Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-01-16
THE INNS OF NORWAY


PLAIN AND WHOLESOME AND WlTH-
| OUT ANY FRlLLS.
The Meals Are Formidable Affairs,
and Salmon Is Always Served.
Guests Are Expected TO Eat Heart
| ily and to Wait on Themselyes.
At intervals Of eight or txn miles
along the public highway, usually in
connection With the skyds stations, arc
inns where the traveller will invariably
find the comforts il not the luxuries
of lifc-plenty of food and shelter, bed
and board. There is no upholstered
furniture or velvet carpets or eggshcll
china, but always neat lace curtains at
every window, sometimes in the Win
dows Of the stables.
\ luxurious American will have to
deny himself much that he is accus-
toned to at home and will encounter
experiences and customs that are new
and novel to kin. But ii he is reason
able in his requirements and behaves
himself like q gentleman he will al
ways meet With Il hoslitable although
a homely welcome. The Norwegian lo-
tel keepers measure our appettos by
their own and give you so much to eat.
particularly at the noon dinner. that
you are stupid and sleepy all the rest
Of the day and snooze in your carriage
when you ought to he admiring tho
scenery.
There is no style about the hotels.
and the service is poor. The household
work is all done by the landlord and
his Wife and daughters. There are no
electric bells, and if you want any
thing you usually have to hunt for it
and help yourself. 1t is the custom Of
the country for the travellers to make
times compelled to look after your own
luggage or it is liable to be left But
you will recover it again after a time.
The people are honest, considcrate and
unselfish, but unprctentious in their
hospitality. There arc no locks on their
doors. for none is needed. Burglars
and thieves are absolutely unknown.
The bedrooms are barren of orna-
ments and easy chairs That we are :lc-
customcd to Mt home. There are no
carpets and no rugs ON the floor. All
the appurtenances are plain and sub
stantial, without any effort at show
and very little idea of convenience.
The beds are good, but usually the only
cover is a comfortable seven or eight
inches thick and as heavy and un-
wieldy as feather bed. You can't
tuck it in at the bottom or ut the sides,
and 1T is always sliding off to the floor
1t is too much covering for an ordinary
sleeper, and when the nights are warm
us they often arc, you are compelled to
choose between a chill and suffocation.
The pillows are another nuisance.
There are usually bolster of feathers
about the size of barrel and Il little
bit of Il A by . pillow an inch or two
thick, With pretty trimmings upon it.
The big pillow is too big, and the lit
tie one is two small, and you solve the
dilemma by rolling up Your overcoat
There is plenty of fresh, heavy, home
made linen large, square towels that
have been woven under the same roof
during the long winter days.
The breakfast is abundant ana often
terrifying. You are at first confronted
with five or six different kinds of
cheese, an equal variety of cold meats,
timed fish, smoked herring and s;iln-
ON, cold boiled ham, three OF iour kinds
of cold sausage, strips Of dried rein
deer meat and half Il dozen different
jams and preserved fruits. You are
expected to pirtake freely of that sort
of provcnlcr and usually do so until
boiled eggs, veal outlets and other hot
food will soon follow if you are pa
ticnt. The coffee is usually good, ard
there Is always an abundance of rich,
thick cream. There is no warm bread,
but five or six kinds of cold breed bak-
ed from wheat, rye and cat flour he
sides the national "fatbrod' y which no
Norwegian table is ever without.
The dinner is n formidable affair aft
er the fashion Of the ordinary Ell-
ropcan table d'hote, With soup, fish,
roast, salad, preserves and pudding.
while for supper you get the same as
sortment of cheese cold meats, fish,
sausage ard 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 NEAL fried at
breakfast and supper and boiled for
dinner, With strips Of cold smoked
salmon of deep rich color on the side
at all meals.
The lakes and rivers are we'll stocked
with salmon trout, which are caught
in nets and kept alive in tanks until
they are needed. You enjoy them the
first five or six meals, but after you
have had them seventeen or eighteen
times i'm succession they begin to lose
their relish. Beer is the ordinary bev-
erage. Everybody drinks it. Claret
aud Rhine Wine can be had Mt the lar-
ger 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 forbiddcn.-W. u.
Curtis in Chicago Record Herald.
Half and Half.
slave you suffered much from tooth
l ,y,