Conference turris::scandia

Group soc.culture.nordic
article 376

From: [email protected] (Steve Schonberger)
Subject: Reservations (was July airfares)
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA

When I was in Oslo, I rented an apartment from an acquaintence of my
girlfriend, so I didn't have to deal with reservations.  When we went to
Bergen, where both of us were tourists instead of just me, we simply went
to the touist information booth in a square just north of the fish market,
and asked them about where a low cost hotel was that was reasonably
convenient.  They refered us to a very classy, very convenient one that
just happened to have their rates discounted heavily, to only 500 Kroner
(about $70, in a place where an economy place like a Motel 6 typically
costs over $50), because of either the season (late May), day of week (a
Monday I think), or fluctuation in occupancy.  That was a better price
and a much nicer hotel than we would have gotten with ordinary advance
reservations.  But on the other hand, if we had wandered in like that
with no reservations on a day when a convention was in town taking up all
the nice rooms (which my tourist book says is fairly often in Bergen), we
would have been stuck with an inconvenient or very expensive place.

My conclusion is that sometimes it's good to plan ahead, and sometimes it
works better to just wing it.

For our train reservations (the best way to travel in beautiful Norway,
as far as I and my girlfriend are concerned), she called a few days ahead
(I'm not sure how many), and we picked up and paid for the tickets a day
or two before the trip.  Oslo to Bergen is a popular route because it's
so beautiful, and you don't save anything by waiting, so it's a good idea
to get reservations in advance.                                          

Group soc.culture.nordic
article 389

From: [email protected] (David Walden)
Subject: Re: Reservations (was July airfares)
Organization: Information Sciences Institute, Univ. of So. California

Steve is right.  AND I was right.  Let me clarify my two postings on hotel
and airfares in Scandinavia -

        Scandinavian airfares in July:

             These lower fares are available for flights WITHIN
        Scandinavia, most commonly within one country, although
        there are special SAS roundtrip airfares in July for trips
        between Scandinavian capitols.  Flights within Sweden, for
        example, are usually by Linjeflug.  Flights within Norway
        are usually by Braathen/SAFE or Wideroe.  Flights between
        Stockholm and Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen are by SAS.

             There is a special airfare available for purchase here
        in the U.S. equally cheap, which involve five flights for X
        amount of dollars, available from SAS.  But you have to book
        the exact flights (day and minute) while here, and each hop is
        considered a "flight".  From Trondheim to Nord Kap is 4 or 5 hops.
        I detest fixed travel schedules, so I have always ignored this
        scheme.


        Hotel reservations:

             Especially in Norway, hotel space IS tight.  Not so
        tight in July, since most hotel space is used by businessmen,
        but still tight.  My advice is (and was) to call ahead.  Call
        from here to make your first reservation, wherever you plan to
        first lay your head down.  Thereafter, just call the next city
        from the city you are currently in.  In three summers which
        have always included at least two countries, I have never had
        to do any more than that.  By the way, it seems the better hotels
        have the bargain summer rates.  In Narvik, I was appalled to learn
        AFTER I had checked into a crummy hotel, that I could have stayed
        in the ritziest hotel in town that had a sumptuous smo"ga^sbord
        for just $4 more per night.  AND, it was the closest hotel to
        the train station and I wouldn't had to take a taxi!  In Stockholm,
        I found by asking at the tourist office that the Diplomat Hotel
        in O"stermalm, overlooking Djurga^rden and 4 short blocks from
        the center of town, had the same summer price for rooms as I was
        paying at a crummy dive.  But, too bad, the "computer" said all
        the "special price rooms" were taken.  Not believing in "computers",
        I called the hotel myself, and what do you know, they still had
        a few "special price rooms" available.  I've stayed there twice,
        now.  On the second visit, they greeted me by name as I approached
        the counter, although I hadn't been there for a year.  The "special
        price rooms" are small with a view of rich peoples' balconies rather
        than Djurga^rden, but they are comfortable, well-furnished, and
        the all-you-can-eat breakfasts are excellent.  The telephone has
        never failed me in Scandinavia.  Try it.


                                Hej da^,
                                Dave Walden                                 

Group soc.culture.nordic
article 473

From: [email protected] (David Walden)
Subject: hamburgers
Organization: Information Sciences Institute, Univ. of So. California 

In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (Anders Andersson) writes:
>                           
>And life style isn't that different, only the sheer size and taste of the
>hamburgers.

    I'm glad you chose to bring that up, Anders.  I was afraid no one would
    have the courage to mention that on a public net. And that is why the
    hell do you guys make such lousy hamburgers? I swear, even the Burger
    King in Copenhagen was bad!  And the MacDonald rip-offs in Oslo, Bergen
    and Trondheim - forget it. They tasted like herringburgers.  In Pitea^
    they were gelatinous. In Uppsala I think they were leftover korv
    casings.  In Visby I had to give up and order a pizza (and then I gave
    up again).

    Don't Vikings believe in eating things that look like pasture patties? 
    Just WHAT is your problem?

                          Dave Walden
                          [email protected]                     

Re: 347.1

Cheap fares with SAS between the major Scandinavian cities went 
into effect on July 1st. You can now fly Copenhagen - Oslo or 
Copenhagen - Stockholm for 600 DKr. (about 80 US$). This is 
dirt cheap when you realise that the boat to Oslo is 800 DKr. at
it's cheapest and it costs around 900 DKr. in ferries and gas to 
drive to Oslo (assuming the car is free).

Cheap fares to and from Copenhagen from New York can be had from
Tower Air. Last summer I flew to NY for 208 US$ round trip (on a
cancellation - the normal ticket cost around 430 US$). 


Re: 347.2

This entry must be a joke, right? Could it really be true that 
someone would travel abroad limiting himself to eating (and
criticising) foreign Whoppers and Big Macs? If I didn't suspect 
that it wasn't a hoax I would consider the entry amusing.

That said, I must add that I occasionally take my 2 little boys 
to eat at the McDonalds across from Tivoli Gardens. Being both
holders of American passports I don't want them to miss out on
their cultural inheritance...


Med venlig hilsen,

Geoff Rummel

.3> I don't want them to miss out on their cultural inheritance...

Sad but true.  In the U.S. a small town is no longer small when it has a
McDonald's to "civilize" it, so it is commonly said.  Wendy's is the only place
to go anyway (grin).

I bet the fish sandwiches are better than the burgers, though.

    From: [email protected] (Atle Bjanes)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Summary: The Place to Go north of the Arctic Circle
    Keywords: arctic circle, lofoten, vesteraalen
Date: 12 Apr 90 14:56:46 GMT
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY
 
In article <[email protected]> [email protected] writes:
>My wife (who has never seen the midnight sun) and I plan to travel in
>northern Scandinavia in late June.  Could anyone recommend places to
>stay and/or eat north of the Arctic circle?
>
 
    My wife and I toured Northern Norway for two brief weeks summer of 87. 
    We concentated on Norway.  The highlight of the trip was the islands of 
    Vesteraalen and Lofoten.  By far the most majestic and spectacular
    scenery we ever saw.  We were blessed with 22 - 24 degree (C) weather. 
    Fishing,  hiking, meeting friendly locals, walking on some of the
    whitest beaches going etc. etc....  We climbed a couple of mountains
    and went on a fishing trip on a fishing boat.  There are whaling
    cruises too, although we didn't do this one.  We camped, and thus
    cooked our own food - excellent :-) food. Lodging should be done at
    "rorbu" - these are small cottages found in the  many fishing villages. 
    I could go on and on - this will be our primary target next time we
    tour Northern Norway.
 
	- Atle Bjanes
	  76 West St. # 2
	  Green Island, NY 12183
	  (518) 270-8384
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    From: [email protected] (Lennart Boerjeson @ KTH/LNE, 
    The Royal Inst. of Tech.)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: hotels in Helsinki & Stockholm
    Date: 18 Apr 90 08:20:03 GMT
    Organization: KTH School of E.E.
 
    In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
    writes:
    
    >
    >I'll be spending a week at a conference in Helsinki in late August.
    >The conference organizers are offering accomadations in "Summer
    >Hotels" for FIM 180-250 single, FIM 250-320 double. I understand that
    >these summer hotels are really student dorm rooms. This sounds a
    >little expensive for dorm rooms. Does anyone know if this is really
    >the going rate? I'm a graduate student with little extra money to
    >spare, so it would really help to economize a little. 
    >
    >I'll also be going to a conference in Stockholm in earlier in August.
    >Does anyone know if there is something similar to a summer hotel in
    >Stockholm? Or does anyone know what a reasonable rate for hotels would
    >be?
    >
    
    There is no such thing as a "reasonable" rate for hotels in
    Stockholm...
 
    There are summer hotels (student dorms). The rate is (approx.) 450-500
    SEK for one week. Contact SSSB (Stockholms Studentbostaeder),
    Koersbaersvaegen 4C. Postal address: SSSB Sommarhyr, Box 5654, S-11489
    Stockholm. Phone: int+46-8-166109 (only May 15 to Sep 15), or 150340
    rest of the year.
 
    The cheapest alternative ought to be youth hostels (which in Sweden are
    called "vandrarhem" (walker's/wanderer's/trekker's home) and are used
    by people of all ages). The most popular is the sailing ship "af
    Chapman", permanently anchored at Skeppsholmen. Rate is 75 SEK per day
    for members in any internationally recognized youth hostel
    organisation. You must book well in advance, preferably NOW. Postal
    address: Segelfartyget af Chapman, S-11149 Stockholm. Phone:
    int+46-8-103715.
 
    !++
    ! Lennart Boerjeson, System Manager
    ! School of Electrical Engineering
    ! Royal Institute of Technology
    ! S-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
    ! tel: int+46-8-7907814
    ! Internet: [email protected]
    !--

    From: [email protected] (Ian Watson)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Date: 2 May 90 00:18:51 GMT
    Organization: Harvard University Science Center   Cambridge, MA
 
    Re the recent question about ferry service from Iceland to Europe, the
    company that does it is Smyril Line, based in Torshavn in the Faroes. 
    They have an office in Reykjavik (Norraena Ferdhaskrifstofan,
    Laugavegur 3, 101 Reykjavik, tel. +354 1 626362) and the head office is
    in Torshavn (PO Box 370, 110 Torshavn, tel. +298 15900).  
    
    The ferry arrives and departs from Seydhisfjordhur in Iceland on
    Thursdays from June-Aug.  You can take it via the Faroes to Lerwick
    (Shetlands), Bergen (Norway), or Hanstholm (Denmark). One way fare
    Iceland-Hanstholm, for example, was DKK 1960 last year, a 2-night 
    Faroese stopover at your expense while the ship sails to Norway and
    back.
    
    But remember that you will have to pay fairly big bucks to get from
    Reykjavik to Seydhisfjordhur to begin with (last summer it was about
    $100 one-way on the plane).   Smyril Line does run a deal where you can
    fly one way between Reykjavik and the continent on Icelandair, and take
    the boat the other way between Seydhisfjordhur and the continent (e.g.
    to Denmark 3710kr).  There are also student (25%) and low season
    (another 25%) discounts.  
    
    From experience I can say that the ferry is a little shabby; couchette
    class  can be an aromatic experience.  All in all the ferry is OK, but
    usually not competitive with Icelandair for transatlantic service from
    America to Europe via Iceland. 
 
    Ian Watson

    From: [email protected] (Holm-Kjetil Holmsen)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Oslo to Bergen
    Date: 9 May 90 12:34:10 GMT
 
    By all means: Take the _train_ from Oslo to Bergen.  I've recomended
    this trip to many people I have met, and they have all liked it!
 
    The trip takes 8 hours, 5 if you take the "express".  That way you will
    get a good "cross section" of the norwegian landscape: The eastern part
    with forrests and valleys, the central part with mountans, glaciers and
    "fjell viddene" [what is the translation of this ??] and the western
    part with really narow, deep fjords.  Alass you'll miss all the other
    good parts of Norway, but hopefully you will be back :-)
 
    The price??  If I remember correctly  ~ 500 NKr, but I might be wrong
    as I (still :-) ) get a student discount of 50%...
 
    I've been taking this trip at least once a year for the last 5 years,
    and i havent tired of it yet!  Whether it is in the summer, winter,
    spring or fall, come snow, rain or sun it is allways spectaculare, and
    you meet other people.  You might even get to talk to a norwegean (if
    you try hard enough :-) ).
 
    Best wishes on your trip to Norway from an Oslo-boy with relatives in
    Bergen!
 
    Holm-Kjetil Holmsen
    [email protected]

    From: [email protected] (rosita.p.chung)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Oslo to Bergen
    Summary: Time vs. Scenery..
    Date: 10 May 90 23:26:09 GMT
    Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
 
  
	If you have the time and want to see the great fiords and
	the glaciers via Jostedalbreen and Sognefjorden, which
	I think is unmatched in beauty, then the land transportation
	would be the best. And you will also take the ferries
	thru very scenic lakes with many waterfalls flowing from
	the mountains.
 
 	Of course if you have already taken this route and is pressed
	for time, then flying might be the best choice.
 
        Rosita Chung
	AT&T Bell Labs
	Holmdel, NJ

    From: [email protected] (Peter Ahlskog INF)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: car travel Denmark-Sweden
    Date: 14 May 90 06:38:00 GMT
    Organization: Abo Academy, Finland
                                
    In-reply-to: [email protected]'s message of 12 May 90 22:26:54 GMT
 
  In article <[email protected]> [email protected] 
    writes:
   >I am going to be traveling by car from Hamburg to Turku this summer and
   >plan to go from Denmark to Sweden, and then on up to Stockholm to catch
   >the ferry to Turku. Does any one have advice on the ferries from Denmark
   >to Sweden? which are the easiest to find given the fact that I'll be 
   >driving in that area for the first time? Any other advice would be 
   >appreciated.
 
    Well..why not take a ferry from Puttgarden and 50 minutes you are in
    Roedby then straight away through to Helsingoer (north of Kopenhagen),
    about 2,5-3 hours drive and then another ferry (20 minutes) and you are
    in Helsinborg (Sweden). Than it's the E4, straight to Stockholm 700-800
    kilometers and 90 km/h limit all the way. From Stockholm to Turku you
    can choose between Silja Line and Viking Line ferries. No big big
    difference..both are excellent. Remember to mention you are a student
    (if you are) and you get 50% discount. There are good signs all the
    way! No problems!
 
    Buy your liquer (if you like liquer, at least you could bring me a
    bottle of Gammel Dansk :-) on the ferry between Puttgarden and
    Roedby..it's probably the cheapest in Europe there!
 
    bye...
    --
    #######################################################################
    #  I'd rather have a sister on a brothel than a brother on an H-D!	  #
    #									  #
    #  Peter "Ale" Ahlskog			e-mail: [email protected] #
    #                                                                     #
    #  Department of Computer Science					  #
    #  Abo Academy University,		FINLAND				  #
    #######################################################################

    From: [email protected] (Svein-Ivar Lillehaug)
    Newsgroups: rec.travel,soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: the Nordic countries, was Re: Swedish Lappland
    Date: 22 May 90 21:07:56 GMT
    Organization: FORUT - Found. of Applied Research at Univ. of Tromsoe, 
    Norway.
 
    To all of you people out there with questions concerning the Nordic
    countries ( NORWAY, Sweden, Denmark, Finland ( Suomi ), Iceland and the
    Faeroe Islands ):
 
    Put those questions into the newsgroup soc.culture.nordic Among a lot
    of noisy americans you will also find several nordic people who can
    answer your questions.
 
 
    In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (Dr. Joe
    Istvan) writes:
    
    >
    >     I am planning a brief tour of Swedish Lappland during the second half
    > of June. I would very much appreciate receiving some advice about the
    > best way to reac Lulea from Stockholm, and how to get around while in
    > Northern Sweden. 
 
