I really don’t know what to say. Much to my disappointment, it was Umeå, not Lund that became selected as the Swedish candidate for the European Capital of Culture in 2014. The jury made its decision yesterday and when the results were announced during a press conference, I know that the good people of Lund were just scratching their heads. And I understand. Believe me, I do.

I spent five years studying in Umeå, and while I admit that it was an agreeable place to live, its cultural claim to fame is rather questionable (and that’s a very delicate way of putting it, OK?), that northernmost opera house notwithstanding.

So unless in the coming years Umeå can produce some sort of a cultural miracle (which, personally, I don’t see happening), this whole European Capital of Culture bit will be nothing but a monumental waste of money. Money that could be better spent elsewhere. So maybe, in that respect the fact that Lund lost the bid is actually a blessing?

But that got me thinking. What would you say is the most culturally happening city in Sweden? Apart from the obvious choices of Stockholm and Malmö, of course.

• Europas kulturhuvudstad – European Capital of Culture.