Archive for the ‘Tourism’ Category

Allegations Tarnish Sweden’s ‘Perfect Monarch’

Books, Design, Film, History, Marketing, Media, Miscellaneous, National, Offbeat, Politics, Society, Sweden abroad, Tourism: November 15th, 2010 by VT

Taiwan’s Next Media Animation, which shot to fame late last year for its animated news clip of Elin Nordegren’s alleged attack against then-husband Tiger Woods, has turned its focus again to Sweden.

This time, it has targeted Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf following the publication of controversial biography “Carl XVI Gustaf – the reluctant monarch,” which details rumours of the king’s affairs.Just in case you missed it the first time around, here’s the Tiger video.

Philips unveils latest wake-up light campaign

Business, Climate, Design, Film, Marketing, Media, Miscellaneous, Offbeat, Science, Society, Swedish Life, Technology, Tourism: October 29th, 2010 by VT

Philips’ advertising campaigns for the wake-up light have historically challenged the prestige of the product, testing the wake-up light’s mettle in real life. In this latest campaign, the test is on an epic scale.

Watch the clip for the trailer here.

Philips travels to Longyearbyen, Norway, where winter lasts for four months and the sun doesn’t rise at all in this period. A town where the local people look with dread to the winter months: a time of little enjoyment and confusion. A period when, without the differentiation of day and night, time itself is without meaning.

Enter Philips and the wake-up light with a simple mission: to restore residents Longyearbyen’s daily routine and help them combat the negative impact of living without natural light for four months.

The wake-up light simulates sunrise, allowing users to, perhaps not surprisingly, wake up in an environment similar to a bright summer’s day. The theory behind the experiment is that this will combat the negative effects of waking, living and then going to sleep in darkness and should help the user readjust to a more natural cycle.

The full footage for the experiment will be released in November. Will it work? Wait and see.

CNN highlights Sweden alongside Malaysia for ‘fine island groups’

Swedish Life, Tourism: September 13th, 2010 by VT

At first glance, Sweden and Malaysia appear to have little in common given the vast differences in their climates. However, CNN highlighted both countries for a Friday report on some of the world’s finest island groups.

Stanley Cup champion Niklas Hjalmarsson goes for a hearty Swedish meal in Chicago

Miscellaneous, Offbeat, Sport, Sweden abroad, Tourism: September 13th, 2010 by VT

Hockey defenceman Niklas Hjalmarsson of Eksjö east of Jönköping, winner of the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, has a taste of home at the aptly named Tre Kronor in the Windy City’s Northwest Side on Friday.

Hollywood Millennium’s Lisbeth spotted in Stockholm prepping for film

Books, Film, Marketing, Media, Miscellaneous, Opinion, Swedish Life, Tourism: September 9th, 2010 by VT

Rooney Mara was spotted on the streets of Stockholm on Wednesday going to a gym and heading to a language school, where she is reportedly learning to speak English with a Swedish accent, the Daily Mail reported on Thursday.

CNN hits the Millennium trail in Stockholm

Architecture, Books, Business, Film, History, Marketing, Media, Miscellaneous, Offbeat, Society, Swedish Life, Tourism: September 9th, 2010 by VT

CNN follows the flocks on tourists on the Millennium tour of Stockholm on Wednesday.

Quirky art and herring tasting in western Sweden

Opinion, Swedish Life, Tourism: August 30th, 2010 by VT

Chicago Sun-Times’ David Hoekstra visits Sculpture at Pilane in Tjörn, one hour north of Gothenburg, and takes part in a herring tasting at Salt & Sill, a restaurant and floating hotel on the Marstrand Fjörd.

Stockholm Oranje fans pull out all stops for World Cup runners-up

Miscellaneous, Sport, Swedish Life, Tourism: July 12th, 2010 by VT

No one can accuse the Dutch for not throwing a great party whether they win or lose. After being told at the door of the Dutch embassy that it was full on Sunday for the World Cup final against Spain, as soon as the staff of De Hollandse Club Stockholm heard about The Local, it was all smiles and a warm welcome in.

Pre-game show

Wandering into the courtyard, a big-screen TV broadcast a live Dutch feed with the names of the evening’s sponsors spliced in was the focus of the attention of the crowd. Organisers estimated 550 people watched the game, with the event costing about 70,000 kronor ($9,300).

Big screen for big crowd

There was indeed orange, orange everywhere – jerseys (one curiously with “Björklund” on the back), hats, one vuvuzela, shoes, pants, suspenders, furry lobster pendants, wigs, blow-up plastic crowns. However, the face paint was clearly the red, white and blue (the stripes in that order) of the Dutch flag and the hand stamp for re-entry when leaving the premises happened to be a red, white and blue crayon. In addition to Dutch fans, there were also a number of Swedes and English speakers of all accents among the crowd among the lucky ones who arrived early enough for entry.

A fan with an orange-hooded (!) Dutch flag toots on her orange vuvuzela

They also lived up to the promise of Dutch beer at Dutch prices – Grolsch at 30 kronor, as well as wine-in-a-box and soft drinks. Curiously, the bitterballen (Dutch pub snack food) were free. Only when those ran out did they starting charging minimally for the kroketten.

One does not truly feel short until he or she watches the World Cup final with a Dutch crowd – ironically forcing one to the back of the viewing area. After the crowd of Dutch fans who were denied entry finally dispersed well into the second half, seven-year-old Emilia Bouterse, a Stockholmer with a Swedish mum and Dutch dad, still lingered on at the front door, seemingly indifferent to the action on the big screen.