    Take the train. It will take you from Stockholm via Luleaa trough the
    Lappland and down in a beautifull Norwegian fjord to Narvik. The last
    part of that trip ( from the boarder ) will give you a marvellous
    "neverforgetting" scenery! After that I will recomend that you do
    continue by boat to the Norwegian island group called Lofoten. You want
    find anything like those islands on this earth ( if the weather is good
    ). Swedish Lappland is nothing in the summertime except from the
    mountains like Kebnekaise and Sarek ( and the mosquitos of course ).
 
    >In particular, is there a cheaper alternative to
    > renting a car than going to a major rental company? (e.g., Hertz or Avis)
 
    Don't know. Put this question into soc.culture.nordic. You will find a
    lot of active swedish netters in this group.                
 
    >   Also, does anyone have recommendations about particularly good places
    > to hike in Northern Sweden at this time of year?
 
    Go by train to Kiruna, then by bus to Nikkaloukta ( a lapptown ). From
    there it might be possible to get a lift to Kebnekaise Fjaellstasjon 
    (the mountain "station" ). And then it's one your feet into the mountain
    area, including the top of Kebnekaise of course.
 
    Or you could take the train to another lapptown called Jokkmokk, then
    by bus to Kvikkjokk ( funny names, he he.. ) and you will be on the
    door to Sarek Nationalpark. Sarek has a lot of beautifull mountains.
 
    Ha en god tur og med hilsen
    Svein-Ivar
 
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   ~ Svein-Ivar Lillehaug            ~                                   ~
   ~ TF/FBT                          ~ [email protected]               ~ 
   ~ Box 2806  Elverhoey             ~                                   ~
   ~ N-9000  TROMSOE                 ~ Teleph.:  +47 83 80150            ~
   ~ NORWAY                          ~ Telefax:  +47 83 82420            ~ 
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    From: [email protected] (Lennart Boerjeson @ KTH/LNE,
	The Royal Inst. of Tech.)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Where to go by bicycle in Sweden?
    Date: 5 Jun 90 10:17:05 GMT
    Organization: KTH School of E.E.
 
 In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Kees  van der Wal)
 writes:
 >I'm planning to have a camping trip (by bicycle) in Sweden in July.
 >
 >Coming from Finland via the Aaland Islands and entering Sweden, what is the 
 >nicest part of Sweden to make a trip? Going north into the (boring?) woods 
 >toward Lappland or south into the more populated areas?
 >
 >My prime interest is cycling along quiet and scenic roads (asfalt or "decent"
 >gravel). Mountainous routes are no problem; I've got low gears.
 >
 >Any suggestions?
 >
                        
    There are routes prepared along the coast. Maps are available from 
 
    Cykelfraemjandet
    Box 6027
    S-10231 Stockholm
    tel: int+46-8-321680
 
    Personally, I would say go south, bypass Stockholm on the ferries
    through the archipelago, and follow the the coast. Avoid the woods,
    unless you like watching trees *forever*... :-)
 
    I you'd like the mountains, cross Sweden northwestward a go south along
    the coast of Norway.
 
 
    !++
    ! Lennart Boerjeson, System Manager
    ! School of Electrical Engineering
    ! Royal Institute of Technology
    ! S-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
    ! tel: int+46-8-7907814
    ! Internet: [email protected]
    !--

    From: [email protected] (David Walden)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Observations
    Keywords: kondomer
    Date: 20 Jun 90 00:57:05 GMT
    Organization: Information Sciences Institute, Univ. of So. California
 
 
    	   During my recent trip to Greece via Stockholm, I noted a bunch
    of	things which don't fall into any neat category, but which are
    useful in taking up bandwidth.  To wit:
 
 
    LONG HAIR IS BACK FOR WOMEN
 
    	   Halleluja!  Swedish women are wearing their hair long again!	
    They no longer look like army recruits or bull dykes but rather have	
    a softer more feminine look.  Unfortunately, they also are harder to	
    distinguish from American women.  (See "Topless Racers".)
 
    EARTH COLORS
 
    	   The new colors this season are Earth Colors, just like in the
    U.S.  The problem is that the traditional summer colors in Scandinavia
    is white, snow white.  In past summers, pastels, PALE pastels have been
    the rage.  (Combined with blond hair and pale blue eyes, the
    combination of white cottons, a pastel shirt and a summer tan is a
    knock-out.)	In the summer of '86, THE pastel color was a cool
    frosty-pale mint green.  EVERY possible article of clothing, including
    socks, belts, handkerchiefs and undershorts were available in this
    (what I call) Powder Green.  I even saw a motorcycle, including its
    alloy wheels, painted with this color.  In the summer of '88, blue/gray
    and stone-washed blue denim were popular.  No problem, as these colors
    mixed with white quite well.  In Sweden, the gourmands of color
    prefered bright solid red with their summer whites.  The ideal was to
    look like a pack of Winstons.  No problem again.  Just buy a red shirt
    or a red jacket.  (Women also bought a red purse.)  But this year,
    Earth Colors - mustards, olive drab, mango and stone browns - just
    don't go well with white.  In late May, the window dressers were going
    nuts trying to integrate them with white.  By early June, they had
    finally gotten it together.  They settled on two solutions: dominante
    white with just one or one-and-a-half pieces in an earth color, or all
    earth colors.  Others just gave up and ignored earth colors.  They went
    with floral or fruit prints on a white background.  Ugh.
 
    WOMENS'S BAGGY JEANS
 
    	   Have you ever noticed that the jeans on Scandinavian women never	
    seem to fit right?  There's always this little gather in the back at	
    the waist and at the cleavage of the butt.  I used to think that they	
    bought them large to allow for winter corporal expansion, but now I	
    don't think so anymore.  I think no one is importing jeans to Scandi-	
    navia which are cut for women.  Women's jeans should be wider in the	
    seat and smaller at the waist.  If a woman buys men's jeans to fit her	
    butt, it will be too wide at the waist - and the dreaded gathers will	
    appear.  Someone will do Scandinavian womanhood a great favor (and	
    make several million kronor/kroner) if they just import jeans cut for	
    women.   
    
	
    LESS FEMALE TOPLESSNESS
 
    	   In the summer of '86, I pulled into Stockholm with the first	
    arrival of that year's warm weather.  The next day, a Saturday,	
    Mariebergsparken was wall-to-wall sunbathers - all ages and sexes.	
    Virtually all of the women were topless.  This was quite facinating	and
    interesting to me.  Female breasts with a tan to match the rest of the
    body appeared quite attractive, and I felt I was in the Land of	
    Englightenment.  But now, in 1990, the populaity of public female	
    breast exposure seems to be waning.  At Mariebergsparken last week,	
    only about 20% of the female breasts were abroil.  I am deeply alarmed	
    by this apparent trend.  Has there been a recent spate of articles in	
    the Swedish papers about skin cancer?  About sexual assaults by	
    gawkers from L.A.?  About ultra-violet rays causing skin sagging?	
    This conservative trend must NOT be allowed to continue.
 
    THE LAND OF CYPHER DOORS
 
    	   I have never seen so many cypher doors as in Stockholm. 
    Virtually all office buildings have a cypher door preventing free
    access to upper floors - even ground floors if there is no business
    there serving the walk-in public.  I can't figure it out.  Does
    this imply a scarcity of labor to man receptionist desks, or a high
    crime rate or a high incidence of urination by drunks in building
    foyers?
 
    THE WOMAN WITH A SK�NE ACCENT
 
    	   I have the tape that goes with the Swedish language book	
    "Nyb�jarsvenska".  In it, a woman named Ulla Nilsson has a thick Sk�ne	
    accent, but her voice sounds much older than the character she
    portrays.	She sounds very tired and a bit smug.  I had heretofore
    attributed it to a case of miscasting.  But surprise, there was a woman
    of about 30 on the Fritidsresor tour who spoke just like that.  The
    first few times I heard her speak, I kept looking around for the
    speaker, not believing that this 30-ish woman sitting nearby was the
    50-ish woman I was hearing.  When I realized I was actually sitting in
    the presence of Ulla Nilsson of Storgatan 12, Lund, I about cracked up.
 
    CONSTERNATION OF A SWEDISH IMMIGRATION OFFICER
 
    	   Coming back from Santorini, I had to pass through Swedish
    customs at midnight with the rest of the returning Swedish tour group.
    Fridtidsresor tour groups are as familiar to Swedish customs officers
    as pickled herring.  But not with a stray American embedded in them. 
    The woman customs officer about had a mental gridlock whe I came along.	
    She kept looking at my passport and consulting her computer data base
    and asking me where I had just come from.  The other Swedish tourists
    in the adjacent line just kept passing through, but this customs
    officer wouldn't let me pass without first figuring out just what it
    was that I was obviously up to.  Finally, after going through her main
    loop a couple hundred times, she gave up and let me pass with a
    continued look of consternation and puzzlement.  She's probably still	
    wondering just what it was that got by her.
 
    THE THREE SWEDES & THE NUDE BLACK MAN
 
    	   I witnessed an interesting display of provincialism shown by a	
    Swedish-speaking trio as they strolled along Elia Beach on Mykonos,	
    Greece.  Elia is the most remote and laid-back of the five south-shore	
    clothing-optional beaches on Mykonos.  Which is not to say it is	
    primitive - there are beach umbrellas and lounge chairs set out on the
    sand and a beachside tavern which serves decent food to the sun-	
    worshippers.  On one of the lounge chairs lay a nude black man who,	he
    later told me, was an American from Galveston.  As the Swedes (a man
    and two women) walked along, one of the women looked over and saw this
    guy and squealed.  She gasped and said something and chattered on in
    amazement.  The man in the group said something about	
    "pigmentering" and they all looked until their heads about swiveled
    off.  I guess they couldn't imagine why a black man would even want to
    lie	in the sun like the rest of us.
 
    TRONDHEIM'S CONDOM SHOP
 
    	   I called a deskgirl at Hotell Augustin in Trondheim, Norway, to
    say	Hi, and she mentioned that the shop next door in the same building
    has	become a specialty condom shop.  This is especially facinating as
    the	breakfast room of the hotel is on the second floor and has an
    interior	balcony window that overlooks the shop.  I assume that the
    try-on room	has a ceiling over it.
 
    THE POSTOFFICE ON REGERINGSGATAN
 
    	   If it's 6:05 p.m. and you HAVE to buy stamps for your pile of
    postcards TODAY, do not despair.  Although other postoffices in
    Stockholm	close at 6:00 p.m., the one on Regeringsgatan (near
    McDonald's) is open until 6:30 p.m.
 
    	   I asked for the requisite number of stamps from one of the
    clerks there in English.  He replied in English and then started
    counting out the stamps, muttering to himself the English numbers.  I
    said "Oh, you count in English!"  For some reason he and all the clerks
    thought that was very funny and they all had a big laugh.
 
    TOPLESS RACERS
 
    	   As I stood in the "terminal" at Santorini's airport, waiting for	
    our 727 to arrive, I spotted two good-looking blonds standing nearby.	
    Thinking that everyone there was a member of the Fritidsresor tour	
    group (which was almost true), I remarked to myself "wouldn't you	
    know it!  The one week that I'm away from Kamari the beautiful girls	
    showed up on the Fritids tour."  Despite the fact I had a mouth full	
    of ham sandwich, I went up to them and said "Hi, are you two on the	
    Fritidsresor tour?"  The tall one said "What?  What did you say?"	I
    pointed to my mouth, swallowed, and repeated my question.  The tall	one
    again said "What?  Free Teets Racer?  Is that what you said?	
    What's a Free Teets Racer?"
 
    	   They were Americans, the tall one of Danish descent and the
    short one of half-Swedish descent.  They had been staying in Fira, the
    main town, and they hadn't heard about the topless racers at Kamari
    Beach.
 
 
 
				H�lsningar,
 
				Dave Walden
				[email protected]

    From: [email protected] (David Walden)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: more observations
    Date: 21 Jun 90 07:43:13 GMT
    Organization: Information Sciences Institute, Univ. of So. California
 
 
    	[The humble computer programmer from L.A. continues to report on	
    conditions at the outlet of Lake M�laren.]
                                  
    PEDDLERS ON DROTTNINGGATAN
 
    	   I was in a bit of a shock as I surveyed Drottninggatan north	of
    Ahlens and Sergelstorg.  There were no peddlers!  What happened?	
    There were ALWAYS peddlers there.  They sold stuff like junk jewelry,	
    darkglasses, novelty T-shirts - you know the kind.  They set their	
    wares right out in the middle of the pedestrian street on blankets and
    every school girl and housewife from Tr}ngsund stops to admire and
    sometimes buy their stuff.  But the street was totally clear now!	
    Just pedestrians.  And the street was no fun anymore.  Just shop	
    windows and pedestrians.  Boring.  I was told that there had probably	
    been a police sweep.  Unthinkable, but it sometimes happens.  Now the
    tourists are told about "Europe's largest flea market" somewhere out in
    the suburbs.  Who cares!  The peddlers belong on Drottninggatan.
 
    	   I got back from Greece, and lo and behold!  Peddlers again! 
    Color!  Beautiful junk all over the street for blocks!  Ah, some things
    will never change in this world.  But what's this?  They're picking up
    their blankets and rushing to the sides of the street.  "Who me,
    officer?  I'm just standing here holding a big blanket with my	
    picnic lunch for me and my friends."  Two uniformed police officers	
    slowly strolled up Drottninggatan, eyes straight ahead, accompanied	by
    a shopkeeper complaining, presumably about peddlers blocking his	
    customers.  It soon became apparent why the police steadfastly kept	
    their gaze straight ahead.  Less than ten yards behind them the
    peddlers were rushing back to the center of the street to lay out their
    "picnic" blankets again.
 
    GALLANTA DAMER
 
    	   Two attractions had escaped me during previous visits to the	
    Venice of the North.  One was Kakn�stornet, the communications tower	
    overlooking Stockholm and the U.S. Embassy.  (I went to the top and	
    took a picture of the U.S. Embassy.)  :)  The other was Bacchi Wapen	
    on the female strip night.  The show is "Gallanta Damer", a saucy and
    risque' strip show for men only.  Ooooh, I'd imagined this show for
    years and wanted to see it, but timing or weather always conspired to
    keep me from seeing this Swedish striptease.  What could it be that	
    would turn on a frigid Norseman, a creature who was bored by the sight	
    of two thousand female breasts sunbathing at Mariebergsparken?  What	
    would race the pulse of a dolt who doesn't even look at the women	
    sunning their crotches during lunch hour on the steps of the music
    hall? This show must be stupendous!  It must be sizzling!  I better
    wear double undershorts!
 
    	   So I casually strolled in to Bacchi Wapen, my tongue hanging out	
    all over my shirt, undershorts bunching up.  The guys were starting to	
    crowd into the "show room" already.  They were drinking and there was	
    a lot of pushing and shoving to stake out a good ogling position.  I	
    squeezed into place and stood my ground like I had suction cups on my	
    feet.  After a while, the announcer apparently felt that the place had	
    gotten rowdy enough, and he started his build-up.  And then, without	
    further ado, the Gallanta Damer!  Yayyyy!!
 
    	   They came onto the tiny stage, four young women with black wigs,	
    doing a vampy number.  Lighting effects, occasional strobes, fog,	
    guys yelling, but no titillation.  Hmmm.  Maybe it comes later.  Maybe	
    they hit you suddenly, right between the eyes with a girl-and-donkey	
    act.  But no.  It went on like that.  Very mild, like a high school	
    variety show.  Twice a number ended with a woman taking off her top,	
    but there was always an arm in the way of her breast.  Whaaat the	
    hell?  I get more turned on looking at prosthetic brassiere ads.  Big
    let-down.  The women out in the bar, waiting for all the horny men to
    come out, are more exciting.
 
    	   Two days later, I'm having lunch at Ahlens with a young woman I	
    know from L.A.  I tell her I went to see Gallanta Damer, and she says	
    "My friend is one of the dancers!  If you had told me, I would have	
    introduced you to her!  Did you see her?  She's the one with red	
    hair! (under her wig)"  I WOULD like to meet that woman.  I'd tell her	
    to get a donkey.
 
