Image 1/25

@ Stone Bridge, Kinnekulle
Gem begins his tour of "Sweden". Wrap up warm!
Stone Bridge, Kinnekulle
Kinnekulle is a flat-topped mountain in the county of Västergötland, Sweden. This beautiful bridge is probably limestone excavated from the Kinnekulle Grand Quarry. The lower levels of limestone date back 400 million years.

Image 2/25

@ Swedish Port, Bohuslän
"Ah! We know Sweden has land borders with Finland and Norway but did you know it's also connected to Denmark—by a bridge?" said Gem.
"A bridge that's a border? Sounds great!" said moo moo.

Swedish Port, Bohuslän
Bohuslän is a province in Götaland, Sweden. A rocky coastline ranked as one of the world's last great wilderness areas, with 3,000 islands and 5,000 islets.

Image 3/25

@ Antique Window
"'Whilst the official language of Sweden is Swedish (or Svenska), you'll hear many different tongues on a trip. These are official minority languages and include Finnish, Sami, Yiddish, Romani and Meänkieli'," read out Gem from the brochure.
WHOOO"S A HOOT nervously clutched his copy of Swedish Made Simple.
"I hope the pets we come across speak Swedish—or English, of course!"
Antique Window
It was not until the 19th century that large panes of glass were made so all windows prior to that time were smaller panes of glass with lead joining the panes. The first glass blocks were patented in 1886. This beautiful blue glass window appears to be made of glass blocks.

Image 4/25

@ Swedish Lapland, Sweden
Gramps lowered his copy of Swedish Without Strain. "You know, they don't have a way to say 'please' in Swedish."
"Wow!" responded Gem. "So...I don't understand, how do you get by without it?"
"Well, it seems you just have to sound polite and use Tack, which means 'thank you'."

Swedish Lapland, Sweden
Lapland is a province in northern Sweden. The northernmost parts of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia, also known as Sápmi, is the land of the indigenous population, the Sami people, who have lived here for thousands of years. A truly stunning landscape.

Image 5/25

@ Full Moon
"Ah! We know Sweden has land borders with Finland and Norway but did you know it's also connected to Denmark—by a bridge?" said Gem.
"A bridge that's a border? Sounds great!" said Sophia.

Full Moon
Bundle up the pets and go for a scenic drive along the misty roads. It looks clear enough that you should see some stars.

Image 6/25

@ Drottningholm Palace, Sweden
"'Sweden has a famous hotel in the village of Jukkasjärvi made entirely out of ice. The hotel has to be re-crafted every year using large blocks of ice taken from the Tome River'," read out Gem from the brochure.
"Sounds very stylish, Gem, if a little chilly, possibly!" remarked iddels.

Drottningholm Palace, Sweden
Permanent residence of the Swedish Royal Family. This, the most well-preserved royal castle in Sweden was built in the 1600s. The castle is built on an island, Lovön which is close to Stockholm.

Image 7/25

@ Frozen Lake, Sweden
"Interesting culinary fact about Sweden here, pinkguick!" announced Gem. "They celebrate the arrival of midsummer with boiled potatoes with dill. This a Swedish delicacy."
"Well, you know me, Gem. A meal is incomplete without potatoes, whichever way they come!"

Frozen Lake, Sweden
Wintertime changes the landscape considerably. Bodies of water can freeze over, trees are covered in snow, darkness falls earlier and light comes later. Taking a walk through a winter forest is refreshing but do be careful where you put your feet.

Image 8/25

@ Apladalen, Värnamo, Sweden
"They certainly like quirky marketing here, Tiger! 'The Call a Swede phoneline provided a single telephone number that anyone around the world could call and talk to a Swedish person picked at random from a group of volunteers. The scheme ran for three months and took calls from all around the world.'"
"That sounds like a fun thing to do, Gem!"
Apladalen, Värnamo, Sweden
A natural history park is the main attraction in Värnamo, featuring traditional houses from the 18th and 19th centuries. There are goats, sheep, rabbits and poultry that you can pet.

Image 9/25

@ Sweden Icy Country Road
"They certainly like quirky marketing here, Roby! 'The Call a Swede phoneline provided a single telephone number that anyone around the world could call and talk to a Swedish person picked at random from a group of volunteers. The scheme ran for three months and took calls from all around the world.'"
"That sounds like a fun thing to do, Gem!"
Sweden Icy Country Road
Grab your runner sled and get ready for some fun in the winter sun! The ice packed road is perfect for waxed runners and sledding fun!

