Irish Restaurants with Swedish Musicians and Wimbledon references

Today we reached the apex of the European eating a bunch of English priests eating American food in an "Irish" pub opposite a picture of Wimbeldon listening to a Swedish band play country and western music! It was very nice, especially after our last very packed day.
A late start, see yesterday and off to the station. I was able to confirm my theory about whacky sculptures/buildings when the hotel gave us directions to the place by saying: "Turn right after the green man in the river... it's a statue." Every comunity needs crazy places to give direction by.
The station was interested even if you weren't interested by stations as it was a completely integrated place. Buses, trains and cars seemlessly living together in one place: brillliantly expressed by the travel information, no difference, buses and trains listed in order of departure. Then the tickets came and we were told that we could use either bus or train with the ticket whichever came first, how sensible is that?
Going onto the station we discovered that we had to cross tracks and the whole palce was not kept safely behind fences as in Britain... when we went to Goteburg we discovered a similar reckless attitude, building sites were not surrounded by high security fencing, you could walk down to the river on handy steps and the bridges had low walls. Had none of these people heard of health and safety? We asked one of our Swedish friends and we were told that Swedes were expected to be adult about stuff and putting all these controls in place would make them behave like children, they found if they gave people the opportunity to be sensible they usually were. Hmm, I wonder if this is how that place in Holand has got away with removing its road markings.
Goteburg proved beautiful even in the rain, lots of shared space, big shops and sensible buildings, blue and white trams and a museum of Swedish Design. We were amused to find that when it came to modern design they chose a british design of furniture.
Leaving design we met up with another priest Per who seemed a very forward thinking, very visioned, very postive person. His parish of two churches had 9,000 members all paying church tax. He had 23 full time paid staff, a kindergarden, and the usual amazing parish rooms. It was great to meet with him and he took us ot his church, a little way out.
The shock came when we asked about his congregation: fortyish on a normal Sunday. All that effort, all that money, and only forty on a Sunday!
We talked alot on the train back; what was going on. We decided after much talk it must be to do with the money, being given the money by the state meant that people in the parish just didn't feel engaged in the work. I never thought I would say this but raising money for a project, even though it is hard work, gives something to the givers, it makes them involved. If we need to ways in which we can engage faith commnities in regeneration perhaps raising or gifting part of the money might well be part of the way to do it.
incidentally the trian broke down on the way back and we ended up talking to a young woman across from us. She turned out to be from Iran and as we shared our faith with each other she said the problems in Iran began when the Imans got power and money. They lost touch with the people who used to fund them. It made us think about our earlier conclusions about Christianity in Sweden and money.
As Jesus said: "Matthew 16:26 (KJV) For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
Time to go home I am beginning sound like a vicar!