    GYMNASIUM GRADUATES
 
    	   My Guess jeans were starting to inspire wrong answers, so I
    walked a couple blocks to leave them at a laundry.  On the way, I
    passed Carlsson school, a private gymnasium in Stockholm.  The kids
    were loading onto a truck which followed a another truck carrying a
    band.  It looked like the beginning of a yacht party because everyone
    had on what looked like a captain's hat with a brass button at the
    crown.  For some reason, the town was full of kids going to yacht
    parties that day.
 
    	   The next day, about 10:00 in the morning, I hear a band outside	
    the hotel.  I look out my window, and a short block away, a brass	
    band goes marching across Drottninggatan and on through town	
    followed by more yacht captains.  Everybody is having a grand time	
    marching through town behind the band making a big show and noise	and
    acting totally un-Swedish.  An hour later, the same band goes	
    marching by again, this time followed by much younger kids, some	
    with parents holding their hands.  I'm finally told those are school	
    graduates.  Marching through town is a kind of announcement to the	
    world of their achievement.  Somehow, I feel more kids in the U.S.	
    would graduate if it meant marching through town behind a brass	
    band with everyone in town looking on.
 
    "CAPTAINS HATS"
 
    	   All those captain's hats had me in a quandry in Stockholm.  I	
    realized one day that I would be out in the sun, and I had already	
    gotten a very bad sunburn on my forhead and amongst my thining hairs
    while on Santorini.  On Santorini, I broke down and bought myself a
    captain's hat.  It worked quite well, it looked good on me, and by
    turning it backwards, it would even stay on while I rode a motorcycle.	
    But if I wore it in Stockholm, everyone would think I was trying to
    look like a gymnasium graduate.  So as I sat in the sun at	
    Tessinparken, talking to a Swedish girl who wants to come to L.A. to
    study, I had to think of some way to protect my head from the same sun
    that she and her ray-hungry Swedish friends were reveling in.  I
    finally settled on leaning back in my garden chair and folding my	
    hands on top of my head.  I thought I looked pretty casual, but now	I
    suspect I looked like a tethered hot air balloon.
 
    AIRPORT TOILETS
 
    	   If you're like me, you HATE going to the john on a plane.  There	
    are always people ahead of you and behind you, the seat is all wet,	it
    smells funny, and you're afraid of getting sucked in if the holding	
    tank bursts.  So you fast before the flight.  And during the flight,	
    you avoid caffeine (coke, coffee, tea) and alcohol, anything that	
    will send you sauntering down that aisle to the john.  But when you	get
    off the plane, the first thing you look for is fast, Fast, FAST	
    relief!  Fortunately, northern European airport toilets are a joy.	A
    real home away from home.  Amsterdam and Copenhagen have the best	
    I've experienced.  Oslo and Stockholm are good, too.  I'm talking	
    about dry seats and floors, walls and doors that reach to the floor	(no
    swatting advances by your leering neighbor), hooks to hang	things, and
    enough toilet paper to wrap a few mummies.
 
    	   Previous satisfying experience has endeared me to the toilet	
    stalls in the domestic section of Arlanda airport.  But this time,	I
    flew into Arlanda after an international flight, and I was alarmed	by
    the crowd rushing to the men's room after we disembarked.  I	
    peeked in, and men were waiting in LINE in front of the stalls.  I	
    just wouldn't feel comfortable doing it in such a feverish environment.	
    So I continued down the concourse, hoping that somehow I would discover	
    another men's room further along.  But no.  I went down the steps	
    toward customs, and lined up for the customs interrogation.  But as	I
    looked around, I spotted a small unobtrusive men's room to my left	and
    back a ways from the crowd.  I left the line and entered the	
    room.  There were two stalls, totally enclosed rooms, each with its	own
    radiator, hooks, locking door, mirror and wash basin and light.  All
    they lacked was a cot for an overnight stay.  I reveled in the	
    luxury of it all, and I sat there and giggled in the comfort.  I made	
    a mental note to go there again and I thank the good people of	
    Stadsverket for keeping it so clean.  You may go there, too, but I	
    have dibs on the stall on the left.
 
    SPARE FOREIGN CURRENCY
 
    	   Sweden has a very good scam going, I think.  It takes the form	
    of large clear plastic balls in several areas of the international	
    section of Arlanda airport.  It invites you to toss in the foreign	
    currency that you have left over from your trip.  The sign says that	
    it will accept any kind of cash - francs, marks, drachmas, even dollars	
    will do.  It saves you from having to go to an exchange booth or to	the
    bank to turn it back into Swedish kronor.  Why, even the banks	
    have caught on to this and they have their plastic balls, too.	
    Every morning somebody puts some "seed" money in the plastic balls	to
    stimulate others to do the same.  It's like those jars that say	
    "Tips".  I guess there's a good cause that the money goes to, but I	
    don't know what it is.  For all I know, it's a pagan offering.  The	
    next time I'm at Arlanda I think I'll offer my Hawaiian puka shells.
 
 
 
				H�lsningar.
 
				Dave Walden
				[email protected]

    From: [email protected] (Gisle Aas)
    Newsgroups: rec.travel,soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Visit Norway tickets
    Date: 22 Jun 90 07:04:12 GMT
    Sender: [email protected] (USENET News System)
    Organization: Norwegain Computing Centre, Oslo, Norway
                                                
    	Current STAND-BY prices for airline tickets inside Norway
 
    The prices are 300 NOK for flights within the south of Norway, and 300
    NOK for flights within the north of Norway. STAND-BY prices for flights
    between the south and the north are 600 NOK.
 
	E.g. Oslo-Bergen: 300 NOK
	     Oslo-Trondheim: 300 NOK
	     Oslo-Troms|: 600 NOK
	     Bod|-Alta: 300 NOK
 
    --
    Gisle Aas               |  snail: Boks 114 Blindern, N-0314 Oslo, Norway
    Norsk Regnesentral      |  X.400: G=Gisle;S=Aas;O=nr;P=uninett;C=no
    voice: +47-2-453561     |  arpa:  [email protected]

    From: [email protected] (Lars Poulsen)     
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic,rec.travel
    Subject: Scandinavian Package Tour Operators
    Keywords: Sterling Airways Tjaereborg
    Date: 9 Jul 90 19:53:42 GMT
    Organization: Rockwell CMC
    
    Sterling Airways is a Danish charter airline; it is owned by the
    Tjaereborg travel agency. A sister company, named CONAIR is owned by
    the SPIES travel agency.
 
    Just as Denmark has two major breweries, Carlsberg and Tuborg, that are
    actually owned by each other while maintaining friendly competition;
    and just as the two largest grocery chains in Denmark, Brugsen and Irma
    may seem to be competing, but Irma is wholly owned by Brugsen, which is
    a non-profit consumer co-operative, the two largest Danish travel
    agencies (with 80 % of the package tour market between them) are
    siamese twins.
 
    These two companies started out very different: Tjaereborg grew out of
    a rural lutheran minister's pilgrimage to Rome with a group from his
    parish in the early 1950's; turned into a bus fleet, and ended up with
    60 hotels around the mediterranean and a private airline. (He stayed a
    minister until his retirement in the late 1970's). Simon Spies was a
    psychologist turned marketeer who affected a "crazy hippie" lifestyle
    while he built his travel empire. (He would buy three seats for the
    royal opera, and show up with his ivory cane and poodle dog, insisting
    that one ticket was for him, one for his cane, and one for his dog.
    They would of course refuse to admit the dog - and his picture would be
    in the paper the next day. He truly believed that all publicity was
    good for business.)
 
    When Simon Spies turned 80, he worried about what would happen to his
    business when he died. He did not want to see it liquaidated to pay
    inheritance taxes. So he married a tall, blonde 23-year-old MBA. When
    he died a couple of years later, she became one of the most attractive
    widows in Europe and soon married a man with a good amount of money of
    his own. When Pastor Krogager wanted to retire from his business, she
    bought him out.
 
    Tjaereborg has sales outlets in several European countries; they have
    tried to market their package tours in the US, but savvy Americans were
    convinced that these deals sounded too good to be true, and it just
    never worked out.
 
    I have used Danish travel agencies several times since I moved to
    California. Once to get to Jerusalem for a week. And once to arrange a
    custom 3-week tour of the Soviet Union for myself and some American
    friends. The biggest obstacle is language. The tours are set up for one
    language per group, and unless you can get attached to a British group,
    it will not be English. ... Say that's an idea. Has anyone from UK used
    these agencies ? How did they stack up against other British package
    tour operators ? 
    
    --  / Lars Poulsen, SMTS Software Engineer CMC Rockwell  [email protected]

    From: [email protected] (Atle Bjanes)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: STAVANGER, NORWAY
    Keywords: Norway in September....
    Date: 19 Jul 90 13:32:21 GMT
    Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY
 
    In article <[email protected]> [email protected]
    (kay.a.akins) writes:
    >Well, I'm definately headed for Norway the 15th of
    >September!!  We'll be staying in Stavanger and Sola.
    >Anyone have any more information on what to see and
    >do in this are?  Thanks...
    >
    >Kay
 
    I am a native of Jaeren, the general area just south of Stavanger. 
    Being slightly biased, this area is without doubt one of the most
    diverse  geographical areas found in Norway - Europe - the World (!!?). 
    Some of the highlights are:
 
 	- Manefoss, a 300 ft. waterfall about 1.5 hrs driving from Sola.

	- Prekestolen (The Pulpit), a rock hanging over the Lysefjord, a 
	  40 km deep and narrow fjord, perhaps the wildest and one of the
	  most spectacular fjords.  The Pulpit is a flat shelf about 25x25
	  meters suspended 600 meters above the fjord.  The view is breath-
	  taking.  It is a 1.5 hour drive and then a 2 - 2.5 hour walk to
	  get there. (Do this one!)

	- The 40 - 50 km of beach coastline south of Stavanger.  My wife, 
	  who has been to Hawaii and Bermuda says these beaches are more 
	  beautiful than the above (although a lot colder).

	- The fjords north and east of Stavanger.  Many ferries leave Stavanger
	  daily to e.g. Tau, take one and drive around the fjord back to 
	  Stavanger.

	- If you have enough time, a great trip is to drive around the entire
	  fjord to Haugesund, then take the ferry back to Stavanger.

	- Drive down Route 44 (called the North Sea Road) to Flekkefjord. 
	  This route offers spectacular views along with quaint and pretty
	  villages.

	- Lysebotn, this is the village at the end of Lysefjord, mentioned
	  above.  You get there by driving up Sirdalen (get someone to show
	  you on the map), and you end up on the access road to Lysebotn which
	  is ~40km.  It descends 800m in 8km with 27 switchbacks and one 340
	  degree tunnel at the end.  This one is a must.  Round trip driving
	  is about 5 hours.

	- There are also daily cruises to Lysefjord, where you can see the
	  Pulpit from down below.  A nice trip, but not as good as being on
	  the top.
	
	Have fun!
 
	Atle Bjanes,  [email protected]

    From: [email protected] (Svein Nordrum)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Iceclimbing in Norway
    Date: 16 Jul 90 06:52:28 GMT
    Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
                                                                  
    Austin,
 
    Concerning Ice Climbing in Norway, I would recommend you to get in
    touch with
 
    Skandinavisk Hoyfjellsutstyr A/S
    Bogstadv. 3
    0354 OSLO 3
    NORWAY
 
    and
 
    Den Norske Turistforening
    Postboks 1963
    Vika
    N-0125 OSLO 1
    NORWAY
 
    I'm quite sure one of these would help you to contact the right people.
    (Skandinavisk Hoyfjellsutstyr is a shop which has specialized in
    climbing, ice climbing etc. Den Norske Turistforening is a national
    wide association for people with interest in mountain hiking )
 
    Regards
    Svein

    From: [email protected] (Magnus Rimvall)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Recommendations?
    Date: 30 Aug 90 10:33:02 GMT
    Organization: Schenectady, NY
 
 
    Bang&Olafsen has a "tax-free store" on Stro"get, Copenhagen. You avoid
    the Danish sales tax, they will ship it Stateside and you pick up the
    US duties. Much cheaper than buying it here, but B&O is never to be had
    at cut rate prices.
 
    BTW: All scandinavian countries have "Tax Free" systems, where you pay
    the full price in the store (member stores only, but most relevant
    stores in Copenhagen and Stockholm are members). When you get to the
    border (e.g. ferry Sweden-Denmark or Airport), you get most of the
    sales tax back (Swedish sales tax is 25% !!!!!!!!).
 
    Magnus Rimvall
 
    Standard Disclaimer

    From: [email protected] (Magnus Rimvall)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Recommendations?
    Date: 3 Sep 90 02:25:16 GMT
    Organization: Schenectady, NY
 
    In article <[email protected]>
    [email protected] (Lars Poulsen) writes:

   >
   >Yes, but ... SAS has always been very strict about carry-on luggage (one
   >piece, of approved dimensions, not to exceed 5 kgs). The customs office
   >that deals with VAT reimbursements is in the departure lounge, *after*
   >checkin and security.
                                                   
    Whereas it is true that you nominally have to show the sealed "goods"
    to get the VAT reimbursement, my experience is that this is not really
    necessary. On the numerous occasions I have used the VAT refund scheme
    (at least 15 trips) I have not once been asked to show the relevant
    sealed packages (SFL ferries in Helsingborg).
 
    Neither have I ever been asked to prove that I am residing abroad (this
    fact does NOT show up in my Swedish passport, which I usually am asked
    to show). I have often wondered wy Swedish residents are not using this
    easy option of saving 25% sales tax (?).
 
   >
   >Has anybody actually used the carry-out procedure for anything other
   >than clothing (such as fur coats) ? Have I missed something obvious ?
 
    Yes, the ferry between Sweden and Denmark :-)
 
    Magnus Rimvall
    Standard Disclaimer

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    From: [email protected] (Dr Erik Tiden)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Recommendations?
    Date: 3 Sep 90 09:20:55 GMT
    Organization: Siemens AG, Munich, W-Germany
 
    In article <[email protected]>
    [email protected] (Lars Poulsen) writes: ....

   >Yes, but ... SAS has always been very strict about carry-on luggage (one
   >piece, of approved dimensions, not to exceed 5 kgs). The customs office
   >that deals with VAT reimbursements is in the departure lounge, *after*
   >checkin and security.
 
    No. At Arlanda, and presumably at Kastrup also, there is a separate
    office _before_ the checkin and security. You can go there, show your
    merchandise, get a piece of paper that ceritfies that you are taking it
    out, check it in at the airline counter, go through passport and
    customs, and then get your refund. It is not at all as complicated as
    it sounds, but allow a little extra time at the airport to do it. 
    
    I once exported six `antique' chairs and got the refund like this: I
    drove the chairs to an international removal firm (Kungsholms express -
    do not use an ordinary freight company, they are too expensive), got
    the man in their office to write the number of the tax refund cheque on
    the freight bill, which showed that the chairs were going abroad. I
    then took this freight bill to the tax refund office, and they gave me
    the refund.
 
    Conclusion: all you have to do is to prove that you are exporting the
    goods. You needen't lug the stuff out personally.
 
    Erik Tiden
 
    PS Till alla svenskar som bor utomlands: Gloem inte att villkoret foer
    att man skall faa momsen tillbaka aer att man aer bosatt utom norden -
    det spelar ingen roll att man aer svensk medborgare. Foer mig har det 
    raeckt att visa mitt arbets- och uppehaallstillstand vid
    skatteaaterbaerings- disken. Om man konsekvent tar `tax-free' checkar
    foer allt man koeper, saa blir det en hacka. DS

    From: [email protected] (Niels Elgaard Larsen)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Recommendations?
    Date: 5 Sep 90 12:36:56 GMT
    Organization: Department Of Computer Science, University Of Copenhagen
 
    I'll quote from the english section of the brochure: "Danish tax-free
    shopping" 
 
 
    WHO BENEFITS FROM THIS SERVICE?
 