Stockholmer Emilia Bouterse, 7, whose father is Dutch, with Swedish mum Johanna

There were many gasps, jeers and cheers throughout the game for each of the numerous yellow cards shown depending on which team they were directed to, as well as every corner and free kick. Most audible were the shouts of relief when Nigel de Jong did not get a red card for kicking Xabi Alonso in the chest.

Interspersed throughout the game, as well as pre-match and during half-time was a DJ blasting out of the loudspeakers, as well as typical Black Eyed Peas fare in addition to classic Dutch favourites. In addition to the lone orange vuvuzela, other decible-shattering horns blew intermittently, peppered with “Holland!” clapping chants and oddly, “¡Olé Olé Olé!” once or twice.

The red card shown to Johnny Heitinga in extra time seemed to signal a turn for the worse and hinted that the game in the end might not go to penalty kicks, but there was not any excessive shouting at the screen for the decision. There were also nary but groans when Andres Iniesta finally scored four minutes before the end of the game.

As the final whistle blew, a palpable disappointed silence fell over the courtyard of the Dutch embassy as the fans streamed out to Götgatan to meet the oncoming jubilant Spain supporters, but the mood remained festive and cheerful in spite of the loss. However, there is no doubt there would have been partying all night had Oranje won – the line for beer disappeared instantly when Iniesta scored.

The bitter but happy end

Branson offers ultimate enlightenment from Kiruna

Technology, Tourism: January 2nd, 2008 by PR

Fancy a trip into the northern lights? For anybody with a spare £100,000 knocking about, this could be the ultimate enlightenment, as James Randerson reports in The Guardian.

Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic plans to offer commercial space flights from its base in New Mexico from 2010 and will begin operating from Kiruna in northern Sweden some time after that.

Sweden offers one important advantage over the US, though. Passengers paying $200,000 (about £100,000) a ticket for the two-hour flight will be able to fly into the aurora borealis – the northern lights – something that no human has done before.

Video: Building the Icehotel

Architecture, Tourism: December 11th, 2007 by PO

The Times has a video report from the construction of the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi:

The hotel is in Swedish Lapland, a magical region that’s a good match for Narnia for around four months of the year. The fir trees are dusted white, street lamps glow all day with only a glimpse of subdued sunlight over midday, and children glide down the streets on foot-propelled sledges.

Video: World’s biggest elk

Offbeat, Society, Tourism: November 27th, 2007 by PO

Somewhere in the wilds of northern Sweden lurks the biggest elk in the world. See what’s inside possibly the most impressive wooden animal since the Trojan horse:

Swede sleeps rough after fleeing flies

Sweden abroad, Tourism: November 20th, 2007 by PO

A Swedish tourist got lost after he went for a walk to escape a swarm of sand flies, New Zealand’s TV3 reports.

Swedes radiate happiness at nuclear plants

Society, Swedish Life, Tourism: October 30th, 2007 by PO

Many Swedes’ idea of a fun day out will include a trip to the local nuclear power plant, Reuters reports.

Of Sweden’s population of around nine million, almost three million have been to a Swedish nuclear plant — some on school trips, others as passing tourists — since they were first able to visit 35 years ago, said Torsten Bohl, communications director at state firm Vattenfall, Forsmark’s majority owner.

“They see it’s a large industrial complex, but nothing else — and the people who work there are ordinary, not greenish,” said Bohl.

The New York Times does Gothenburg

Tourism: September 24th, 2007 by PO

The New York Times finds much to recommend Sweden’s second city:

In the past, Swedes would get their degrees here (it is the country’s largest university town) and flee. But increasingly, musicians, artists, designers and shoestring entrepreneurs — the youth-ish culture that gives a city its raffish vitality and, arguably, its economic vitality — are staying, or returning, the latest wave of un-Swedish Swedes to colonize Goteborg for their own purpose.

13 minus 1 reasons to savor Stockholm

Climate, Tourism: August 20th, 2007 by PR

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, there are hundreds of reasons to savor Stockholm. But the paper makes do with thirteen.

All the usual suspects are there (the Vasa museum, the water, Drottningholm, Södermalm etc.) but number one is a bit of a surprise:

The weather

Stockholm is cool, but it’s not that cool. Thanks to the warming effects of the Gulf Stream, February is the only month when the temperature dips much below freezing. And Nobel laureates get their prizes in December, which speaks well of that month’s weather.

The writer’s visit apparently wasn’t this summer.

Tourist tip: Kiruna

Tourism: June 15th, 2007 by PO

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution tells you why you should make your way up to the mining city above the Arctic Circle:

In summer, climbing 6,986-foot Mount Kebnekaise (Sweden’s highest), hiking in national parks, fishing, hunting, riding the rapids, biking, rock climbing, a trip to an elk farm and golfing are some of the activities available in an area that many call the last wilderness in Europe. Visitors from the end of May through mid-July have the added plus of 24 hours of daylight, the fabled midnight sun.

Tourist tip: The Dala Horse

Society, Tourism: June 15th, 2007 by PO

The Dala Horse is as Swedish as meatballs and the welfare state. But what are its origins?

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution sent Betty Gordon to the Museum of Swedish Wooden Horses to get the inside track on the equine ornaments.