Icelandic Horses: a smaller, pony-sized horse with a lineage dating back to Viking times

Wealready recognize Iceland as a unique vacation destination offering magnificent mountain panoramas, waterfalls, glaciers, spouting geysers, and fine cuisine. But what of Iceland’s horses?

Imported by Scandinavian settlers in the 9^th and 10^th centuries they appear throughout Icelandic historical writings and have played an important part in Iceland’s development.

The breed on several occasions has been almost wiped out by the harsh climate, volcanic eruptions and deforestation resulting from ship-building and housing, but concern and selective breeding has kept the breed alive. Icelandic horses have a double coat developed for extra insulation in cold temperatures.

Icelandic law prevents the return of exported horses and forbids the importation of horses further protecting the integrity of the breed. Gentle and responsive the horses have an unusually even gait and quickly develop a bond with their riders.

For horse lovers and those looking for a bit more adventure while in Iceland, a three to five day horse trekking tour may be just the thing. There are many variations and itineraries available from day tours to multi-day tours, including visits to areas seldom seen and inaccessible other than by horseback.

If sleeping bags and tents are your forte, camping trips are available. But if you prefer something a bit more comfortable, there are tours offering hotel lodging as well.

Experienced guides, proper outfitting and gentle horses will show you the best Iceland has to offer. We have detailed information available.

Sincerely,

Don, John, and Lena

THE SAMI PEOPLE AND THE LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN

The Sami People are among the largest indigenous groups in Europe and inhabit parts of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia and their ancestral lands cover an area roughly the size of Sweden. Numbering somewhere around 100,000 the majority of the population is located in Norway followed by Sweden, Finland and Russia.

Livelihoods have ranged from fishing, fur trapping, and sheep herding but they are best known for reindeer herding where approximately 3000 are actively involved and herding is legally reserved only for the Sami people in certain regions of the North.

The Sami People have survived for over 2500 years by adapting to the Arctic north and are represented by three Parliaments with limited influence and controlled largely by the Scandinavian Governments. The representatives are concerned largely with border questions and the promotion of cultural autonomy.

In Kautokeino approximately 90 percent of the population speaks Sami and it is the home of a high school and reindeer herding school here also is the International Center for Reindeer Husbandry and it is considered the cultural capital for the Sami People.

Karasjok is the home of the Norwegian Sami Parliament, located here as well are the Sami Collections Museum and the Sami Art Center.

A one and ½ hour flight from Stockholm to Kiruna will provide a convenient starting point for a more detailed study visit and at the same time an opportunity to visit Jukkasjärvi the home of the famous Ice Hotel.

For those looking for peace and tranquility the natural beauty of the arctic north provides a perfect setting and a few days spent at Kronogård Viildmark at Kåbdalis will be just the thing. Daily excursions are arranged for guests encountering wild life and magnificent views. While here you will also have an opportunity to stand on the Arctic Circle just a few kilometers to the north.

During the summer months beginning in mid May and continuing through mid August the North of Scandinavia becomes the land of the Midnight Sun. At the end of June areas of the north enjoy 24 hours of daylight.

Portions of this article were found through a Wikipedia search.

Sincerely,

John and Don

Stockholm's Grand Hotel

In many of Stockholm’s panoramic views one of the most recognizable buildings is The Grand Hotel. Ideally located, this 5 star property offering deluxe accommodations is a far reach from lodging offered in the 17th and 18th century.

In the late 18th century the Swedish Pomeranian officer Georg von Pollet commented “The Inns are altogether bad, one could scarce be worse served in the Marburg Post House than in the foremost inn of Stockholm “Malmens Källare”. Small unkempt rooms, inferior food and inflated bills are the lot of every stranger”.

Even in the beginning of the 19th century conditions seemed largely unchanged although by this time there were a few exceptions. Bergstrahlska huset by Riddarhustorget, Kastenhof on Gustav Adolfs torg, Reisen on Skeppsbron, Franska Värdshuset on Regeringsgatan, and Den Gyllene Freden on Österlångatan were some of the better taverns and eating houses in the city.