    Residents outside the EEC/Scandinavia - e.g. persons from USA,Japan,
    Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Iceland - can get the V.A.T refunded
    if the shopping is done in the same shop, and if the amount exceeds DKK
    600 (inclusive of V.A.T).
 
 
    WHAT TO DO
 
    1. Look for the Danish tax-free Shopping logo in the shop windows and
       do your shopping in the member shop.

    2. Pay the full price (inclusive V.A.T) in the shops and take the goods 	
       with you.

    3. Get the white and green copy of the Tax-Free invoice which has been
       made  out in the shop so that you can get the custom stamp when leaving
       Denmark.

    4. a: Then proceed to the office for cash refunds in Copenhagen
          Airport's transit hall.

       b: Send the tax-free invoice duly stamped to Danish Tax-Free Shopping 
          A/S.

	We will then refund you the V.A.T by:
 	- cheque to your home address
	- credit card
	- or danish bank account

    An administration fee of 5% of the purchase (But not more than DKK 295)
    will be deducted from the refound amount.
 
 
    HOW TO GET CUSOMS STAMPS IN COPENHAGEN AIRPORT
 
    Contact the customs services BEFORE you check in you luggage.

    Between 8 a.m - 4 p.m.: contact the customs services in the departure
    hall.

    Between 4 p.m - 8 a.m.: contact the customs services in the arrival
    hall.

    Remember to bring the goods and the Tax-Free invoice.
 
 
 
    HOW TO GET CASH REFUND IN COPENHAGEN AIRPORT
 
    When your Tax-Free invoice is provided with the custom stamp, pass on
    to the  transit area through the Security Check and turn left. Opening
    hours: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m every day. Currencies: Refunds in DKK, SEK, USD,
    CHF, GBP, DEM and JPY. If you are shopping in the transit area you do
    not need to have the Tax-Free invoice stamped.
 
    Quote off
 
 
    You can get B&O in:
 
    Bang & Olufsen Center
    Oestergade 3
    1000 Koebenhavn K.
  
 
            Niels Elgaard Larsen            | 
            Institute of Datalogy,          | Long before Europe
            University of Copenhagen        | became the focus of world attension,
            E-mail: [email protected]   | it was a focus for The Economist

We found the Swedish Tax Free system better than Danish, simply because it was
possible to do it right at the airport - and we flew out of Kastrup in 
Copenhagen.  They refund in any one of several currencies, the down side being
the poor exchange rate.  Still, money back is money back, $23 for something over
Skr 500 (approx $96) spent last week.  I'm happy.

I believe Denmark requires you to wait for the store to mail you a refund check.

    From: [email protected] (Mary Lamb)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Cycling in Scandinavia: Summary (long)
    Date: 19 Feb 91 16:04:49 GMT
    Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
 
On February 5, I requested information on behalf of my husband's colleague:
 
>A colleague of my husband (elementary school teacher) thinks he
>would like to take a bicycling vacation in Scandinavia this summer.
>He'd like to take his family and either camp or stay in youth hostels,
>or a combination of the two.  Has anybody on the net done this?  Do
>you have any useful information about regions, costs, etc.?  (We have
>tried to persuade him that Norway, while rich in dramatic scenery, is
>perhaps not the best place to plan a cycle trip.)
 
People were very generous and informative in their responses.  It was a lot of
fun to read the replies.  The Norwegians really rose to the occasion.  Here is
a summary of the responses:
 
From: Steinar Bang <[email protected]>
Why not? ;-)
 
From: Brynjulf Owren <[email protected]>
Being a norwegian myself I can highly recommend the part of northern Norway
called Lofoten, perhaps the most beautiful region I have ever been to. It is
suitable for cycling, as the distances are not overwhelming and there are
plenty of small villages to stock up supplies and find accommodation. One can
rent a so called 'rorbu', for about US $40 per night where there is space
enough for a family. These are old houses previously used by fishermen and
they usually comprise cooking facilities and sometimes even a small fishing
boat. Fishing in the sea is of course free.  There are also plenty of places
to camp with a tent. To go to Lofoten it may be a good idea to take Hurtigruta
along the coast from Bergen or Trondheim. But if one depends on having a
cabin, it may already be too late to order.
 
From: [email protected]
You are wrong! The best place to go is in fact Norway! ;-)
 
One of the best bicycle rides in Norway is riding over Hardangervidda from
Haugastoel or Finse to Myrdal and then down the Flaam valley. The road runs
along the railroad line from Oslo to Bergen on the road that was built when
they built the railroad. The road is not asphalt but is still pretty good.
There are no cars! Depending on when the snow melts it's possible to do the
trip in late June to September. It takes about two days if you don't want to
rush. There are inexpensive huts along the way (at least 3) belonging to the
Norwegian Tourist Association. Prices for a night are about 15$ +- . One of
the huts (Finse) is staffed, the others are unstaffed but you can still buy
food. 
When you get down to Flaam you can either take the train back up and go to
Bergen or Oslo or it is possible to take the ferry from Flaam (this is also
incredibly beautiful) to Gudvangen and ride your bike over the mountains
(south) to Voss which is along the railroad from Oslo to Bergen. This is on
ordinary road. Getting from the fjord up on the mountains is a real
killer (about 1000m).
 
I have biked in Norway, Sweden and Denmark and my impression is that you
will probably find that the roads in Norway are in general more narrow
than in the other Scandinavian countries. And there aren't that many
roads dedicated to bicycling (almost none) as there are in Sweden and
Denmark. And there are more hills of course.
But the scenery is so much better! In Sweden and Denmark you will be
going through woods and fields and seldom get a good view of the landscape.
This is not so in Norway where you are going up or down some mountain most of
the time. Well not all the time: Eastern parts and along the south coast of
Norway is pretty flat (and boring). 
 
Another part of Norway which is beautiful and still offers some easy biking is
Lofoten. Lofoten are a group of islands in northern Norway connected by
bridges and ferries. If you don't have a car there are two ways to get
there: Take the Hurtigruten boat which runs along the coast of Norway
(from Bergen) (a bit expensive) or take the train to Bodoe and a ferry
the last part. This last alternative is not too expensive if you have
some kind of a railpass. Lofoten has midnight sun during the summer and
steep mountains rising directly from the sea. The road that crosses the
islands runs between the sea and the mountains so there aren't that many
hills. From Lofoten you can go to Narvik and take the train to Kiruna
(Sweden) and further to wherever you want to go.
 
If you are going biking in Scandinavia I would advise you to bring a tent.
You can pitch your tent (for free) anywhere as long as you are at least
200m from the nearest house and not on cultivated ground. At least you can do
this in Sweden and Norway, in Denmark there are so many camping sites that
there is always one available.
In Norway there are youth hostels along the major roads but not enough to rely
on completely. The Tourist Association has a large number of inexpensive huts
all over Norway but these are rarely alongside roads on which you can bike.
 
Beware of the weather: You can get rain and it can get cold: you can even get
some snow on Hardangervidda (but this is rare in the summer).  You can also
get 20-25 degrees celsius, fantastic scenery and midnight sun!
 
From: Alf Christophersen <[email protected]>
Bicycling in Norway CAN be fine or it may be quite dreadful. I once did it
in the inner Telemark region, I never repeat it. I was beside my bike more
often than sitting on it, half time pushing it up hills and the rest of the
time going beside it with BRAKES on!
  Other parts, like outer part of Rogaland, outer part of the Agder-area
(West- and East-Agder), outer part of Telemark, Vestfold, Buskerud is nice
parts for bicycling. Cheap hotels and youth hotels along the road, but keep
away from the main road, E18. Through eastern part of Aust-Agder, there is
roads along the coast, but also in woodlands. Very nice area.
Western part and northern part of Norway is also nice, but quite a lot
of hills and valleys etc. It is best to use a car in these areas!
 
From: [email protected]
Cycling in Norway is not so bad. I know several people who have done this,
often taking coastal routes to avoid steep hills. Common ways of avoiding
too much work include flying up to the north and cycling down, or taking 
the train up, say to Finse, and cycling downhill to Bergen or Oslo.
If your friend has a mountain bike then there's a route over Hardangervidda
from Finse to Voss (or probably before there) that uses old railway
construction roads. These roads are not used by, or even open to regular
traffic. I believe that you have to get on the train with your bike between
two stations as the cycle track disappears for a while.
Southern and Eastern Norway are the flattest areas.
If your friend should decide that he can tackle the inclines then camping is
no problem if you plan your route well. There are hundreds of camp sites
and it is totally unnecessary to carry a (heavy ?) tent. It is fairly easy to 
get a cabin for anything between kr. 80 and kr. 500 per night. They average
out at about kr. 150. There are usually cabins available, even in the peak
season, if you stop by mid afternoon (3-4 o'clock). Obviously it would be
sensible to ring in advance. Places to avoid (ie no cabins available in the
peak season) include Balestrand and all the places around there (including by
ferry crossing).
I'm sorry I can't remember all of them off the top of my head but it's fairly 
obvious if you look at a map. (I think Vik is one of the places there -
although If I remember rightly there's about 6 or 7 camping sites around Vik
and it should be possible to find room there).
 
From: Melvin Klassen <[email protected]>
Just be prepared for some rain every day (since you're in Seattle,
that should be easy) and for May-like temperatures.
 
From: Erik Lie-Nielsen <[email protected]>
Bicycling in Norway could be just as you says: The most dramatic
scenery of your life...  But you have to know a bit of where to go
because Norway could be very heavy to do by bicycle if you are
trying to cross as many mountains as possible.  And as you
probably know we have a lot of them...
 
First you have to decide how many weeks you are planning to travel.
Next you decide what you want to see, and this is perhaps the
most important:  Are you looking for the most dramatic scenery, are
you looking for the fjords the mountains, nice picturesque villages
glaciers.  It is all possible to reach by bicycle.  But not
too easy.
 
My main recommendation should be a part of Northern Norway called
Lofoten.  Lofoten is a collection of about 5 islands connected with
bridges, and is one of several "main attractions" in Norway.  
Bicycling Lofoten is perfect.  It is almost flat, but the scenery
is the most dramatic and impressive you can ever get - believe me!
The roads passes trough several small old fishing villages,  and
the traffic is minimal. The high mountains rises directly from the sea
and a sight you never forget.   You can get cheap (related to other places
in Norway) lodging in the old fisherman cottages called "rorbuer".
Not luxurious - but very romantic.  If you go in June or early July
you could, if the weather is good, see and feel the midnight sun.
But the weather could also be very tuff with 5 dgr. celsius and cold 
wind.  But if you lucky it could be 25dgr nice summer where the sun
never sets....  Lofoten is perfect for a 2-4 weeks of light cycling.
 
From: Kristin Rypdal <[email protected]>
It might be a bit hilly....(but not everywhere)- some places a
mountain bike is an advantage.  I would suggest that he contact
an organization for bicycling in Norway:
 
Syklistenes Landsforening
Maridals vn. 60
0458 Oslo 4
Norway
Telephone: Nor-02 719293
 
Many people in Norway go to Denmark for bicycling (because Denmark
is totally flat). That does not mean Norway is not suited for
bicycling, one can choose a nice scenery- and not necessarily plan
to move far everyday.  In the mountains you can camp everywhere,
I think SL will have information about hostels, there are plenty
of organized camp sites at more "urban" places.
SL will have also have suggestions for suited bicycle routes.
I am a member, but use my bike mainly in Oslo city and the surrounding
forests.
 
Others recommended Denmark, Sweden, and Finland:
 
From: "Lars P. Fischer" <[email protected]>
Scandinavia is a nice area for bicycling. Denmark and the
southern part of Sweden has a nice terrain for bicycling and good
facilities. Towns are close, there are not too many hills, there are
several special "roads" for bicycling, etc.
 
Norway, Sweden, and Denmark has bicycling associations that publish
special maps and tour proposals. Contacting these would be a good
start. Drop me a note if you would like some addresses.
 
Hmm. Norway is a good place for an exciting trip, but you better make
sure you have good equipment and have done your homework. Trouble
spots: mountains, roads *not* fit for cycling, large town-to-town
distance. It's not impossible, but I'm not sure it would be a good
idea for a first trip. If bicycle vacation is something you do often,
if you know how to fix a broken wheel with very little equipment, etc,
it's another matter.
 
From: Anders Holtsberg <[email protected]>
Well norway might be very nice indeed for cycling. The only
thing he must not forget is to equip his bike with a
harley-davidson motor and a big gasoline tank.
 
Using pedals and muscles instead of gasoline sure makes
other places better. Two very good areas are
 
1) Gotland. Good beaches. Lot of camping places and
   youth hostels. Flat. Visby is an old nice city, though
   it can be crowded during summer.
 
2) Bornholm. Most of the above plus decent beer prices.
   It is smaller than Gotland but for a longer holiday
   South east Skane (especially the coast between Kivik,
   Simrishamn and Kaseberga) is nice too.
 
Write to the turist information for maps, ferry time tables,
addresses to youth hostels etc. There are local turist infos
on both islands.
 
From: Rene' Seindal <[email protected]>
I think Denmark and southern Sweden is the best place to pick.  They are
fairly flat (which is a must for family tours), and the facilities are
quite good.  E.g., almost all major roads in Denmark has separate
bike-lanes.  Denmark is the second most biking nation in Europe, only
beaten by Holland.  Besides, just because the scenery isn't as
overwhelming as that of the Norwegian mountains and fjords, it is still
very beautiful, only in another way.  One thing he will notice in
Denmark is the several thousands medieval village churches, which are
found all over the country.
 
In Denmark there are youth hostels and camping sites all over.  They are
not placed in the most beautiful places, but rather where it is the most
practical.  This sometimes surprises tourists.  They are meant to be
places you sleep and wash, not places you stay.  In youth hostels you
can only stay for three days at a time, unless you make special
arrangements.  Many youth hostels have separate family rooms, but you
shouldn't depend on that, unless you have called them to reserve it.
 
For camping and staying at youth hostels, he will need a camping card.
Temporary cards can be purchased at most camping sites, but it is a
hassle.  He should try to get those cards before hand.
 
One thing he definitely should do, is to contact the Danish Bikers
Union, which can supply him with camping cards, special road maps for
bikers (with all the special bike paths marked and described), and all
sorts of other information.  I went to Prague by bike last summer, and
they even supplied me with original Czech maps for the journey.  They
can get him good maps for all of Scandinavia, and put him in touch with
the associated unions in other countries.  Their telephone number is (or
was until recently; they have just moved): +45 33 32 31 21, from 9.30 to
15.00 MET, thursdays to 17.00 MET.
 
From: [email protected] (Olli Silven)
Denmark is the best country for bicycling holidays. The bike routes
are numerous, safe, and well documented in maps.
And scenery is really good. Denmark is certainly not flat and
dull but quite hilly.
The quality of youth hostels is good in general, and you can get
a family room with a few days advance reservation.
But you cant camp anywhere and overnight camping is allowed only at 
camping sites.
It might be good to know that there are plenty of bloodthirsty 
insects in the northern Scandinavian countries, but less in Denmark.
This cancels out much of the irritating Danish limitations for
camping, hiking and berry picking.
 
From: <[email protected]>
I must recommend a very nice place here, which is famous (here in Sweden) for
the great possibility of bicycling (hmm no good english, or?). It's an island
on the east coast of Sweden, called Oland. (two dots above the O for correct
swedish)  The island is very flat, have a fantastic nature and also some
interesting history. I don't know about youth hostels on the island but there
are a lot of camping sites (or you can just camp almost where you feel like
it).
 In the end of June we celebrate mid summer so please avoid it, lots
of people camp at that time and they like parties!!
 In July have most people have their vacations here in Sweden, avoid it.
Best time is August, it's still warm and not too many people around.
 Of course can you rent bicycles on the island!
 
