Land of the Midnight Sun. Review on Sweden, General

I flew from Montreal to Amsterdam in a KLM Dutch Airline. The flight was pleasant and the airport (Schiphol) was marvelous, perhaps one of the best designed airports in the world. After spending three days in a houseboat (Botel) there with day time sightseeing and canal trips, I boarded a comfortable train to Stockholm. I had a three week Eurail pass, and my first class compartment was shared by an elderly Swedish couple. Part of the journey was via a ferry with a brief stop at Malmo.

Stockholm is probably the cleanest city in the world, expensive too, comparing to other parts of Europe. But the people are, on the average, well educated and cultured and earns an above average income. During a week's stay in Stockholm, I enjoyed wandering through the crowded streets and shopping. Surprisingly, there were several good book shops in Stockholm and I was able to pick up a few good titles on big game hunting in Africa and India. Here most taxis were either Mercedes or Volvo.

It was the month of July, and I wanted to witness the midnight sun. From here with my Swedish friend, I took the train to Hudiksvall, a small town, a few hundred kilometers north of the city. We went to a fishing village

there and enjoyed swimming in the Baltic sea. Traveling further north, we reached my friend's home where we were greeted by her parents.

After dinner and talks, I retired to my room, took out a book ''Reade, the Elephant Hunter'' by the late Patrick Stracey. A delightful account of an Anglo Indian hunter named Reade who lived in Assam. He was a friend of stracey who was the chief conservator of forests there.I have read the book till 3 a.m. on and off without turning the lights on once. There was enough natural light throughout the night to read. I also took outdoor photographs using just the ASA100 film at night without a flash.I was marvelled by this, and told so at the breakfast table next morning. They reminded me that during the winter months, they hardly saw the sun.

Sweden's country side is very beautiful. Although they have long winters and cold periods, the summer is very pleasant, blessed with longer hours of daylight, normal for any land that is closer to the Arctic circle. Even in Edmonton, Canada, we have long summer days. Sunlight by 4 a.m. till 11 p.m. It is not quite dark even after midnight. But northern Sweden enjoys 24 hours of natural light during the summer.

By large, summer is the best time to visit Sweden, June and July being the best months.

If you go: The best starting point would be Amsterdam. Take the train and relax all the way to Stockholm. There are several youth hostels for students, and comfortable hotels for adults. Prepare to pay a much higher price for room and meals. In Europe, room rate includes breakfast.In Stockholm, there are several historical places to visit. From here you can travel north via train. Hotels can be booked through a travel agent in Stockholm for an ideal place to witness the midnight sun.

In the winter you can spend a night or two in a hotel exclusively built with solid ice. This is mainly designed to attract those who indulge in winter sports.

I do not think there are any public phone booths in Sweden that accept coins.