Image 10/25

@ Sweden Street Art
"The hotel manager taught us two untranslatable Swedish words today, to help understand Swedish culture," remarked Gem.
"What are they?" asked Splat.
"Well, the first is fika, which means to have a cup of coffee with a treat at a café while talking with a friend. A small word for a universal custom that everyone in Sweden enjoys! The second describes a core Swedish value. Lagom means 'not too little, not too much … but just right.'"

Sweden Street Art
People's Park, Malmö showcases the beauty of nature and the creativity of the people's art.

Image 11/25

@ Swedish Main Train Domain
Sweden’s northernmost point is called Treriksröset, meaning "three national cairns". This is the point where Sweden, Norway and Finland meet, so you can literally stand in three countries at once at this point in Sweden.
Swedish Main Train Domain
Pulling out of Stockholm Railway Station we see the "Orange Carriages", not to be mistaken for the spooky Silverpilen train, or Silver Arrow, that we met in one Scary Fayre episode! These trains may be ridden in perfect safety!

Image 12/25

@ Crown Pharmacy
"'Sweden has the highest number of patents per capita in Europe'," read out Gem from the brochure.
"So what are some famous Swedish inventions?" asked Puff.
"Tetra Pak, the pacemaker, ultrasound, dynamite and the spherical ball bearing!" responded Gem.

Crown Pharmacy
This splendid red and gold sign is at the Skansen Open Air Museum in Stockholm. The Crown Pharmacy (Apoteket Kronan) has a sign outside in the form of a royal crown to accord with the pharmacy’s name. Enter the pharmacy to go back to a time when the pharmacist made up medicines and tinctures from a recipe. The shop fittings are mostly from the palace pharmacy at Drottningholm outside Stockholm as well as from a pharmacy in Köping that was run by the noted chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele.

Image 13/25

@ Mariefred Railway Station
"Hey, W Axl Fox, did you know there's quite a few examples of Swedish loanwords in English? There's moped, gauntlet, ombudsman, orienteering and tungsten."
"That's great to know, Gem! I'll remember that when I'm next wearing gauntlets, orienteering on my moped to see the ombudsman about tungsten!"
Mariefred Railway Station
The Mariefred Rail Station is located in Sodermanland, Sweden. The station operates a steam locomotive on the narrowest track, called a narrow-gauge track, ever used for public train services runs from Mariefred to Läggesta and Taxinge Näsby, between May and Sept.

Image 14/25

@ Sweden Värmland
"'Sweden has a famous hotel in the village of Jukkasjärvi made entirely out of ice. The hotel has to be re-crafted every year using large blocks of ice taken from the Tome River'," read out Gem from the brochure.
"Sounds very stylish, Gem, if a little chilly, possibly!" remarked Tesla.

Sweden Värmland
Standing on the peak of one of many throughout the travelled road, it's incredible to look over the green valley below, is that a cloud shadow?

Image 15/25

@ Sweden Limhamn, Malmö
Oh look ... you won a pet!
Sweden Limhamn, Malmö
Walking along the coast of Malmo, the sunny sea grasses call travelers to keep strolling

Image 16/25

@ Sweden Cornflowers
"Did you know Sweden is one of the few countries in the world that gives everypet the freedom to roam in nature?" said Gem.
"Which other countries have the Right to Roam?" queried Silver.
"Norway, Estonia and Scotland," responded Gem.

Sweden Cornflowers
Waving gently in the summer breezes, the bright blue flowers are the inspiration to so many art pieces, pottery, china and eyes of blue!

Image 17/25

@ Örebro Castle, Sweden
Gem turned to Hoot and asked, "Do you recycle?"
Hoot responded, "Well, I try to, I think it is important."
Gem nodded in agreement, "In Sweden, they recycle so much that they only have one percent waste to take to the landfills, fifty percent of waste is recycled or composted and forty-nine percent is incinerated for energy."
Hoot gave a big smile at this news, "We need to do more, we need to be like Sweden, when we get home I am going to talk to my friends about starting a compost and learning more about how we can be more efficient in our waste management."
Örebro Castle, Sweden
The oldest part of the castle, a defence tower, was built in the late 13th century. In the 1890s the castle underwent extensive remodelling and the round towers you see today were created.

Image 18/25

@ Sweden Ostkustleden
"Gosh! Apparently Sweden is the fifth largest country in Europe in terms of land area, but despite that, it has one of the lowest populations per square kilometre in all of Europe and under ten and a half million people in total," remarked Gem.
"Goodness! They would all easily fit into Paris!" responded JuJube.
Sweden Ostkustleden
A wonderful place to rent a cabin and relax on the shores, the traveler who enjoys sunrises and sunsets will not be disappointed.