From: [email protected]
As may be evident, I have some experience of cycling in Sweden. :-)
Furthermore, as a member of the Swedish Cycling Society, SCS, I'm
always eager to promote the activities and routes we offer.
 
Depending on when your friend wants to go, his visit may coincide
with one of the "group rides" SCS arranges during the season. These
are rides of varying lengths and comfort - from a "long week-end"
to two weeks and with accommodation ranging from youth hostels to
summer-evacuated schoolrooms. As an alternative for those who prefer
to ride on their own, SCS has signposted a network of routes
throughout Sweden. These routes all follow roads or paths that have
little or no motor traffic whenever this is possible. Roads with
wide shoulders are preferred over narrow ones, separate bike lanes
or bike paths are even better but a quiet suburban street where
you ride with the (very few) cars is often chosen rather than a
bike path parallelling a freeway! Away from cities the routes
are chosen to give a choice of accommodations such as youth hostels
and campsites (also remember that "wild" camping on unused land is
a constitutional right here!) Most of these routes are signposted
with large signs bearing a bike symbol and the name of the route.
Some of them have recommended extensions into Norway but they are
not signposted so you need to read the maps for those. There are
several books and pamphlets describing them, the biggest being the
book that deals with "Sverigeleden", a gigantic grid of routes all
over Sweden. Unfortunately, I think all of this material is available
in Swedish only!
 
From: [email protected] (Antti Siivonen)
     Yes, Norway is not very recommended, roads are narrow and uphills kills.
I myself have biked in Finland and I recommend an ATB for bike, because the 
roads especially in the north are extremely poor. I have biked in the weather
of -33 C which is a bit cold for the functions of the bike, but in the summer
the temperature can rise up to 30 C. The usual is 18 C - 22 C. I recommend the
small roads of the Finnish Lake District, there are 128,000 lakes here and 
most of them are beautiful and so clean you can drink the water (not in all
places, though). Traffic is also very scarce, in the lake district there is
only a few short motorways, in the whole district must be 50 miles in total. I
don't recommend the thinnest tyres to these roads. 
Costs are very high everywhere in the Nordic countries. I recommend that you 
would overnight in tents. Tenting is free, when that doesn't happen in city
parks or private yards everywhere in Nordic countries (not sure about 
Denmark). 
Foreign bikers want desperately to the north, I don't know why, because the 
northernmost Finland is the dullest part of our country, swampy and flat and
distances are huge and it can snow in the summer.
Sweden is quite like Finland, but it doesn't have such lake district as we do.
Also it is very crowded in the south and full of highways. Denmark is more 
traditional biking country than any other Nordic country.
Stealing is uncommon here, but it is recommended to keep the bike locked.
Continuing from Finland to the Soviets by bike is according to current
knowledge impossible and unrecommended.
 
From: Kees van der Wal <JC_vdWal%pttrnl.nl >
Norway is very attractive because of the scenery, but quite some possibilities
for rain, especially at the west coast.
In '88 I made a trip in Jutland and Fyn (Danmark); good roads, easy cycling,
lots of campings and good weather.
In '89 I did a trip from Helsinki, northward along the east border, up to the
polar circle and south again through the centre of the country. I stopped in
Kuopio when I ran out of time and out of good weather. The lake district was a
bit disappointing: all these trees obstructed the view on the lakes and the
hills are not high enough to look over the trees. Nevertheless a nice area.
The North might become "boring" as there is not so much variation in the
scenery.  Main roads are very good and surfaced. secondary roads are not
always surfaced and then the quality is unpredictable: sometimes very good and
sometimes very bumpy, lots of loose gravel or muddy after some rain. The hills
are not high but roads going up and down several tens of meters are taking a
lot of energy, particularly when the road is too bad for making speed
down-hill.
 
Last year I started again in Helsinki; northward through the centre of the
country up to about Jyvaskyla. Then Westward towards the coast and somewhat
south, taking several ferries to the Aaland isles and from there into Sweden.
In Sweden I followed a more-or-less NorthWest route. Especially the region
around the Orsa lake was impressive. The Aaland isles is the "cyclist
paradise" (incl. children) for the Finns.
 
I always used a tent. In Finland/Sweden/Norway there is ample opportunity to
camp in the "wild". Youth hostels are spread all over the country but maybe at
a distance of more than a single daytrip in rural areas. Other accommodation
is (to my standards) very expensive.
 
 
From: Mikko Mannisto <[email protected]>
I don't know if the person(s) who are going on this trip have ever been to
Scandinavia. If not, then be prepared for a shock as far as prices go. Just
about everything is quite a bit more expensive there than it is here in the
U.S., and the low value of the U.S. dollar doesn't help a traveller from the
U.S. 
I have quite a few friends (in Finland) who regularly (I suppose every summer)
go on a bicycle trip to southern Sweden and Denmark. Also, the islands between
Sweden and Finland (called Ahvenanmaa in Finnish - they're a part of Finland
but Swedish is the main language there) are quite popular. One can get there
on a ferry or ship from Stockholm (also from Finland). I think that all of the
mentioned areas have in common that they are flat - i.e. not a lot of hills,
etc. which I believe a biker can appreciate. The scenery and nature is quite
beautiful, but different from Norway, which I think is dramatic (steep
mountains, fjords). 
Northern Sweden resembles Norway since there are lots of mountains in that
area. Finland, like Denmark, is almost completely flat; the highest point in
Finland is a little bit less than 2 kilometers, or under 6000 ft, and that's
in Lapland. 
Norway would probably be a fantastic place to go bicycling, but I would
hesitate if I were going with kids, the main reason being the big mountains,
which aren't easy to bike up and down, and children (at least some) might get
a bit frustrated, tired, etc. I'd personally choose what I mentioned above.
Depending on how much money/time I had and also where I'd start the journey,
I'd go through southern Sweden and take a ferry to Denmark (there's a ferry
between Helsingborg and Helsingor that takes about 15 minutes, or so - that's
the shortest distance between Sweden and Denmark.)
There should be plenty of campgrounds, hostels, cabins, etc. in which to stay.
In Finland, one is usually allowed to set up one's tent in just about any
place, as long as its not in an area where it is specifically stated that
camping is not allowed (private property, and in some national wildlife
refugees, where humans aren't allowed at all. But there will  be signs.)
I'm not sure about Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, but I believe that they have
similar arrangements. 
 
From: [email protected]
I've done some bicycling vacation in Central Europe (I'm a German) and
I'm living in Finland now. Comparing Scandinavia and Central Europe concerning
a bicycle vacation I really have to recommend Holland, France, Belgium,
Hungary (!), Germany, Danmark and the South of Sweden. I wouldn't recommend
such a vacation in Finland - there are only a few people in a large area and
most of the time you have motorways and forests. Danmark is the best in my
opinion - there are also routes for bicycle vacation. In Norway you surely
have to take a mountain bike. Of course it depends on your plans - but I'm
connecting such a vacation with some "cultural events", too like buildings or
certain traditions of an area. 
Still one sentence: Scandinavia is really a fascinating area but don't come
here in november/december !! In general Danmark seems to me to be more Central
European - all areas situated more in the north than Stockholm are "Nature
Scandinavia". Have a nice vacation in summer ! I can understand now that
Scandinavians are living very intensively in summer. And that's really
fascinating for somebody coming for summer vacation.      
 
Thanks very much to all these people, and to 
Jack Campin <[email protected]>
     who warned of the high death rate for cyclists on the major roads in
Scandinavia
Sjur Jonas Vestli <[email protected]>
     who recommended the televisions series "Fat man goes Norse"
Svein-Ivar Lillehaug <[email protected]>
     who felt that Norway was the best place to plan the trip.
Maybe Gary Yee will agree.

    From: [email protected] (Lars-Henrik Eriksson)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: "Papers" in Sweden
    Date: 26 Feb 91 13:42:29 GMT                          
    Sender: [email protected] (Lars-Henrik Eriksson)
    Organization: SICS, Kista (Stockholm), Sweden
 
    I have now checked with the police what the rules *really* are for
    foreign nationals in Sweden regarding identifying documents.
 
    I should have done so from the beginning, since I was quite wrong in my
    first posting. My apologies to everyone.
 
    Foreign nationals in Sweden do not have to carry passports or identity
    documents of any kind. It is sufficient that they can produce the
    documents on request. However, just the fact that someone is a
    foreigner is not sufficient cause for the police to request this. Thus
    no "routine checks" of foreigners papers are possible.

-- 
Lars-Henrik Eriksson				Internet: [email protected]
Swedish Institute of Computer Science		Phone (intn'l): +46 8 752 15 09
Box 1263					Telefon (nat'l): 08 - 752 15 09
S-164 28  KISTA, SWEDEN

    From: [email protected] (donald_newcomb)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Distances
    Date: 21 Mar 91 13:37:03 GMT
    Organization: American Institute of Physics
 
    I would like to relate my Nordic travel experience. In 1987 I took a
    little bus/train trip from Troms� to Oslo via Narvik, Stockholm, Kalmar
    and Helsengborg. The total fare was 1125 assorted Kroner (173.60 US)
    including two nights of sleeper accommodation. The distance covered was
    about 2300 km. (1640 U.S. miles). I don't think you could touch that
    much public transit in the U.S. for anything like the cost.
 
    When I purchased my train ticket in Narvik, the agent asked if I
    planned to travel beyond my stated destination of Stockholm. My
    typically American reply was, "Why do you want to know?" He replied
    that S-J had two peculiar policies, there was a maximum one-way fare,
    and you could get on and off the train as many times as you wanted
    using the same ticket as long as you continued in the same direction.
    (A policy ready-made for abuse 8-) I was at the maximum fare (326
    Kroner) going to Stockholm. If I wanted, I could continue to Malm| for
    free. I replied that, yes, I was going on to Kalmar before turning
    west.
 
    At all points the public transportation system was well integrated. The
    train station usually served as the hub to interconnect rail, air and
    bus systems. Schedules were available at any station or tourist bureau.
    I only had to hire cabs on a rare occasions and had no need for a
    rental car. Contrast this with the visitor to the U.S. who can't get
    out of his hotel without a rental car. The U.S./Canada have social &
    geographic peculiarities which have promoted the use of the automobile
    over public transit but that doesn't mean it was ordained by God
    Almighty. 
 
    Of course, as an American, I looked at the typical Norwegian farm and
    asked, "How on earth can _that_ operation make a profit?" The response,
    of course, was, "They don't."
 
    Donald Newcomb
    [email protected]
    [email protected]

    From: [email protected] (Torkel Franzen)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Places of interest in Djursland, DK
    Date: 1 Apr 91 00:02:19 GMT
    Sender: [email protected]
    Organization: Swedish Institute of Computer Science, Kista
 
    In article <[email protected]>
    [email protected]. edu writes:
 
   >I am going to Djursland in May, specifically Grenaa, and would like
   >of some places of interest.  I'll probably be able to get down to
   >Ebeltoft and Aarhus for some time, so if you know of any places of
   >interest in those locations, please do tell.  Specifically, I'm
   >looking for art museums and other things which would give a true
   >representation of the Danish culture.
 
    As it happens, Djursland is one of my favorite places, so I have some
    suggestions. In Grenaa, you shouldn't miss the Halvblaedeflaede Farm,
    which is really a kind of museum of rural art, featuring such typically
    Danish items - rarely found elsewhere - as "trained" crops, and
    decorated cows. When I visited the place I asked the proprietor about
    its history, and he told me some very interesting stories. Ebeltoft, of
    course, has its Groedefloedebloede, but I'm sure you already know about
    that.  What is less well known is that there is a 15th century beer
    hall just beside it - the Danes call it a "bierefloedeblaer" - where
    they serve genuine "spotted" beer. This is definitely something that
    shouldn't be missed. If you get to Aarhus, you should check out the
    Aarhus Museum of Modern Art, where you will find a large number of
    works by Fjodur Bjarre and other eminent local artists.

    From: [email protected] (Niklas Andersson)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Need advice on cycling in Sweden
    Date: 3 May 91 23:40:49 GMT
    Sender: [email protected]
 
 
    The main motorways in Sweden are highly trafficed during the summer
    months. Try to avoid all mjor routes as they are packed with trailer
    toting motorists from all over Europe, especially Germany.
 
    I had good luck with my bike on the trains, except that in some parts
    of Europe they put your bike on a bike car which often doesn't arrive
    at your destination with the train your on.
 
    Get some of those orange flags for visibility and stay off the beaten
    path and you'll be sure to have a good time. Sorry i couldn't be more
    specific  on the route.
 
    Niklas Andersson

    From: [email protected]
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Need advice on cycling in Sweden
    Date: 11 May 91 14:24:47 GMT
 
    > Me and a friend are thinking of cycling from Gothenburgh to Hultsfred 
    > (for the festival) in mid-August, and possibly go up to Norrk"oping
    > and (less possibly) Stockholm, and then get back to Gothenburgh again
    > somehow. Does anyone have any suggestions about a good route, in
    > particular from Gothenburgh to Hultsfred?  We'd like to avoid heavily
    > trafficked roads as much as possible, even if this means going on
    > (decent) gravel. I seem to remember that the ordinary car route
    > Boraas-J"onk"oping-N"assj"o goes over some pretty steep hills (but I
    > might be wrong), which we might want to avoid. Would it be better to
    > go via V"axj"o? Or is the density of nice little country roads high,
    > so that you can go more straight? Any recommendations of suitable maps
    > would be helpful too.
 
    Get hold of a copy of the book "Sverigeboken", issued by Svenska Bocker
    AB (in  cooperation with Svenska Cykelsellskapet), by Lasse Brynolf. 
    ISBN 91-8732-624-8, but I'm not sure whether you can order it in the
    UK.  Otherwise, order it directly from Svenska Cykelsaellskapet, Box
    6006, 16406  KISTA SWEDEN (tel: +46 8 7516204).
 
    The book describes the route of "Sverigeleden", a cycling route
    throughout  Sweden with connecting routes towards Norway. There is a
    route from Goeteborg  to Hultsfred: South to Kungsbacka, east to
    Horred, Torestorp, Gislaved; South  to Bolmsoe, Lagan, Ryssby,
    Vislanda; North-East to Alvesta, Rottne, Ramkvilla,  Korsberga,
    Virserum, Jaernstroem, Hultsfred.
 
    The book contains copies of maps (scale 1:250000) and most of the route 
    is signposted. Also other information about touristic subjects, hotels
    etc. is  quite complete (in Swedish).
 
    The route covers route part 20 + 21 and the "kuperingsgrad" is
    indicated as  ranging from 1 to 3; that is: flat road (1) up to "normal
    slopes with an  occasional hill" (3). Steeper parts have grade 4 and 5.
 
    As maps I used the Aeventyrs kartan (scale 1:250000). For your trip
    you'll need  the Aelvsborgs/Goeteborgs och Bohus laen map and the
    Smaaland / Oeland map.  Price about SKr 75 each. This type of map is
    one of the few that makes a clear  distinction between asfalt roads and
    "grus"; however no contour lines. 
 
 
    > What is it like to send bikes on trains? Someone told me that they put
    > the prices of the bike tickets up ridiculously, is this true? Do they
    > handle the bikes well?
 
    There are a number of ways. The "normal" way is to send the bike at
    least 2 ( labour) days in advance. It's called "at pollettera cykeln"
    but I've got no  idea what it means. Costs (1990) SKr 50 on top of the
    price of your own ticket.
 
    As "express" goods the cost is SKr 200, also possible if you're not
    taking the  train yourself. You'll have to inform at the station when
    your bike is going to  arrive. If it's a direct train you may be lucky
    to arrive with the same train  as your bike.
 
    In 1990 there was an experiment with special bicycle trains
    (cykeltaag). Price  SKr 50 but only possible from about 20 cities on
    specially designated trains.  The participating cities are located
    along "Sverigeleden". Goeteborg is one,  Hulstfred isn't. From
    Goeteborg the bike trains only travel to Karlstad, Stockholm and
    Malmoe, so that's of little help to get to Hulstfred. A large plastic
    cover over the bike is compulsory (available at SKr 50; can be  used
    many times). The bike are carried in a special bike wagon and you'll
    have  to turn the steer by 90 degrees to make it fit. You are expected
    to lend a hand  with loading and unloading the bike, so you can keep an
    eye on what they are  doing with it.
 
