English 'Bed and Breakfast' sign allowed to stay
A guest house owner in central Sweden has been allowed to keep a sign with the words 'Bed and Breakfast' in English, after a widely publicized campaign.
The Swedish National Road Administration (Vägverket) had initially told Camilla Krupmann that the sign directing tourists from the road to her guest house in Dalkarlsberg, near Nora, would have to display the Swedish words, 'Rum och Frukost'.
The administration pointed to rules stipulating that road signs should all be in Swedish. Krupmann objected, arguing that many foreign tourists would be unable to understand the Swedish term, while all Swedes would understand the English.
Now the authorities have caved in, saying that after careful consideration they would allow English to be used "in the context of road signage for bed and breakfast facilities".
"Everything's hunky-dory now. The sign can remain; it's called 'Bed and Breakfast across the country and that's good".
Another of Krupmann's signs will still be removed by the roads administration. The sign, bearing the words 'cafe och mat' ('coffee and food') breaks another rule.
"It should be a sign with a knife and fork and a coffee cup instead," she said.
"But the roads administration has said that it will fix it," Krupmann added.
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The Swedish National Road Administration (Vägverket) had initially told Camilla Krupmann that the sign directing tourists from the road to her guest house in Dalkarlsberg, near Nora, would have to display the Swedish words, 'Rum och Frukost'.
The administration pointed to rules stipulating that road signs should all be in Swedish. Krupmann objected, arguing that many foreign tourists would be unable to understand the Swedish term, while all Swedes would understand the English.
Now the authorities have caved in, saying that after careful consideration they would allow English to be used "in the context of road signage for bed and breakfast facilities".
"Everything's hunky-dory now. The sign can remain; it's called 'Bed and Breakfast across the country and that's good".
Another of Krupmann's signs will still be removed by the roads administration. The sign, bearing the words 'cafe och mat' ('coffee and food') breaks another rule.
"It should be a sign with a knife and fork and a coffee cup instead," she said.
"But the roads administration has said that it will fix it," Krupmann added.
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