Under patio heating

I saw an elk in the centre of Stockholm a couple of years ago. It had wandered in and got lost.

They are enormous animals with quite small spindly legs for their size. Unfortunately, this does result in the body of several hundred kilos being at a level just over the bonnet height.

As far as the lights are concerned, I am not sure that this was an elk issue. In fact daytime lights are required in all the Nordic countries - even Denmark which is relatively south.

In the winter time when the sun is relatively low in the sky and light levels low, there is a tendency for the trees and road to appear to merge in a uniform greeny grey. Having the lights means that oncoming traffic is noticed much earlier. The Swedes made a huge difference to the accident rate by having daytime running lights. It is being used in some U.S. states as well.

.andy

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I haven't danced the tango for almost fifty years - and have no desire to either. It's the scenery, the food and that sort of thing which appeals to me about Scandinavia.

Oh I know about elk and their danger to cars, in Norway at least. I bought an elk skin from a Norwegian Viking about ten years ago. I sold it last year for the same price plus a therapeutic massage ...

The massage had no effect ... but at least I don't have that shiny, long haired elk skin which is no good for anything except hanging on a wall any more.

It's no good for anything because the hair is so slippery (fine on an elk, snow slides off) that you can't walk on it and you can sleep on it because you slide up or down depending on which way you're facing.

Mary

Mary

And Iceland which has going on for 24 hour light in summer.

Mary

In message , Mary Fisher writes

So, no carpet burns there then

I can't imagine what you mean ...

Mary

EVERYTHING in scandinavia tends to a uniform greeny grey, icluiding most of the so called food, and especially the people.

I've never met a duller, more politically correct, mob, by and large.

Not my experience at all, but there you go....

.andy

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Nor mine - only been to Iceland mind you. To date.

The people were delightful, the weather - er - exciting in its unpredictability, the scenery splendid, the food fabulous ... but I've only been in high summer when even at midnight it's hardly grey. The Norwegians and Swedes I know are among my best friends. A bit weird sometimes but certainly not boring.

Mary

Mine neither. Generally, they were face down in a pool of something unspeakable.

Went to Luleu, Sweden inside the Arctic Circle for a week long conference during mid-summer week courtesy of Ercisson and the one thing it wasn't was grey. In fact some grey, or to be more precise black would have been appreciated as by the Wednesday one really would like to get some sleep other than by alcohol overuse. Unfortunately it actually gets brighter around midnight as the angle of the sun seems to make the light skim across the land. Never understood why the hotel only had thin pink curtains. Would have though deep velvet curtains ideal for summer and winter.

But a wonderful country - looking forward to next visit.

Midsummer week..... Sounds like a boonie to me ;-)

Yes it is....

.andy

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Must be a different Scandinavia from the one I've visited

And Norwegian discos ...

All the girls 14 yo or less, not a single male capable of standing up without assistance

Costs a fortune to get drunk though...

In message , snipped-for-privacy@chaplehouse.demon.co.uk writes

Not if you know the right people ...

As I said - courtesy of Ericsson :-)

Not if you know where to go and who to go with........

.andy

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er - a boonie?

I don't need darkness to sleep, in UK our bedroom curtains are thin and white, the nasty sodium lights outside mean that we could - if we were intent on doing so - read through the night, with some difficulty I admit. But if I'm tired I sleep - anywhere.

What amused me was looking out at midnight from a B&B and seeing someone painting his fence.

Mary

There are other things in life ...

Mary

Boondoggle. Generally means busy-work but in the business context an activity or conference that is really something else.

Also an abbreviation for Boondocks meaning a remote and rural area.

.andy

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