Malmo - unintentionally...

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Well that one didn't quite go to plan, all the trains to Stockholm were booked solid so the 16km across the Oresund to Malmo was all that was covered today. So Malmo - pleasant in an underwhelming sort of way. Quite a large town (city?) that originally grew up as part of Denmark, it's more recent history was based around heavy industry and while there are some nice little streets and buildings of various styles all the way back to the 16th century they struggle to make up for a bland and in places brutal town. In fact in many ways it was quite reminiscent of the sort of 50s & 60s town planning that's common to so many towns in Britain - not too much sign of fabled Swedish design here, at least for the outside of the buildings.

On the plus side there are some nice parks and canals and the low, squat castle looks quite good in the sun (not that there was mch of that), there were quite a few museums within the walls but I wasn't in a museum kind of mood so I gave it a miss. The west harbour area, much hyped as a stylish, happening sort of place by the tourist brochures was too scattered and not a patch on Christianshavn despite holding Malmo's most significant new building - the 'twisting torso'. This big column is Swedens tallest building with the walls twisting through 90 degrees from the base to the top. Its an interesting idea and well executed but in a low rise town on a completely flat coastline it just seems completely out of place, it really jarrs on the skyline and it doesn't do the building or the surrounding landscape too many favours.

So not too much to write home about here (apart from some v strong wine and wondering if I'm going to start suffering from scurvy, I can't remember when I last had any fresh veg....), still Stockholm tomorrow, wahey!

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