    Anybody with more up-to-date information about the bike trains in
    1991?]
 
    Alternatively you may try to take the bike on a long-distance bus. The
    SJ  (railway busses) do not take bikes, but there is a large number of
    private  companies with different policies.
 
 
    > Finally, does anyone have any experience of taking bikes between the
    > UK and Sweden? Will they let you take a bike on the ferries from
    > Newcastle to Gothenburgh ...
 
    I've got no experience myself, but on the ferries from Holland to
    Norway and  Sweden it's either free to take a bike or they charge a
    nominal fee of DFl 25 ( about UKP 7.50. You may park the bike anywhere
    between the cars, preferably  close to the unloading ramp so you can be
    the first that comes from the boat .. ..
 
    God tur! <kees>
 
    -- 
 
 Kees  van der Wal				  e-mail: [email protected]
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 PTT Research Neher Laboratories
 P.O. Box 421
 2260 AK  Leidschendam  The Netherlands		       Phone: +31 70 3326295
 ============================================================================
 Alt. addressing modes:  WALVDRK@HLSDNL5  or  WALVDRK%[email protected]

    From: [email protected] (Barbara Wasson)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Need information for traveling in Scandinavia
    Date: 30 Jan 92 11:50:16 GMT
    Sender: [email protected] (USENET News System)
    Organization: University of Tromsoe, Norway
 
    ....
 
    My parents are coming to Norway to visit me in July, so I have been
    checking into all these issues so will supply you with what I have 
    found out.
 
    They will take the Hurtigrute (the Costal Steamer) from Bergen to 
    Tromso which takes 3 days (leaving Bergen day 1 at 22.00 and arriving
    Tromso day 4 at 14.15).  They will stop in Tromso since that is where I
    am living and I have been told by many friends that the  Bergen-Tromso
    part of the entire route is the best (with the most  impressive being
    the Bodo-Tromso through the Lofoten islands) 
 
    THE TRIP: 
 
    The entire Hurtigrute voyage is from Bergen-Kirkenes-Bergen (2500 
    nautical miles) taking 11 days in total. The North Cape is reached  by
    bus from the port of Honningsvaag (arranged from the ship) which  is
    the 5th day out of Bergen (arrival at 13.30). You can also take a  trip
    to Murmansk, Russia from the port of Kirkenes (can be prearranged  for
    day visas in conjunction with a tour I am told).
 
    The Hurtigrute (the Coastal Steamer)  leaves Bergen at 22.00 every
    evening. There are 11 ships in the Hurtigrute fleet with 3 ships built
    in the 1980's and the rest being from the 1950's and 60's and having
    been rebuilt in the 80's. The old boats are described as more charming
    and intimate with the old feel (from friends) and not as modern as the
    newest ones. All recommendations have suggested the old ships.
 
    SPECIAL HINTS:
 
    The summer voyages book up VERY FAST! If you are planning to get a
    cabin for sleeping then you must book right away. We were told this in
    early January.
 
    There is a co-operation between Braathens Safe (Norwegian airline) and
    the Hutigruten that allows taking the boat oneway and flying the other
    way. I only have the price for Bergen-Tromso but it is useful for
    comparison's sake. Taking the boat from Bergen-Tromso and flying back
    to Bergen is 2683 NOK (~487 Canadian) while the one way fare on the
    Bergen-Tromso voyage is 2072 NOK. So essentially you are getting a
    one-way flight in Norway for only 615NOK which is EXCELLENT!!! They
    have this arrangement between several cities with the fares varying.
 
    The price given for the legs of the voyage do not include the meals
    which are EXTREMELY expensive. They are:

    breakfast  60 NOK (~10.90 Canadian)
    lunch     160 NOK (~30.00 Canadian)
    dinner    150 NOK (~27.00 Canadian)

    Thus, the best thing to do is to buy food in the shops in the port
    stops and eat that. My parents plan to eat one meal a day on the ship
    and bring their own stuff for the rest of the time.
 
    The price does not inlude the cabins for which I only have prices for
    the Bergen-Tromso route (3 nights), but you can make an estimate:

    with a shower 1170 NOK (~212.00 Canadian)
    witout shower  630 NOK (~114.00 Canadian)
 
    I have an address for a travel agency in New York who is the North
    American office that books trips to Norway for North American's. I was
    told that they should have all of the information required. You should
    definitely contact then and soon if you want to book a voyage for the
    summer. Their address is:
 
		Bergen Line
		505 Fifth Avenue
		NEW YORK, NY 10017 USA
 
 
    BTW - you can also have your car put on the Hurterute for a price.
    Although if I remember correctly it is easiest on a new ship. But then
    you could drive back from the north to the south. I find that it is
    nice to see Norway from all angles (spectacular by air, car and boat!). 
 
    ....
 
    Another area worth spending time in is Lofoten. A car would be handy
    for this. I have also been told that Trondheim area is nice for a
    having a car.
 
    Opinion vary as to whether a trip to North Cape is worth it. You do not
    have to go all that way to see the midnight sun. For instance here in
    Tromso we have the midnight sun peaking near the end of June and 24
    hours of light into August. But, as my office mate just said, if you
    are going to come all this way, why not go to the North Cape! 
 
 
    Hope this helps. Feel free to email any questions to
    [email protected]
 
    Enjoy your trip!!
    --
     
      Barbara Wasson               [email protected]   """""""""""
    " Norwegian Telecom Research                                      "
    " TROMSOE, city of the midnight fun    - from Let's Go Europe     "

    From: [email protected] (raymond thomas pierrehumbert)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Wanted general info for living/travel to Umea, Sweden
    Date: 6 Feb 92 05:09:06 GMT
    Sender: [email protected] (News System)
    Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
 
 
    Ume� is nice. I like it.
 
    Specifics:
 
    (1) Cost of housing-- Definitely cheaper than Stockholm, but I don't
    have specifics here.
 
    There are no "above average" restaurants in Ume�.  Like anywhere in
    Sweden, eating out costs money.  You can easily spend $30 for a very
    ordinary meal (per person) and wine will send it right through the
    roof.  
 
    Most restaurants offer a very reasonably priced "Kv�llens Middag"
    though.  At the Cafe Tranan in Stockholm, you could get a very fine
    lunch with one of these for about 60 kronor with l�tt�l. Ume� is a bit
    cheaper, but not so fine for food.
                                                      
    (2) Ume� is a lively university town.  Its immediate environs are flat,
    but you can get to T�rnaby for alpine or nordic skiing in mountains
    very easily.  Terrific area.  The woods around Ume� are OK for nordic
    skiing.  Don't know about snow conditions this year.  Lule� was pretty
    bare, as of a few weeks ago.  There is music and theater; Ume� even has
    an opera company of sorts.
 
    (3) People?  Don't know.  Swedish reaction to foreigners is sometimes
    unpredictable.  At least it's a university town, and therefore a bit
    more cosmopolitan.  I have known  Israelis who lived in Ume� and found
    it friendly.
 
    (4) What's it known for?  Don't know.  It's a pretty modern place. Cozy
    isn't the word.  Maybe "suburban", but in that compact and pleasant way
    of Swedish suburbs.
 
    (5) Linjeflyg heavily discounts flights in the summer, and has
    half-fare "red prices" on some flights throughout the year.  Flying
    within Sweden is pretty cheap.  You can also take the train from
    Stockholm, but my recollection is that it isn't much cheaper.
 
    (6) St. Petersburg?  Used to be there were cheap excursions to there
    and Talinn on the Georg Ots from Helsinki, but my information is way
    out of date.  Probably any information more than 7 minutes old is way
    out of date in this connection.

    From: [email protected] (Ian Watson)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: ferry info needed from uk to norway
    Date: 8 Feb 92 19:13:27 GMT
    Sender: Ian Watson
    Organization: Harvard University Science Center

    As of a couple months ago, Britain-Scandinavia options were as follows: 
 
    The Norr�na, run by Smyril Line out of the Faroes, which runs weekly
    from Lerwick (Shetland) to Bergen, but from June to August only.
    (Connections via Torshavn to Iceland and Denmark as well.)
 
    Color Line (formerly Jahre Lines and Fred Olsen Lines), which from
    mid-March to Dec. from Newcastle near the Scottish-English border to
    Bergen and Stavanger runs 2-3 times per week.
 
    Scandinavian Seaways (formerly DFDS) which sails from Harwich (near
    Cambridge, England) to Esbjerg (Denmark) and Gothenburg (Sweden) from
    Feb. to Dec., with sailings out of Newcastle too from June to August
    (1-4 per week from both ports).
 
    In the USA you can get prices and advance bookings through Eurocruises,
    tel. (800) 688-3876.
 
    For more information there's also a reasonable summary on pp. 779-780
    of the 1992 edition of Let's Go Europe.
 
    - Ian Watson
      [email protected]

    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected] (Sven Grenander)
    Subject: Car rental 
    Sender: [email protected] (Usenet)
    Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
    Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1992 17:56:39 GMT
 
 
    You have to be careful where and how you rent a car. We just spent $200
    for a Golf, 10 days & 240 KM, rented from StatOil in a small town,
    round trip. We then spent $900 for a Volvo 940(?), 2 days, 340 km,
    rented from Avis with a drop-off in Stockholm.
 
    Rent for round trip in small towns and take the train for one-way
    trips.
 
    -Sven

    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected] (David Partain)
    Subject: Re: Cheap hotels in Sweden
    Sender: [email protected]
    Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of Linkoping
    Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 12:28:56 GMT
 
  
    i can't speak to specific hotels, but i can speak to the cost.  swedish
    hotels are generally quite expensive, but your definition of cheap
    might be different than mine :-)  i'll let the locals tell you what you
    might  find.  i, however, would recommend that you consider staying at
    Vandrarhem, which are the Swedish Tourist Board's contribution to the
    International Youth Hostel Federation.  this is somewhat misleading,
    however.  i've stayed in a LOT of youth hostels all over europe, and
    Vandrarhem are usually much much nicer.  you often have a private room,
    the kitchen facilities are good, and the prices reasonable (when
    compared to hotels).  as a non-member, you'll pay between 70 and 80
    kronor per night.  it's cheaper if you're a member of your home
    country's youth hostel federation.   although i can't speak to the
    particular cities you mention (Karlstad is a lovely city, by the way),
    i'm sure some of the fellow netters can.  i've never been disappointed
    by a Vandrahem and would recommend it to anyone traveling in sweden.

   -- 
   David Partain                   |  [email protected]
   IDA, University of Link\"oping  |  work phone:  +46 (013) 28 26 08
   S-581 83 Link\"oping, Sweden    |  telefax:     +46 (013) 28 26 66

    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: Stein J�rgen Rypern <[email protected]>
    Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
    Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 10:02:56 GMT
 
 
    It is with great regret I have to tell you that we yesterday, october
    10th 1992, at approximately 10pm, lost an important part of our
    cultural heritage - "the great main airport debate (tm)".
 
    In a totally unexpected bout of reason, the main political parties
    agreed upon actually building a new main airport for Norway at
    gardermoen, some 45 - 50 km NE of Oslo, and thus concluded a 23 year
    long period of debate, decisions, changes, quick-working commitees,
    slower-working-commitees and really-slow-working commitees (*1), more
    debate, claims of falsification of meteorological data (*2), etc, etc.
 
    Even more shocking is the decision to place the airport at a reasonably
    flat piece of land, instead of leveling two hills, and filling the
    valley in between with the rocks.
 
    But before despairing at the thought of our great cultural loss : 
    remember that our parliament, Stortinget, actually did decide on
    building the main airport on the two hills of Hurum some few years
    back, but that  this decission was skillfully destroyed by more or less
    correct fog data from the meteorological people. If only somebody could
    discover that Garder- moen is the only habitat in europe for the
    empty-headed feathered politician, thus delaying the construction of
    the airport for enviromental reasons, and giving us all another chance
    at 20 more years of happy indecision.
 
    (*1) - a norwegian concept, developed specially for this cause, at
    great cost dealer inquiries welcome.

    (*2) - according to some sceptics, the fog was nothing but Vaseline(tm) 
    smeared over the lenses of the fog-measuring devices. If this is  truly
    the case, this is new use for this product, which usually is used on
    the rear end of babies.
 
    Smile,
 
    /Stein
 
   ==========================================================================
   Stein Rypern, student      ! A united europe ?  
   Department of informatics  ! Sure, but why think small ?
   University of Oslo, Norway ! How about an intergalatic empire ? 
   [email protected]         ! Need even longer question to insert here ....  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected]
    Sender: fredrikm@ril (Fredrik Manne)
    Organization: University of Bergen, Norway
    Date: Fri, 9 Oct 92 10:55:22 GMT
 
    This is a decision to build a new main airport for Eastern Norway. All
    other major cities but Oslo already have modern airports.
 
    Personaly I am going to miss Fornebu because of its unique location
    just  15 minutes outside Oslo. It made traveling to Oslo easy. When
    Gardemoen is ready one will have to take a (rapid) train to get from
    the airport to central Oslo. This is going to add to the time one
    spends travelling. 
 
    I believe Sweden recently reopened Bromma to avoid this kind of a
    situation?
 
    Fredrik

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
   From: [email protected] (Lars-Henrik Eriksson)
   Subject: Re: Norway loses important part of culture
   Sender: [email protected]
   Organization: Swedish Institute of Computer Science, Kista
   Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 11:55:03 GMT
 
    In article <[email protected]> [email protected] writes:
 
 >I believe Sweden recently reopened Bromma to avoid this kind of a situation?
 
    Not really. For one thing, Bromma has never been closed. (except during
    the nights :-) It has a large amount of general aviation traffic, and
    was the second busiest airport in Sweden even before the recent
    increase in scheduled traffic.
 
    In the beginning of the eighties, Linjeflyg (the major domestic
    carrier) moved all its flights from Bromma to Arlanda. Most other
    domestic airlines moved with it, to take advantage of Arlanda as a
    domestic hub airport. This became a completely unexpected success and
    traffic growth exceeded all forecasts.
 
    However, not all airlines moved to Arlanda. There has always been a
    small amount of scheduled air traffic at Bromma. The recent change was
    to allow more scheduled flights to the airport. That decision was part
    of the deregulation of scheduled air traffic in Sweden.
 
    There are strict noise limits for Bromma, and the airport is already
    filled almost to (noise) capacity with scheduled traffic.

--
Lars-Henrik Eriksson                            Internet: [email protected]
Swedish Institute of Computer Science           Phone (intn'l): +46 8 752 15 09
Box 1263                                        Telefon (nat'l): 08 - 752 15 09
S-164 28  KISTA, SWEDEN                         Fax: +46 8 751 72 30

    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected] (Tomas Eriksson)
    Subject: Re: Norway loses important part of culture
    Sender: [email protected] (Usenet)
    Organization: Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm
    Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 19:42:49 GMT
 
    ...
 
    Airports are an interesting issue. Just two years or so ago, some 
    politicians thought they finally had killed the Bromma airport inside 
    Stockholm (unlike Arlanda, which is closer to Uppsala than central 
    Stockholm), against the wishes of smaller air carriers, business 
    travellers and the airforce. However, after last years election and the 
    liberalization of domestic air travel, Bromma is more alive than in 
    several decades, mainly because of "Malm� Aviation" which flies 
    Bromma-Malm� several times a day, and Bromma-London City Airport (using 
    BAe 146, which is the only jet airliner in it's size that have been 
    approved for Bromma use) two times per day. I think more attempts at 
    killing Bromma airport will be made in the future.
       
    ...
 