The Hotel Garni could perhaps be regarded as Stockholm’s first real “hotel” as we know it today. It was opened in 1832 by the court confectioner Abraham Christopher Behrens. The hotel’s trade card stated in Swedish and French “ In this tastefully decorated Hotel, located at #3 Drottninggatan, are three floors of furnished rooms for travelers , for families as well as individuals, with adjoining Servants’ quarters. Stables and servants rooms also provided”.

In January 1858 the Hotel Rydberg was opened to the public. Stockholm finally had a continental-style hotel. It was an astoundingly luxurious building for its time. In addition to rooms for travelers, the ground floor contained storerooms, a carriage room, lodging quarters for the hotel manager and a wash-house with a water pump. Gas pipes were installed and the hotel was illuminated with modern gas lamps. There were also bathrooms with bathtubs and bath attendants. Not even the royal family had such splendor in the Palace.

Just one year later Régis Cadier (who would later play the crucial role in the creation of the Grand Hotel) managed to purchase the leasehold for the hotel. Calmly and methodically, he built up the business.

Few things have been more significant to the development of Stockholm than the opening of the rail link to the capital in 1862. In one stroke the journey time from Gothenburg to Stockholm was cut to 14 hours opening Stockholm to the outside world. Never before had the Swedish capital seen so many travelers arrive.

It soon became clear that a new hotel was needed and Cadier was asked to come up with a solution. Attention was turned toward the harbor and Cadier discovered three interesting properties on the southern side of Blasieholmen.

Work began on the new hotel in March 1872. From records it would appear that the roof was completed by the end of the year and work on the interior continued throughout 1873.

How did Cadier finance a project of such magnitude? One story has Cadier filling a wheelbarrow with silver coins at the Hotel Rydberg then wheeling it to the new building site to pay the construction workers. The story may be a myth but it makes for a good antidote.

By the spring of 1874 the interiors were nearly completed and the first guests checked in. It was at this time that the name of the new hotel was made public: THE GRAND HOTEL.

Today elegance abounds in the Grand Hotel’s 368 rooms each room being one of a kind. 42 spacious suites, with conference facilities accommodating most needs. To remind you of Régis Cadier enjoy a refreshment in the Cadier bar appropriately named “From the Founder to the Future” and breakfast, lunch or dinner in the Veranda Restaurant overlooking the Bay. A fine dining experience awaits in Mathias Dahlgren’s Restaurant specializing in “Natural Cuisine”. A 2,800 square meter spa and health club will be completed during 2009 in collaboration with Raison d’Etre and available for hotel guests.

And of course, location in the center of Stockholm with a magnificent view of the harbor.

Portions of the above information are from the web site http://www.grandhotel.se/

Sincerely,

John and Don

Norway and World War II

On this day, April 9, sixty-nine years ago, the German forces began their invasion of the neutral country, Norway. After a two month struggle even with the assistance of the British and French military, Norway had no choice but to surrender, leaving the Norwegian governmental authorities in exile. Over the following five years until liberation, the Norwegian people struggled through amazing hardship under German control. To this day there are many who remember the difficulties during the Nazi occupation, and several museums exist to preserve the remembrance of Norway’s role in World War II, which included valiant resistance by the Norwegian people during this war time.

Some World War II museums that you may choose to visit:


Bergen – Theta Museum of Resistance on Bryggen
Svolvaer – Lofoten – World War II Memorial Museum
Oslo – Norway’s Resistance Museum
Narvik – Red Cross World War II Museum


Today, we remember the brave Norwegians who fought so hard for their country in World War II.


Sincerely,
John and Don


Portions of our information have been obtained on the web at www.norway.org/history. Please feel free to visit the site for further information.

