The Washington times., 1901-09-04
THE INNS OF NORWAY.
Plain and wholesome without Any
ErilIs and Fnrbc!Ows.

AT intervals of eight or ten miles along
the pubic highway, usually in connection
with the skyds stations. are inns where
the traveller viii invariably find the COM
forts if not the luNuries of life-plenty Of
food and shelter, bed. and board. There
is no upholstered furniture or velvet car
pets or eggshell china, but always neat
lace curtains at every window. some
times in the windows of the stables. A
luxurious American will have 10 deny
himself much that he is accustomed to at
home, and will encounter experiences and
customs that are new and novel to him.
But if he is reasonable in his require
ments and behaves himself Ike gentle
man he viii always meet with hospita-
BILE although a homely welcome. The
Norwegian hotelkeepers measure our ap-
petites by their own and give you so
much to eat, particularly at the noon din
ner. that you are stupid and sleepy all
the rest of the day and snooze in your
carriage, when you ought to be admiring
the scenery.
There is no style about the hotels and the
service is poor. he household work is
all done by the landlord and his wife and
daughters. There are no electric bells
and If you want anything you usually
have to hunt for il and help yourself. 1t
is the custom of the country for the trav-
you are sometimes compelled to look aft
er your own luggage or it is liable to be
left. But you viii recover II again after
q time. The people are honest. consider
ate and unselfish, but unpretentious in
their hospitality. There are no locks on
their doors, for none are needed. Burg
lars and thieves are absolutely unknown
The bedrooms are barren OF ornaments
and easy chairs that we are accustomed
To at home. There are no carpets and no
rugs on the floor. All the appurtenances
at..., sa1
fcrt at show and very little idea of con-
venience. The beds are good, but usually
the only cover is a comfortable seven or
eight inches thick and as heavy and as
unweldy as a feather bed. You can't
tuck ii in at the bottom nor at the sides
and il is always sliding off to the floor.
Ii is too much covering for an ordinary
sleeper. and when the nights are warm.
as they often are. you are compelled TO
choose between a chill and suffocation.
The pillows are another nuisance. There
is usually a bolster of feathers about the
size of barrel and a little bit of a four
by nine pillow an inch or two thick. with
pretty trimmings upon it. The big pillow
is too big and the little one is too small,
and you solve the dilemma by rolling up
your overcoat into a ball and using that
instead. There is plenty of fresh, heavy
homemade linen, large square towels
that have been woven under the same
roof during the long winter days.
The breakfast is abundant and often
terrifying. You are at first confronted
with nNe dluelent OF CnetSe.
an equal variety of cold meats, timed
fish, smoked herring and salmon, cold
boiled ham, three or four kinds of cold
sausage, strips of dried reindeer meat
and half dozen different jams and pre-
served fruits. You are expected TO par
take freely of that sort of provender and
usually do SO, until you learn by eNpe-
rience that dried fish. boiled eggs. veal
cntlets and other hot food will soon fol-
low If you are patient The coffee is US
ually good, and there is always an ahun-
dance of rich, thick cream. There is no
warm bread. but five or six kinds of cold
bread baked from wheat. rye, and oat
nour, besides the national '.flatbroed'
which no Norwegian table is ever with
out.
The dinner is formidable affair after
the fashion of the ordinary European ta-
bic d'hote. with soup. fish roast, salad,
preserves. and pudding, while for supper
you get the same assortment of cheese.
cold meats, fish, sausage, and preserves
that you have had for breakfast and two
or three hot dishes. Fish is the staff of
life and salmon the mainstay. 1t is
served in some form at every meal. fried
at breakfast and supper and boiled for
dinner. with strips of cold smoked salmon
Of a deep rich color on the side at all
meals. The lakes and rivers are well
stocked with salmon trout which are
caught in nets and kept alive in tanks un--
til they are needed You enjoy them the
frst nNe or six meals, but after you have
had them seventeen or eighteen times in
succession they begin to lose their relish
Beer Is the ordinary beverage. Every
body drinks it Claret and Rhine wine
can be had at the larger hotels. but never
any whisky. brandy or other strong
liquors. Local option prevails throughout
Norway. and in the country districts the
sale of spirituous liquors is forbidden
Chicago Record-Herald.