Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1949-09-13


traveller like an explosion of the
spectrum. Every park, every by
road and window box blazes with
flowers through the incredibly
long summer days; in winter the
jeweled waters of countless lakes
and rivers jet fire from the in
canC1escent reflection of the north
ern lights. Yes, and just plain
lights. For Sweden, with a vast
hydroelectric system, burns as
many kilowatts per capital as the
United States. at is so cheap
explained a Swede, land so cheer
full
In the towns the plastered walls
of buildings transplant the rain
bow: soft greens, carnelian, sun
light yellow, rose, purple. Inside,
homes are a delicate jungle of ivy
and other plants trained up the
walls In one two-Storied apart
ment l saw a tree - full-fledged
growing from a huge basin of
earth up along a curved stair
I'VE are far north" said my host
but we have summer in our
heartC."
On April 80 bonfires are lit ov-
er the whole land, the survival of
pagan festival to welcome the
return of the SUM-" On June "a
Midsummers Day, Swedish cities
suddenly become deserted and the
ghttering waters of the gulf and
sea are dotted with bathers drink
ing in the sun through every pore.
After the long, gloomy winter, this
almost mass vacation seems a
spiritual necessity. For several
weeks it is all but impossible to
transact business.
Experienced travellers find the
Swedes closer to Americans than
any other European nation. Be-
cause of Sweden's export trade
American methods of advertising
and doing business are followed,
from neon lights to high-pressure
international trade groups. Amer
lean movies have such tremend-
Gus influence that many a Swe-
dish girl you meet will speak Eng
lish in the accents of Bette Davis.
Contrary to general opinion the
majority of Swedes have brown Or
black hair instead of blond. And,
about Sweden's women, one word
beautiful. Only New iceland and
Holland boast longer life expect
ancies than Sweden = perhaps be-
cause the average Swede is disin-
clined to get too excited about
anything Swedish men average
five feet nine inches, thus making
them one of the worlds tallest
peoples.
Travel Easy Drinking Difficult
Geographically Sweden is a
paradox The warm ing Gulf
Stream swirls against her western
shores. yet a sixth of her land
area lies above the Arctic Circle.
Long and narrow, Sweden is ap-
preciably larger than California
approximately 200 miles wide and
1000 miles long.
Travel is exceptionally easy. Ten
thousand miles of railroad, mostly
electrified, lace the countryside,
plus bus and air lines. Prices at
hotels - undoubtedly the world
cleanest. from $3.50, single
up. Dinners are as little as 20
cents. Food.in a hunger pinched
Europe, is astonishingly abundant
except for smorgasbord built to
lavish legend in New York res
taurants and surviving only in a
contracted form for visitors to
Sweden.
Only drinking is difficult Be-
ing realists, the Swedes will have
nothing to do with prohibition
they simply entangle tipping in
such a maze of ration books and
regulations that per capita con-
sumption of spirits during the past
80 years has been cut in half No
hard liquor can be ordered with
out ordering a meal. on the other
hand, no one forces the drinker 10
eat the meal. This frequently re-
suits though no Swedish res
taurant would admit it publicly
in something called a ''presenta-