In Eskilstuna, first impressions and two suppers

The hotel where we're staying is across the road from the station, so if I sit at a window table for breakfast, as I did today, I can watch the commuters arriving by train or by bus---either a Biogasbuss or one with drivmedel: 100 % förnybar el---across the station square. Apart from Sweden's environment friendliness, almost everyone wears sports shoes here and you rarely encounter someone who's overweight; it's quite remarkable, especially as the meals from Eskilstuna's eateries seem quite heavy and greasy, served in large portions. Yesterday, in cool but sunny weather, Chris and I walked and walked round the town, largely deserted because it was a Sunday with the shops closed: exercise enough for us. We peered through the windows of some large gym clubs full of exercise machines. People were walking, jogging and cycling through the city parks. Same thing in Stockholm, though there you have the added option of renting one of the electric scooters available for pick-up on almost every street corner. All you need is the app. on your smartphone to set it going.

Pretending to scoot, in Stockholm

Eskilstuna is just over an hour's ride on the train from Stockholm. Buying the tickets, we'd treated ourselves to 1st class seats, but when the actual train pulled in we couldn't find our allotted carriage so travelled 2nd class instead. It was old with grubby windows, maybe a replacement train; we enjoyed the late afternoon ride even so, through urban territory as far as Södertälje where (a year ago) Chris met employees of Scania AB, and then through rocky, forested landscape with occasional lakes or grassy fields, similar to Ontario. I caught a glimpse of Eskilstuna's riverfront as we pulled into this town and felt that this would be a very pleasant spot to spend the week. Sure enough, it is pleasant. The light in the sky on that first evening, after our supper at the sumptuous Lebanese Meze Lounge on Drotninggatan, was delightful, falling on the colourful houses that line the Eskiltunaån River in the older part of town.

Chris by the river at Eskilstuna, on our first evening here

While we waited for our supper we'd been interested in the party taking place at one side of the restaurant, maybe a special birthday or anniversary, with balloons and speeches, the attendees smartly dressed and on their best behaviour. At one point they sang a congratulatory song  to whomever they were celebrating---Ja må han leva!

Yesterday (Sunday) evening we had supper at the Bishop's Arms; it seemed an authentic copy of an English pub, complete with a quiz night in which we could almost have taken part, had we been more daring or better at guessing what was said. The questions read out over the microphone by the quiz master had multiple choice answers. Groups of anglophones in the pub, who understood enough Swedish to participate, were enjoying this, giving one another spontaneous translations. In spite of the English atmosphere I was able to order a Czech beer and a typical Swedish dish, råraka, a deep fried potato pancake garnished with loganberries, sourcream, parsley and gherkins.