The prospect of writing a guidebook was daunting indeed and I thought long and hard before deciding taking the task on. The whole country would have to be covered, by just one person. Me. It would involve collecting and arranging an enormous amount of factual information, adding comments and guidance where appropriate, about everything from travelling to and within the country to accommodation, where to eat, what to see and do in every corner of the land from the far south on the narrow channel separating Sweden from Denmark, to the polar North, far above the Arctic Circle. There would also be guided walks in the major centres and a particular emphasis on history and culture.
The deciding factor, however, was that it would take me to parts of the country I hadn't been to before despite being a long-time resident (how many people have been to every part of the country in which they live?), or would like to revisit. So I said yes and signed a contract, well aware that the assignment would involve infinitely more work than pay. But there were other potential rewards to consider.
As expected, the fun part was in travelling around the land. The great fun part was in digging out, or surprisingly coming across, stories, information, that few people would know about and that potential readers were not likely to find elsewhere. Who knew, for example, that the first prisoner of war exchange in the second world war took place in Gothenburg? I stayed two nights in the hotel where final negotiations were held. The manageress told me she had once met someone who worked there at the time and how alarmed she and other members of the uninformed staff were when they saw and heard uniformed Germans greeting each other with the “Heil Hitler” salute. They assumed that the Nazis had invaded the country, as they had already done in Norway and Denmark. And when I went to the harbour area to find the exact spot where the exchange had occurred, how surprised I was when I asked two elderly gentlemen sitting on a bench if they could tell me where the dock was that I was looking for when one of them revealed that he had witnessed the scene as a small child living in a flat overlooking the harbour. It had made such an impression on him that he was able to describe it in vivid detail.
The most enjoyable trip was a four-day journey across Sweden from east to west in a narrow canal boat, with confined cabins rather like large wooden sardine tins standing on end. But there was very good food and pleasant company in the narrow dining room, while traversing the peaceful countryside and being able to visit places of interest along the way, jumping off the boat at the many locks. Sometimes we crossed a lake in the chain of waterways that can take you from Stockholm to Gothenburg if you have the time – and let's face it – the money, to spare. For someone like me, however, it was free of charge as the canal company wanted the publicity. And I did have to work.
Another highlight was a visit to Mora in the province of Dalarna to the north-west of Stockholm, where the annual 90 km Vasa Ski Race ends and which is home to the magical Zorn Museum. Anders Zorn (1860-1920), my favourite Swedish artist, whose skill as a portraitist led to his making seven trips to the United States, where his commissions included portraits of three Presidents, Cleveland, Taft and Theodore Roosevelt. But it was by no means only portraits that he painted and if ever you get the chance, lookout for some of his wondrous water colours.
From Mora there is the inland railway line to Gällivare 70 km above the Arctic Circle, with an overnight stop in the town of Östersund, situated on the shores of a lake, Storsjö, famed here for its version of the Loch Ness Monster. The local tourist office has a map showing where you are most likely to see it. It also has its own website www.storsjoodjuret.jamtland.se.
The inland line was the first main line to be completed in Sweden and, unfortunately, the first to be closed to passenger traffic. However, it has been kept partially alive from Midsummer until the autumn by informative enthusiasts, the train stopping here and there for you to get out and look around, and long enough at some stations for passengers to get refreshment or a meal.
A further 70 km beyond Gällivare is Sweden's northernmost township, distinguished these days by being an urban centre on the move as it is literally being undermined by its huge iron ore mine. It has been relocating in stages to a safer site. Small township it may be, but it is also the centre of a huge municipality covering an area of some 20,000 km that contains the country's highest mountain, thousands of lakes, seven rivers, two national parks and much else of note.
Yes, all that was the fun part of the work. The rest was a hard slog to produce 400 printed pages that were eventually published in London and New York.
