Greetings from Sweden! Two weeks ago I stepped off of the airplane at Gothenburg, Sweden's Landvetter airport and began my immersion into Swedish culture and history. It has been a wonderful whirlwind getting my bearings in this most interesting city.

Gothenburg is relatively young for a European city. In 1621, when Sweden was rising as a world power, King Karl IX Gustav of the royal house of Vasa ordered the city of Gothenburg constructed on the banks of the Göta River to assert his control over west Sweden and to thwart Danish advances. He brought in Dutch engineers to build a series of defensive canals, and so the old city grew up on a heavily fortified artifical island. Today, the era of the Vasa kings is everywhere. Just a block away from my apartment is Vasagatan (Vasa Street), I catch the tram at Vasaplatsen (Vasa Place), and King Karl sits proudly on horseback at the city's focal point--Kungstorget--King's Square.

Today, the nearly 400-year old city is a fascinating study in historic preservation and city planning, a place that tries to balance the needs of a modern city of 500,000 residents with the care of its extraordinary historical resources. It is also a wonderfully hip and vibrant place that blends its industrial roots (shipbuilding and the home of Volvo cars)with a new focus on arts, culture, and scientific research.

The university and city have made a special effort to welcome foreign scholars and researchers to the city. Last night, I even was invited to attend a welcome reception for foreign scholars at the Gothenburg City Hall hosted by the Lord Mayor of Gothenburg.

My neighborhood, Vasastan, is energized by the 25,000 students who attend the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers Technical University. The number of cafes and coffee shops is hard to believe--cozy places where the city's resident take "fika" (coffee break)to enjoy strong coffee and delicious cinammon buns. My caffeine tolerance is now at an all time high!

There is so much interesting history here in Gothenburg. I cannot wait to dive into its museums, and to investigate its many historic sites and cemeteries.

I hope you will join me as I continue this Swedish adventure!