Tomas
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tomas Eriksson                                          [email protected]
            Surface Force Group, Department of Physical Chemistry,
               Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
 
"These latter-day practitioners of surface chemistry reflect a lingering of the
adventurous spirit of the Enlightment" -- Charles Tanford

   Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
   From: [email protected] (Mats Winberg)
   Subject: Re: Travel in the Nordic Countries
   Sender: [email protected]
   Organization: Ericsson
   Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 16:37:34 GMT
 
    [email protected] writes:
 
 
   >Would someone please let me know, when is the best time
   >of the year to visit the Nordic Countries, when
   >the weather is bearable and there aren`t that
   >many tourists.               
 
   There are never many tourists here, due to the prices :-)
   If the weather is a concern go anytime between early May and late
   September.   
 
   Mats Winberg
   Stockholm, Sweden
 

    From: [email protected] (Rolf Manne)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Inexpensive Accomodations/Sweden
    Date: 30 Dec 92 12:59:17 GMT
    Sender: [email protected] (Bergen University Newsaccount)
    Organization: University of Bergen
 
    In article <[email protected]> [email protected]
    (Molly Bancroft) writes:
 
    >Hi Everyone,
    >My mom is going to a week-long conference in Sweden in
    >January and is looking for ideas on accomodations that
    >are less expensive than the $150-$200 hotel rooms.
 
    >The conference is in Norkoping, but she is willing to
    >stay outside the city, as far as Stockholm and find
    >transportation in.  Any ideas I'd appreciate greatly...
  
    Being a Swede living in Norway I think that it is a question of the
    kind that netters should try to answer. Therefore I give it a try,
    however imperfect.
 
    I am sure that there is cheaper accomodation available in Norrkoeping 
    than a $150 hotel room. 
 
    1. Hotels which don't have a restaurant, are slightly inconveniently
    located or are somewhat old, are likely to be cheaper. There are old
    hotels with rooms without private bath which are a bit cheaper. 
 
    2. Really cheap but perfectly respectable accomodation for an adult
    woman  travelling alone is provided by Svenska Turistfoereningen's
    (Swedish Tourist  Association) "vandrarhem" (means literally hiker's
    homes, used to be called  youth hostels). These hostels provide beds in
    rooms with 2-6 bunk beds. If it is full one has to share room with
    strangers but it is hardly full in January. Some of these places are
    open all year, others close in winter. - My wife and I travelling
    together with my mother who is 80, stayed at one in Denmark around
    Easter last year. We got 2 rooms, one for us and one for my mother.
    Other guests were mainly families with young children.
 
    3. A "big" city like Norrkoeping (when I was a kid it was the 4th
    biggest in Sweden) is likely to have a Tourist Information Office, in
    Swedish "Turistinformation" which would be open some hours a day even
    off season. I don't have access to the local phone book so I cannot
    help more. They would give information about the various options
    available including  staying in pensions or private homes "bed and
    breakfast". Some of these options are available first at the site, so
    the important thing for your mother is to have accomodation for the
    first night, possibly at a higher rate.
 
    There are few motels in Scandinavia of the type you find in the United 
    States. Renting a car is likely to cost more than in the U.S. Renting a
    car in order to be able to use cheaper accomodation would not pay.
    Remember also that in Scandinavia days are short this time of the year
    and that driving may occasionally be difficult because of snow. Staying
    in Stockholm or even in Linkoeping (closest city of any size) for a 
    conference in Norrkoeping sounds quite inconvenient to me. Within
    Norrkoeping there is likely to be a good bus service. - Are the yellow
    street-cars still running in Norrkoeping??
 
    One possible obstacle: There has been a large influx of refugees from
    former Yugoslavia to Sweden. I know that the kind of accomodation that
    your mother is looking for is also used by the immigration authorities
    for these people. This might make it scarce.
 
    Rolf Manne
    Department of Chemistry, University of Bergen, Norway
    e-mail [email protected]

    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected] (Mats Winberg)
    Subject: Re: Beaches
    Sender: [email protected]
    Organization: Ericsson
    Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 08:16:44 GMT
 
    [email protected] (Glen Evans) writes:
                     
    >Where are the nude beaches in the nordic countries?
    >(In the summer of course)
 
    Nowhere and everywhere, which means that since the Nordic countries are
    sparsely populated you may enjoy the Scandinavian summer in your
    birthday suit almost everywhere without disturbing anyone. Actually I
    know they do it almost in the center of Stockholm (Laangholmen). IMHO
    this is one of the advantages of living here - the relaxed attitude to
    nudity.
 
    The only "official" nude beach I know of is the one at Lake Magelungen
    near Farsta in the southern suburbs of Stockholm. It was opened a few
    years back but since it is official and therefore well-known it happens
    sometimes that people, or to be more specific men of non-Nordic
    descent, come to gawk. The people at the beach are mostly families with
    small children, elderly couples and single men.
 
    If I want to swim and tan naked I usually go to Svaardso near
    Saltsjoebaden in the Stockholm archipelago. There on a stretch of ca 1
    km rocky cliffs you'll find a more mixed "audience" than that of
    Aagesta (Lake Magelungen). There are more young couples, women and gay
    couples there than at Aagesta. There are not so many families with real
    small children there since the beach is not so good for small children.
    My favourite spot lies on the western end of this stretch, it is a kind
    of small peninsula which is faced southwards so you'll have sun a long
    time and the water on one side is deep enough to head-dive into and the
    rock is shaped so that it is easy to get up again. Add to that that
    there is nice grass on one spot there (you'll have that place if you're
    early!). Note that  Svaardso is not an official nude beach, however it
    is nude by default that is most people there prefer to tan without
    swimsuits.
 
    How to get there:
 
	 AAgesta: Take the metro to Farsta strand, walk south across
	 the bridge over Lake Magelungen, turn left after the bridge
	 follow the road along the golf course and then left again.
	 Distance to walk: 1.5 km (square H2 page 51 in the Stockholm
	 phone directory)
 
	 Svaardsoen: Take "Saltsjoebanan" to station Solsidan (which
	 means "the sunny side" BTW) take a bus or walk east ca 2.5 km
	 towards Aelgoe, then turn right just before Aelgoe. 
 
 
 
	 Mats Winberg
	 Stockholm, Sweden

    Newsgroups: rec.travel.air,rec.travel,soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected] (Rolf Manne)
    Subject: Re: Info. Needed on GOTEBORG, SWEDAN
    Sender: [email protected] (Bergen University Newsaccount)
    Organization: University of Bergen
    Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1993 10:29:18 GMT
 
    In article <[email protected]>
    [email protected] (Mojgan Thompson) writes:
 
   >My sister would be going to Goteborg, Swedan in the late Aug. of this
   >year for 2 weeks.  She has asked me to post this to the net and see
   >if anyone can help her w/ her questions.
 
    Nobody living in Goteborg seems to have answered your questions so I
    give them a try.
 
>                        1.  Where is the best place to exchange money?  
>                           Should she exchange her dollors in USA or in Sweden?
 
    By European standards, U.S. banks know very little about transactions
    with foreign currency. If your sister has a Visa card, this may be the
    best way  for her to bring money for daily expenses etc. This is what I
    do myself  going between Norway and Sweden. Only problem is that some
    bank-machines  don't take my card. There is no problem of exchanging
    bank-notes in  Goteborg, but that is more expensive than using Visa.
    You can do it at the  railway station also when the banks are closed.
 
>                        2.  Do you know of any youth-hostels to stay in
>                            Goteborg? How much do they cost?
 
    There certainly is one, but I don't know where. There is also a tourist
    information office which will help visitors to find private
    accomodation.
 
>                        3.  What is the avg. temp for that time of the year in
>                            Goteborg?
 
    Don't know. You need a sweater on a chilly day as well as a light
    raincoat when it rains. A really warm day may approach 25C (77F) but
    you never know  if you get them or not.
 
>                        
>                       4.  Do you know of any inexpensive hotels in the area?
 
    There are some which are quite nice but outside the central part of the
    city, e.g. one in Gamlestaden. I stayed there a few years ago but don't
    remember the name (Forum?). A street-car brings you to downtown in 
    l0-20 minutes. On the whole, lodging is more expensive than in the U.S.
    A note of warning: Some cheap hotels may be used today for lodging
    refugees from former Yugoslavia and may not be available for that
    reason. 
 
>                        5.  My sister would be buying a car there and she wants
>                            to know if it is more economical there to use the
>                            public transportation or to use her own car.  How
>                            expensive are the public parking lots to park in?
>                            How expensive is the public transportaion?
 
    She should not buy a car unless she wants to bring it back to the U.S.
    or intends to stay for more than a couple of months. If one buys a new
    car for export one gets it cheap by Swedish standards. Only you have
    to pay what it costs to import it to your own country. A transaction of
    this sort should be planned well in advance. Both Volvo and Saab have
    special offices for this kind of deals.
 
    Public transportation in the Goteborg area is generally efficient,
    safe, clean, and reasonably cheap. There is a street-car system and a
    city bus service as well as suburban bus companies all using the same
    ticketing system. As of last summer, I know that you could go  anywhere
    within city limits paying "2 tickets" and that "4 tickets" may  take
    you 30 km outside the city, but I don't know what a ticket costs. My 
    guess is less than USD 0.50. Parking is of the order of USD 1.00 an
    hour, maybe a little more in downtown parking garages.
 
    As in all of Europe, trains offer the best long-distance transportation
    for the budget-minded visitor. 
 
    Renting a car is more expensive than in the U.S. The major U.S. car 
    rental agencies are all over Europe (Avis, Hertz, Budget).
 
>                        6.  How does shopping for women's clothing compare w/
>                            USA, price-wise that is?
 
    Answered by someone else.
 
    Rolf Manne
    (born in Goteborg but living in Norway)
    e-mail: [email protected]

    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected] ("Erik Velapoldi")
    Subject: Re: Narvik, Norway climate
    Organization: University of Virginia
    Date: Fri, 23 Apr 1993 00:18:19 GMT
 
 [email protected]  writes:
 > In article <[email protected]> [email protected] 
 > (K. Jayanthi) writes:
 > >Dear folks,
 > >
 > >  We (father, mother, 2 year old) are planning a Europe
 > >       trip late April/May.
 > >
 > >        1. We are planning to go to Narvik. How cold
 > >           is it there in early May? (8th and 9th).
 > >           Any recommendations about hotels?
 > 
 > Nice and expensive:	Grand Royal Hotel, ph# +47 82 41500 (fax# 45531)
 > 			Narvik Hotel,      ph# +47 82 47077 (fax# 46735)
 > 
 > Cheaper & not too bad:  Nordstjernen Hot., ph# +47 82 44120 (fax# 47506)
 > 
 > B&B:			Breidablikk Gjestgiveri,      41418 (fax# 45786)
 > 
 > Backpacker:		Narvik Vandrehjem, ph# +47 82 42598 (fax# 42999)
 > 
 > Temperature: Somewhere between -2C and +25C. In other words "a bit hard
 > to predict".
 > 
 > >        2. We have a eurail pass. How easy is it to
 > >           get reservations in first class?
 > >           Any remarks on overnight trains?
 > 
 > I assume that you are coming through Sweden. As far as I can remember
 > sweden do not run too much different classes on their trains. Basicly
 > they have one nice class. It might be wise to reserve seats in advance.
 > On overnight trains you can get your own nice sleeping coupe for your 
 > family. Again it might be wise to reserve in advance.
 > 
 
    During last summer my brother and I traveled from Narvik to Stockholm,
    and although we reserved a sleeping car room, between Narvik and Kiruna
    there was no such luxury.
 
    The sleeping car was a good investment on that 24 hour train ride, as
    even under midnight sun conditions most of the landscape from Stockholm
    northwards to Kiruna is flat forest and is quite boring.  
 
    If you're trying to go northwards to Narvik from Oslo, the train goes
    to Fauske, where you must disembark and jump on a bus for a slow,
    windy, 5 hour bus trip.
 
    Reservations in first class should be easy if done a few days in
    advance.  However, for shorter trips 2nd class is perfectly adequate on
    either the NSB or SJ.
 
    Erik Velapoldi

    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected] (Rolf Manne)
    Subject: Re: Travelling info on western fjords
    Sender: [email protected] (Bergen University Newsaccount)
    Organization: University of Bergen
    Date: Tue, 4 May 1993 07:41:08 GMT
  
    Some general information from Bergen:
              
    Bergen and Stavanger can be reached by ship from Newcastle and by
    airplane from several British airports. There are fast boats
    (catamarans) between Bergen and Stavanger and also north to Maaloey
    (Maloy with circle on top of the a and slash through the o) and into
    Sognefjorden. There is a bus service from Bergen north to Nordfjord (at
    least) and I am sure it connects to Aalesund and other cities further
    north. Hardangerfjorden may be reached by bus from Bergen or Voss (on
    the Bergen-Oslo railroad).
 
    The Bergen-Oslo railroad is very scenic and goes through some fjord
    country close to Bergen before it crosses the high mountains (well
    above the timber line). A popular round trip is called "Norway in a
    nutshell" and takes you by the Oslo train from Bergen to Myrdal, then 
    downhill by local train to Flaam, boat to Gudvangen through two arms of 
    Sognefjorden, then bus to Voss and train back to Bergen. All this is
    done in  one day. You buy a special ticket for the whole trip.
 
    The Norwegian time-table "Rutebok for Norge" is extremely detailed and
    lists about everything you may think of. 
 
    Rolf Manne

    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic,rec.travel
    From: [email protected] (Svein-Ivar Lillehaug)
    Subject: Re: Headed towards Narvik, Norway.  Looking for information
    Sender: [email protected] (News admin.)
    Date: Fri, 18 Jun 1993 09:56:06 GMT
    Organization: University of Tromsoe, Norway
 
    In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (Tom Hutton)
    writes:

  >I plan on taking the
  >train into Narvik Norway from Sweden.  What other sites are worth seeing
  >in that area?   I've heard that the scenery is beautiful but dont know much
  >more about the region?
 
    The last hour on the train, from the borderline and down to Narvik, is
    breathtaking!                                                  
  
    When you get to Narvik, take the first opportunity to get out to
    Vesteraalen/Lofoten (by bus or westamaran). From there on you can jump
    on Hurtigruta (the costal steamer) in Sortland, Stokmarknes, Svolvaer
    or Stamsund. No problem to get between these towns by bus. Hurtigruta
    passes by once every day on its way between Bergen-Kirkenes-Bergen. The
    oldest of these ships are from the early 60s (130-220 beds), the newer
    "generation" is  from the mid-80s (320 beds), while the first from the
    next generation will  be put in this summer (looks more like a cruise
    ship than a costal steamer).

    It will be hard to get a bed/cabin in the summer as these are reserved
    1/2-1 year in advance. But it is no problem to sleep on the deck or in
    the sofa, just bring a sleeping bag. On the other side you will miss
    quite a bit of the scenery if you have to sleep.
 
    If you do not like boats, then you can get off Hurtigruta in Bod� and
    take the train wherever you want to. I will recomend that you stay on
    the boat down to Bergen (lots of possibilities to get off before
    Bergen), and then take the train from Bergen to Oslo. That trip is
    supposed to be really nice too.
 
    Sortland-Bod�:    384 NOK
    Stamsund-Bod�:    226 NOK
    Sortland-Bergen:  1868 NOK
 
    You can get more detailed information about Hurtigruta at:
 
    Bergen Line
    505 fifth avenue
    New York  N.Y. 10017
    ph#  212 986 2711
    fax# 212 983 1275
 
    You will find [lodging] everywhere.
 
    Have a nice trip (Train to Narvik, get out to Lofoten and use as much
    time as possible in this area, then Hurtigruta to Bergen.....).
 