Image 19/25

@ Sweden Snow Fence
"Did you know Sweden is one of the few countries in the world that gives everypet the freedom to roam in nature?" said Gem.
"Which other countries have the Right to Roam?" queried Grapes.
"Norway, Estonia and Scotland," responded Gem.

Sweden Snow Fence
Covered in a fresh layer of snow, covering the world in white for all the eye can see, strap on your snowshoes and enjoy a crisp walk!

Image 20/25

@ Downtown Crown
"You know, Edgar called me a heathen the other week because I said I didn't like Dickens," remarked Gem. "I'm going to inform him that 'heathen' comes from the Old Norse heiðinn, meaning 'one who inhabits the heath or open country'."
Hershel grinned. "He'll probably just call you a Philistine instead, Gem!" he said.
Downtown Crown
King Carl XVI Gustaf has been the monarch of Sweden since 1973. He is the 74th King of Sweden. Sweden's tradition of monarchy goes back over a thousand years. This crown, representing Sweden's monarchy, is a famous landmark on the Skeppsholm Bridge in Stockholm's "Gamla Stan", which means its historic "Old Town" quarter.

Image 21/25

@ Øresund Bridge
Sir John Dee lowered his copy of Swedish Without Strain. "You know, they don't have a way to say 'please' in Swedish."
"Wow!" responded Gem. "So...I don't understand, how do you get by without it?"
"Well, it seems you just have to sound polite and use Tack, which means 'thank you'."

Øresund Bridge
The Øresund Bridge is a toll bridge that links Denmark and Sweden. Spanning 16 km (9.94 mi.) A very dramatic photograph showing not only the impressive bridge but a wonderfully moody sky.

Image 22/25

@ Twilight Sky, Stockholm

Gem turned to Beatrice and asked, "Do you recycle?"

Beatrice responded, "Well, I try to, I think it is important."

Gem nodded in agreement, "In Sweden, they recycle so much that they only have one percent waste to take to the landfills, fifty percent of waste is recycled or composted and forty-nine percent is incinerated for energy."
Beatrice gave a big smile at this news, "We need to do more, we need to be like Sweden, when we get home I am going to talk to my friends about starting a compost and learning more about how we can be more efficient in our waste management."
Twilight Sky, Stockholm
It does not matter where you live or visit, everyone loves to sit for a while and gaze out at the setting sun. It may be just a gentle darkening of the sky with a bit of red or orange, or it may be a full-on display of colours. Relax and enjoy as nature says goodnight.

Image 23/25

@ Sweden Winding Mountain Road
"Ah! We know Sweden has land borders with Finland and Norway but did you know it's also connected to Denmark—by a bridge?" said Gem.
"A bridge that's a border? Sounds great!" said Bolly.

Sweden Winding Mountain Road
Sit down, strap in and hang on! The adventure on these winding roads is about to get real! When life hands you a curve, remember, lean into it!

Image 24/25

@ Northern Lights, Sweden
"They certainly like quirky marketing here, Sir Fluffle Bottom! 'The Call a Swede phoneline provided a single telephone number that anyone around the world could call and talk to a Swedish person picked at random from a group of volunteers. The scheme ran for three months and took calls from all around the world.'"
"That sounds like a fun thing to do, Gem!"
Northern Lights, Sweden
The Aurora Borealis/Northern Lights can be seen in more northern countries and they never fail to instill a sense of wonder. Green is the most often seen colour with red being the rarest. Dancing, rippling, swaying colours are created when charged particles collide with gasses in the earth’s upper atmosphere.

Image 25/25

@ Bring The Oars, Sweden
As Gem's tour of "Sweden" comes to an end, he receives a seasonally appropriate gift!
Barren Winter Hills
Hills and mountains layered over a background add depth. These wintery feeling hills are just waiting for you to add whatever you like. Maybe you want a whole forest where pets can play hide and seek. Perhaps you prefer to cover the hills with snow and create a place to make snow people or snowpets. Maybe there is one lone tree bare of leaves or an ocean below the hills. Ah! My pets are clamouring for me to make them a place where they can go sledding.
Bring The Oars, Sweden
Sweden has more pleasure crafts, per capita than almost any other country. The people of Sweden have a great affinity with water. This looks like a fine little boat and the waterway has some lovely scenery. Time for a leisurely drift down the river.
Gem has completed his tour of "Sweden"! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also tour Scandinavia!