- Many Swedes don’t actively initiate conversation but are very enthusiastic about replying to a “Hej!” if you throw one out there.
- Many have wondered why we came to Sweden of all places.
- There are flags everywhere. Most houses (especially in the countryside) have a flagpole in the yard.
- The Swedes are all about lighting and rugs: even camp cabins and public bathrooms have pendant lights, lamps, and rugs in them. There are plants or lamps in every window of every house and apartment.
- lots of large, purebred, well-behaved dogs
- ice cream and minigolf abounds
- the food is not the greatest. We thought we just hit some bad restaurants our first few days, but after three weeks, we realize that stumbling onto a good meal out is the exception. What we now avoid: hamburgers, Mexican food (or what the Swedish think is Mexican), cups of mayo on everything, dishes served on french fries. A strange and prolific combo: pizza and kebabs.
- Alcohol is surprisingly hard to come by. Only one chain store, System Bolaget, carries alcohol: for wine, beer, spirits, anything, you have to find a System Bolaget. There isn’t one in every town and they have standard business hours so that you can’t just run out for a bottle of wine if it’s Friday night and/or you are in a small town. Not every restaurant has alcohol available and when they do, it’s one choice between (usually not great) red and white wine. The beer comes with a warning of being “strong” if it’s 5.2%
- So many boats! Classic wooden boats, sailboats, motor boats, yachts.
- They keep things clean: as soon as something is used, it’s clean up. At the campgrounds, people stand in line outside the kitchen with dirty dishes as soon as a meal is over. I have cleaned up after myself in public restrooms to an extent I don’t even do at home because I want to leave it as I found it.
- The Swedes love their luxury wagons. Here’s what we’ve seen towed behind wagons: horse trailers, boats, camping trailers, cargo containers.
- They love the summer sun. They turn to it like a field of flowers.
Summer on Bikes 