities to visit, precisely because there's a kind of accessibility to it that you don't find in New York or LA. The city makes it easy to get around and the people generally make it easy for you to enjoy sharing their home with them. Melbourne is another second city that is really easy to fall in love with. It doesn't get nearly the attention that Sydney does. It doesn't have a spectacular harbor or architechtural marvels like the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge, or the beaches for that matter. What it does have is a great art and music scene, incredible food, a cosmopolitan feel and for my money it also happens to be one of the best sports towns in the world.

Gothenberg is another delightful second city. The guidebook tells me that it's the second largest city in Sweden and that it's produced a number of notable Swedish musicians, artists and design labels. After spending a few days here, that hardly surprises me. This place may not make the cover of many guidebooks or the travel section of the NY Times, but it's definitely a place where one could easily spend a week or so during the summer just getting caught up in the quality of life.