How did Swedish IKEA company start?

IKEA, most everyone is familiar with this innovative company but how and where did it begin?

The founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, was born in Småland, in the south of Sweden. He was raised on a farm called Elmtaryd, near the small village of Agunnaryd. Even as a young boy his entrepreneurial skills were showing. He started by selling matches to neighbors when he discovered that matches could be purchased inexpensively in bulk and resold at a lower price but still with a profit. From matches, he expanded to selling fish, Christmas tree decorations, seeds and later ball-point pens and pencils.

In 1943, when Ingvar was 17, his father gave him a gift for succeeding in his studies, he used this to establish his own business. The name IKEA was formed from the founder's initials (I.K.) plus the first letters of Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd, the farm and village where he grew up. In the beginning pens, wallets, picture frames, table runners, watches, jewelry and nylon stockings were sold, any product where there was a need and could be filled at a reduced price.

The first IKEA advertisements appeared in local newspapers in 1945 when the business outgrew individual sales calls, he began advertising in local newspapers and operating a makeshift mail order catalogue. His products were now distributed via the county milk van and delivered to the nearby train station.

Furniture produced by local manufacturers was first introduced into the IKEA product line in 1947, the response was positive and offerings were expanded. In 1951 the first IKEA furniture catalogue was published and with this success the opportunity of becoming a furniture provider on a larger scale became a possibility. Mr. Kamprad now made the decision to discontinue all other products and focus exclusively on low-priced furniture, and the IKEA that we know today was born.

In 1953 IKEA found itself in a price war with its main competitor. As both companies lowered prices quality was also at risk. To counter this, the company opened its first furniture showroom in Älmhult thus presenting their products in three dimensions function, quality and low price. Customers did just what IKEA had hoped, they wisely chose the products with the best value for the money and for the first time it was possible to see and touch the product before ordering.

By 1955 IKEA began designing their own furniture as pressure from competitors caused suppliers to boycott the successful firm. This move lead to a more innovative design and function and even lower prices. Then, by lucky inspiration, one early IKEA employee decided to remove a table’s legs so it would fit into a car, and avoid transport damage. From there flat packaging was introduced leading to even further reductions in price.

With many innovative designs and national and international expansion IKEA now numbers 127,000 co-workers across a global network of over 250 stores in 24 countries and in 1985 the first store opened in the U.S.

You may wish to visit Älmhult during your visit to Sweden just 62 kilometers southwest of Växjö off of route 23.

Sincerely, John and Don

Our research was based on information from www.IKEA.com- feel free to visit their website, or visit a location near you.

Lego's Beginnings in Denmark

How did Lego bricks come to be?

From humble beginnings in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen a carpenter and furniture maker.

After his workshop burned down in 1924 he began again by building a larger workshop and increasing production but the depression in the 1930’s almost forced him out of business when a social worker encouraged him to begin making toy reproductions of his furniture.

He began with pull toys, piggy banks, cars and trucks and enjoyed a modest amount of success but his toys were expensive and he was forced to return to furniture making.

In 1934 the company name was coined. A contest was held encouraging his employees to come with a name and two names were considered “Legia” a combination of legion of toys and “Lego” from the Danish phrase “leg godt” or play well.

When plastic came into widespread use Ole Kirk stayed with the times and began producing plastic toys including a modular truck that could be taken apart and reassembled and in 1949 began producing plastic bricks designed after Kiddicraft bricks produced by Hilary Harry Fisher Page.

The Lego bricks were developed to resemble traditional wooden blocks that could be stacked one upon the other the difference was the several round studs on top and a hollow rectangular bottom so that they would stick together and the rest is history.

Legoland Denmark in Billund can easily be reached by car from Copenhagen and on the way a stop in Odense for a visit to the Hans Christian Andersen home and museum may be in order.

Sincerely,
John and Don

Our research was based on our reading of lego.com - feel free to visit there yourself for more information!