European adventure

Less than two weeks to go before my work trip to Finland and Sweden. I've now decided to spend a weekend in Helsinki after the conference to catch up with friends, and to visit some museums and design stores. I'll then be catching the overnight ferry between Helsinki and Stockholm. My Swedish colleague promised to take me sightseeing when I arrive. Then, it's an evening train ride to Gothenburg for work before making the journey back to Oz.

I've actually never been to Sweden before and am especially looking forward to the Swedish part of the visit. I'm even contemplating the thought of sampling fermented herring, surströmming, a northern Swedish delicacy. The fish are fermented for several months in brine and then canned. Evidently, the smell is so bad that the dish is best consumed outdoors. Opening the can itself of also sounds like a potential safety hazard...due to the fermentation process, considerable pressure builds up inside and to avoid being squirted with fermented fish juice, it's customary to open the can under water (in a bucket). I guess the bucket will also be handy if I react adversely to the taste of the fish.