1936 On the Continent

ski-ing outfits, both for ladies and gentlemen. You should buy not only skis and skates, but also boots, socks, gloves, in fact, all winter sport etceteras over here.
Swedish Hors d’œuvres
    The keen housewife will, I am sure, wish her family to sample some of those delicious, typically Swedish “Smörgåsbord” dishes (hors d’œuvres). Swedish herrings (gaffelbitar), anchovies, caviar (delicious for cocktail snacks), smoked reindeer, smoked sausage (without garlic!) or crayfish butter (for perfecting your fish gratin, or any sauce to go with fish), are only a few of the things I can recommend. Or why not get some Swedish Stilton cheese and ask your husband what he thinks about it? Unless you prefer goat cream cheese (
getmesost
). Swedish hard bread is famous, and I advise you to sample all the different kinds before giving your order for England. Having made up your mind that Swedish food is, after all,not so bad, I think you would do well to buy a Swedish cookery book in English at the nearest bookstall.
    You know, of course, that the Aga stove and the Primus stove are Swedish inventions, the same as the Electrolux products, and that universal blessing, the Zip fastener. Those things you can buy in England, but I wish that you could take with you some of our modern houses. What a revelation they would be to an English housewife, for never have I seen anything more practical or attractive than the modern flats in Stockholm. They turn housekeeping into child’s play, and there are many bachelors—gentlemen of high standing—who delight in managing their own little
ménage
, cooking and all.
    Any house agent would be sure to allow you to go over one of these modern flats.
“Ready-made” Houses
    Another thing I should like you to see is a “ready-made” timber bungalow being erected “while you wait,” so to speak. King Edward VIII much enjoyed watching this Jack-in-the-Box performance on his visit to Sweden a few years ago. These bungalows could easily be taken over to England and would be a boon to the week-ending town worker. But remember, a Swedish timber house is a permanent building and has nothing in common with the “army hut” or temporary building we see in England. They are of every size, from a large hotel with 400 rooms to the small size garden house with a single room which you can buy for next to nothing.
    When tired and weary of dashing round and in dire need of facial or any other kind of beauty treatment, you may pay a visit to one of our excellent hairdressing salons.
    Those connected with the large hotels are, as a rule, quite good, but the Grand Hotel salon, as well as the Carlton Hotel salon, is even more than that. The same may be said about the Hygienic Department of the Nordiska Kompaniet and La Vogue, to mention only two. The prices may vary somewhat, but you can get a permanent wave for 25 kr. (and a good one, too), a manicure for 2.50 kr., a shampoo-and-wave for 4.50 kr. at any of the above-mentioned places.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
May 1st-31st
R IKSGRÄNSEN (Lapland). Ski-ing schools. Fee, 3 kr. per day, or 15 kr. for six days. Slalom competitions on May 2nd and 3rd. Further particulars from Föreningen för Skidlöpningens Främjande i Sverige, Vasagatan 16, Stockholm.
May-November
(With the exception of July.) Trotting races (Tote) every Saturday and Sunday at Solvalla (near Stockholm) and Jägersro (near Malmö).
May 3rd-31st Sundays
U LRIKSDAL (near Stockholm). Horseracing (Tote).
May 24th
Grand Prix of Stockholm.
May 15th-June 1st
S TOCKHOLM . Ilis, 1936. An international Air Exhibition. Further particulars from the General Superintendent, Ilis, 1936, Kungsgatan 31, Stockholm.
May 16th-24th
G OTHENBURG . The Nineteenth Swedish Fair. Largest annual industrial fair in the north. Special passport facilities for visitors from abroad. Particulars from the Svenska Mässans Kommissariat, Gothenburg.
May 24th-25th (probably)
S TOCKHOLM . The Third Scandinavian Air Race Meeting. Further particulars from Ilis, 1936, T. Ångström, Esq., Kungsgaten 31, Stockholm.
End of May
S TOCKHOLM . Royal Opera. The spring season ends.
June 1st
R IKSGRÄNSEN (Lapland). Slalom Competitions (international).
June 1st-14th
R IKSGRÄNSEN (Lapland). Ski-ing trips for Swedish and foreign students. All-inclusive price, Stockholm - Riksgränsen, return fare about 110 kr. Further particulars from Sveriges Förenade Studentkårers Resesekretariat, Drottninggatan 116, Stockholm.
June 6th
Swedish Flag Day