    Regards,
    Svein-Ivar

    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected] (Rolf Manne)
    Subject: Re: Norway Info Needed
    Sender: [email protected] (Bergen University Newsaccount)
    Organization: University of Bergen
    Date: Mon, 28 Jun 1993 08:06:23 GMT
 
In article <[email protected]> [email protected] writes:
 
>In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (Laurel  
>Sinclair) writes:
>>  
>> We are planning a camping trip to Norway for the beginning of July.  (We will
>> drive/ferry there from Hamburg.)  We are interested in information on camping
>> there, the best ferry to take, weather, etc.   We heard we can camp anywhere
>> for free, can we make a campfire?  Will there still be white nights around
>> Bergen?  If not, how long will it be dark?  How far north would we have to go
>> before it doesn't get completely dark at night?  (I know about the arctic
>> circle, we can't make it that far in the time we have so we've given up on
>> the midnight sun, just a white night would do.)
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> Laurel.
>> 
>> (post or e-mail is fine)
 
>Yes, it is light nignttime in Bergen.  I was on the fjord at midsummer 
>(kayak practice :-) and the sun went below the horizon about 1:30am,
>up again about 4:30am, with twilight inbetween.  Very nice, but not the
>same as Tromsoe :-(
 
    Thor may have misread his watch a little. Sun sets about 11 pm. 
    Astronomical midnight in Bergen is around 1.30 am. We have 1 hr
    summertime  and are about 30 minutes west in the timezone. 
 
    Without checking the newspaper,I would say that sunrise is about 4 am.
    But  who cares, most people sleep that time of the night :-)
 
    It is fairly light at night but the streetlights are turned on and even 
    needed. Moreover, this month of June has been terribly cold with
    morning temperatures below 10 C and afternoon highs about 16 or 17.
 
    There are ferries from Hirtshals to Kristiansand, from Hanstholm to
    Egersund, Stavanger and Bergen (not every day - one new ferry in 
    alternating routes). From Kristiansand you may go along the coast or
    inland over the mountains (Setesdalen, Haukeli). Along the coast you
    have to pay road toll and three more ferries if you don't take the
    direct ferry between Stavanger and Bergen.
 
    The litter left by foreign car tourists has got some unfavorable 
    mention on Norwegian TV, and some local communities try to limit the
    rights of camping. Thus it is not be advisable to camp by the road next
    to your car or sleep in your car on a parking place. Go to a camp
    ground instead. 
 
    There are local rules regulating the burning of leaves etc. and you
    would need a permission to light a fire outdoors this time of the year.
    Some people still do and don't get caught but it is hardly advisable to
    try.
 
    One thing about driving in Norway. The roads are poor by continental
    standards although much improved since I moved here 21 years ago. Local
    drivers often need to go faster than tourists are willing or able to.
    Even on some major roads they cannot pass you for miles unless you 
    slow down or even stop for a second or so at a safe place. Therefore,
    look in the rear-view mirror, and be helpful.
 
  Rolf Manne
  e-mail: [email protected]

    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected] (Mats Winberg)
    Subject: Re: NEEDED: Info about Swedish roads
    Sender: [email protected]
    Organization: Ericsson
    Date: Wed, 14 Jul 1993 12:57:06 GMT
 
    [email protected] (Bjoern Greinert) writes:
 
 >I will be going to Sweden in two weeks. I'll arrive at Trelleborg with TT-
 >Line and have to be in Stockholm three days later (booked ferry connection). 
 >Now, in my opinion there are two possible roads to drive from Trelleborg to 
 >Stockholm: 1. E4, which seems to be kind of a highway, 
 >           2. Along the east-coast via Ystad, Karlskrona, Kalmar. 
 
 >I would prefer the second road, since it's along the coast and seems to be 
 >more interesting than the first one. My questions: are there any reasons 
 >against taking this road? Much traffic? Other reasons for preferring E4?
 >Special 'must-sees'?
 
    More interesting? Not necessarily, the view from E4 over Lake Vaettern
    at Graenna is well worth a detour. On the other hand along the coast
    road lies Kalmar and Iland... If you choose to go the coast road I
    would recommend a stop in Kalmar to look at the castle and perhaps a
    detour over to �land. If you go by E4, I would recommend a stop at
    Graenna and that you check out the rune stone at R�k church just north
    of �desh�g (you'll find it on a good map). It is just 100 meters to the
    west of the highway and it is one of Sweden's most interesting stones,
    with lines referring to the Gothic king Theodoric. It is dated to early
    9th century. 
    
    Traffic? I think that there'll be much traffic either way you go
    (according to Swedish norms, that is) Mostly Germans of course, going
    to and from Sm�land and �land :-)
 
   Good luck and welcome to Sweden!
 
   Mats Winberg
   Stockholm, Sweden

    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected] (Ahrvid Engholm)
    Sender: [email protected]
    Organization: Stacken Computer Club, Stockholm, Sweden
    Date: Thu, 6 Jan 1994 00:22:05 GMT
 
    The majority of gas stations here are the service-yourself-type! You
    fill up yourself and go in and pay. The person you pay to is often only
    some sort of cashier and not a service person. In the 60's you'd have
    people at gas stations filling up your car, wiping the wind-shields,
    chech the oil and water, etc. You don't see that anymore.  

  Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
  From: [email protected] (Paul Franklin)
  Subject: Re: Norway Holiday Advice 
  Sender: [email protected] (News Administrator)
  Date: Tue, 8 Feb 1994 10:25:04 GMT
  Organization: HP Sonoma County (SRSD/MWTD/MID)
 
    I can't think of any places to avoid; there are some neighborhoods in
    Oslo which aren't great, but downtown has a lot of places to see; just
    don't go East of the train station.
 
    Make sure you get to see both city and country, and that you get a good
    look at fjords.  There are a lot of places offering day or overnight
    tours of the fjords around Bergen, such as the Norway in a Nutshell
    tour.
 
    Hurtigruten, the tourist ferry which runs the length of the coast north
    of Bergen, [the fare] increases dramatically during the summer months. 
    I'd recommend against a car; the easiest way to get around is by train
    as far north as it runs (look into something like ScanRail passes;
    they're like InterRail/EurRail, but just for Scandinavia, but they may
    only be available in the US).  For going up north, plane or boat is the
    way to go.
 
    Here's one possibility:

	Fly into Oslo.
	Train northwards until it stops.  A day stop in Trondheim.
	Hurtigruten to the Lofoten mountains (Svolvaer).  Lots of good
		hiking and probably camping locally.
	Boat back to the train, south to Trondheim.
		Maybe fly this segment.
	Hurtigruten from Trondheim to Bergen.
		Maybe a night stay along the way (Aalesund?).
	Boat/train to Kristiansand, then back to Oslo.
 
    Notes:

    I've tried to keep the boat stretches relatively short, in an attempt
    to keep costs down.  The boat to Svolvaer (or the other stop in
    Lofoten) is a stretch which many locals take, so the price shouldn't be
    bad.  The stretch from Trondheim to Bergen is simply magnificent; I've
    sailed the whole way from Bergen to Kirkenes, and I liked this stretch
    a lot.  Look at buying separate tickets (Trondheim-Aalesund,
    Aalesund-Bergen) instead of one ticket, as you'll be less restricted in
    where you stop over, and it won't be much more expensive (it might even
    be cheaper).
 
    From one point of view, it doesn't matter which small town you stay in. 
    Just pick one (or more).  They all have their different personalities,
    but none are really better than any other.
 
    This doesn't get you that far north, even though it probably gets you
    farther north than many tours.  I don't think it makes it to the Arctic
    Circle, but what's really important about the Midnight Sun is the
    effect it has on _people_.  The night life in towns which have light
    all day in the summer is so different from anywhere else that it's
    something you don't want to miss (this area extends south of the Arctic
    Circle; Svolvaer was bright night-round in late May).  And try sleeping
    with the sun out your window the entire night.  It's weird the first
    time.  (You may know this; people in California just don't understand
    days shorter than 8 hours or longer than 18.)
 
    One last word.  These are from my personal experiences.  You will no
    doubt get several other, equally valid, recommendations from others.
 
    --Paul Franklin
                   

  Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
  From: [email protected] (Mark Joiner)
  Subject: Re: airline tickets
  Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login:guest)
  Date: Fri, 11 Feb 1994 19:30:25 GMT
 
    Icelandair usually has great regular and special fares. However they
    depart only from NY, Boston and Orlando.� They also have a charter
    package group they are associated with call Europak. They need to be
    contacted through a bonafide travel agent though. 
 
    Icelandair	800 223-5500
    Icelandair 	08-310240 (Sweden)
 
    Europak		800 253-1342
 
    p.s. Icelandair offers stopovers in Iceland and I would highly
    recommend booking it with at least a three day stopover. It will only
    cost you the hotel and bus transportation. They offer packages for this
    as well. Or you can book into a guest house at very reasonable prices.
 
	Mark
-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
email [email protected]	|   the first rule of intelligent tinkering
	Mark Joiner		|   is to save all the parts  -paul ehlrich
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

    Organization: The American University - University Computing Center
    Date: Sat, 12 Feb 1994 13:42:58 EST
    From: <[email protected]>
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re:airline tickets
 
    �that Icelandic air only has departures out of Orlando and New York may
    not be true.  At least not anymore, when I was in Sweden I saw that
    they went to Philidelphia and Washington DC as well.  I know FOR
    CERTAIN that they do at least land in Washington DC because my
    significant other is landing there on Icelandic Air on March 16
    ...YEAH!!! At least that's what I know.

   From: [email protected] (Jerome Coffey)
   Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
   Subject: Re: Bicycle Touring in Norway
   Date: 21 May 1994 21:43:35 GMT
   Organization: Math Sciences, MSU, Bozeman MT, 59717
  
    My wife and I did a bike tour along the fjords a few years ago from 
    Aandalsnes to Bergen along the fjords.  A wonderful tour.  There is a 
    bicycle touring map available by writing:
 
	Vegdirektoratet
	Informasjonskontoret
	Postboks 6390 Etterstad
	0604 Oslo 6
	Norway
 
    Ask for "Sykkelferie i Norge".  Mine is in Norwegian but an English 
    version is probably available. General advice: bring good rain gear -
    the  weather can be very wet at that time of the year.
 
    The rural roads are generally not that busy but you do not have a lot
    of choices either; often there is only one road that goes where you
    wish to go.  The drivers, on the other hand, are used to sharing the
    road with cyclists and usually very accommodating.  Expect paved,
    narrow, steep roads most of the time.  We went over the Trollstigen,
    one of the steepest roads in Europe.  We hit a few patches of grusvei
    (gravel) as well so you need stout wheels. We were on Mountain bikes. 
    Also be prepared for tunnels.  A headlight and a flashing red taillight
    are essential for your safety.  A few tunnels forbid cyclists as they
    are so long. You may take a bus through (the busses are equipped to do
    this) or try to hitch a ride.
 
    Fresh fruits and vegetables are available everywhere.  Restaurants are 
    very expensive and when you see the price of meat, you may both turn
    into vegetarians. :-)  No need to stock up ahead.  Just ask the locals
    for recommendations on restaurants. 
 
    Campgrounds are in all the towns and often you do not have a lot of 
    choices in rural areas. A free-standing tent with a good rain fly is
    the right stuff.
 
    Geiranger, Trollstigen, etc.  All is beautiful beyond words.  You
    cannot avoid tourists in the Summer. I suspect that there are guide
    books in English on the geology of Norway.
 
    Nearly everyone speaks English.  A few polite phrases in Norwegian show 
    respect and might lead to a more positive response.
 
    Bike or sport shops are the best sources of information on
    competitions.  The Norwegians are very athletic and there are races
    everywhere.
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  Prof. Jerome E. Coffey          PHONE: 406-994-5327; FAX: 406-994-2422
  Department of English           INTERNET: [email protected]
  Montana State University        BITNET: [email protected]
  Bozeman, MT 59717-0230 USA      GEnie: [email protected]
 
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
   Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
   From: [email protected] (Ketil Albertsen,TIH)
   Subject: Re: Bicycle Touring in Norway Questions
   Sender: [email protected] (Ketil Albertsen,TIH)
   Organization: T I H / T I S I P
   Date: Tue, 24 May 1994 10:27:36 GMT
 
    I'll add a few words of comment:
 
    If you have problems finding a campground, you should know that you are
    allowed to put up a tent *anywhere* in "utmark" - I don't know the
    English term covering any sort of non-cultivated areas, from wilderness
    to pasture fields (the Norw. term for grain fields, private gardens
    etc. is "innmark"), and you can stay there for two nights without
    requiring consent from the owner of the ground.
 
    Generally speaking, water in creeks and smaller rivers are good for
    drinking, outside cities, that is.
 
    An additional comment: Be prepared for rain - and bring woolen clothes
    along. Biking in ice cold West Norway rain may be a cold experience!

    From: [email protected] (Eric Barber) 
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: train travel in Norway 
    Date: 12 Jun 1995 10:54:46 GMT
    Organization: BNR Europe Ltd, London Road, Harlow, England.
 
    People often ask about travel in Norway, so here's some info on
    travelling by train.
 
    The state railways has two types of discount card, the green card and
    the customer card. The green card costs nok 250 and entitles the
    card-holder to a 50% discount on most travel outside peak hours. The
    customer card costs nok 420 and entitles the card-holder to a 50%
    discount on most travel outside peak hours AND a 30% discount on all
    other departures.
 
    An example: Oslo - Bergen - Oslo, ordinary fare nok 920, green card
    fare nok 460 (paying for the card). Seat reservations are nok 20 and
    may be forced on routes like Oslo - Bergen.
 
    By the way, use Braathen SAFE's visit Norway vouchers for internal air
    travel.
 
    Eric (no shares in either the state railways or Braathen SAFE)

--
   _    "just a Texan a long way from home"
 _| ~-. Eric Barber, BNR Europe Limited, London Road, Harlow, England CM17 9NA
 \, *_} AT&T/BT/etc. +44 1279 403527/429531 x 3527, ESN (NT/BNR) 6 742 3527
   \(   DISCLAIMER:  Working at, not speaking for, BNR  | [email protected]

    From: [email protected] (Stein J. Rypern)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Date: Thu, 1 Aug 1996 23:43:36 LOCAL
    Organization: SN Internett
  
 The Norwegian State Railroads (NSB) has roundtrips like this:
 
 Night train from Oslo around 11 pm to Myrdal around 5/6 am.
 From Myrdal to Flaam by train takes roughly an hour.
 
 Speed boat from Flaam to Bergen through the Sognefjord, putting
 in at Vangsnes, Balestrand and about 10 more places before Bergen.
 Arrival in Bergen roughly at 7 pm or 8 pm.
 
 Night train from Bergen around 11 pm arriving in Oslo at 7 am.
 
 Schedules are from memory, but it is definitely doable to leave
 Oslo at e.g. 11pm Friday evening and returning to Oslo at 7 am
 Sunday morning.
 
 Round trip tickets are around 1400 Norwegian, as of June this 
 year. Any decent travel agent should be able to help you find
 out more.
 
 Round trip can be done the other way around to, ie go Oslo-
Bergen-Flaam-Myrdal-Oslo. Stops can be made at any railroad
station on the way, including Bergen and Flaam.
 
 A sleeping bunks at the train is 250 NOK a night in a cabin
with two bunks. A seat reservation (required if you don't
have a bunk) is 20 NOK.
 
 If you are staying in Bergen - I found the Bergen Sommerpenjon
in Mohlenpris street (across the street from the technical 
museum) very good at 350 norwegian a day for a room with use
of a kitchen, bathroom and living room, shared with tree other
rooms for rent. Nice people too. But the place is student dorms
when the university is open, so they may no longer be open as a
hotel when you get to Bergen.
 
 But I would have gone for a sleeping bunk on the night train.
 
 Have fun,
 
 Smile,
 Stein, who did a slighly longer (5 day) version of the trip this 
        summer and loved it.
 
 
-- 
Stein J. Rypern  I "If we do happen to step on a mine, Sir, 
Ostbyvn 21       I  what do we do ?"
N1920 SORUMSAND  I "Normal procedure, Lieutenant, is to jump 200 feet
NORWAY           I  in the air and scatter oneself over a wide area."