Swedish Press Sample Sept 2014 Vol 85:07

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Swedish Press N Y A

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September 2014 Vol 85:07 $4.95

Swedish adventures: making the most of the great outdoors 7

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Lobster safaris Interview with Ambassador Macartney Almedalen report

ATLAS COPCO CELEBRATING 65 YEARS IN CANADA! We wish to thank our valued customers, distributors, suppliers and employees for their contribution in helping us become a leader in sustainable productivity solutions.

Swedish Press is the world’s leading magazine on all good things Swedish.

An authority on design, business, culture and travel since 1929, Swedish Press delivers insightful news and commentary in a visually striking format. With a nod to the past, and a peek to the future, Swedish Press is your go-to source for updates and inspiration from Sweden.

SWEDISH PRESS (ISSN 0839-2323) is published ten times per year (Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June, July/Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec/Jan) by Swedish Press Inc, 862 Peace Portal Drive, Suite #101, Blaine, WA 98230 for $35 per year. Periodical postage paid at Blaine, WA 98230-9998 (No. USPS 005544).

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CONTENTS ( September 2014 ) 4 Letters to the Editor 5 From the Editor’s Desk

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Lifestyle 18 Top Sju 19 Health

Swedish Headlines Headline News: Politikerveckan i Almedalen 2014 News at a Glance Swedes in the News

Business 7 Business News 9 Company File: Turkish Airlines Feature 10 52 Swedish weekend adventures

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Hemma hos 20 Design: Sweden’s top Sculpture Parks 21 Treats à la Gabriel Ask 22 Lär Dig Svenska 23 Barn Sidan

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Gunnika Isaksson-Lutteman/52adventures.se

Interview 12 His Excellency Kenneth Macartney, Canadian Ambassador to Sweden Heritage 15 Lobster safaris 16 Swedish roots, Oregon lives 17 Maclayhem

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Maja tittar på naturen, by Lena Andersson

In the Loop 24 Landskapsnyheterna 27 Canada, US & Beyond 28 Calendar and Events 29 Ads and Info 30 Sista Ordet A tribute to Susan Lee Holmberg On the cover: (Top left and middle) High Coast, Ångermanland. Photo: Friluftsbyn Höga Kusten/imagebank.sweden.se; (Top right) Extreme climbing. Photo: Galyna Andrushko (Middle row from left) Nikkaloukta, Swedish Lapland. Photo: Fredrik Broman/imagebank. sweden.se; Photo: Galyna Andrushko (Bottom row from left) High Coast, Ångermanl. Photo: Friluftsbyn Höga Kusten/imagebank.sweden. se; Kebnekaise, Swedish Lapland. Photo: Fredrik Broman/imagebank.sweden.se

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Letters to the Editor Our Winnipeg representative, Ellen Boryen, recently conducted a survey of Swedish Press readers in the area. Here are some of their comments:

THE 16TH SWEA

CRAYFISH PARTY

What do you like most about the magazine?

• The balance between Swedish and English language is excellent. The teaching section is easy and useful.

The colour and the placing of the articles is of greater appeal to the younger generation.

• I like the variety, the layout, the combination of absolutely new news and the historical. I like the connections to real people all across Canada, U.S. and Sweden (etc.)

• Articles like the one about the sailers that shows Swedes getting out into the world, using their Swedish ingenuity and doing inspiring things!

It makes you think you can too! Any articles about contemporary Swedish culture, especially design, style and nature. Like the honesty too, in articles about Sweden, and grappling with social issues (the Romas). And the focus on the different regions of Sweden, what they are doing.

What do you like the least about the magazine?

• What I like least is the articles written in Swedish – I know I can read them online – the ratio seems to be changing ie more Swedish.

• Could be more interesting presentation and layout.

• I’m not in it • You can’t please everyone so no comment. The calendar of small Swedish events in North American cities is not that useful. Impossible to be inclusive, and besides we have our own communications network for that.

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Maybe just a small section for bigger events that people would travel to (e.g. Nordic film fest in Minneapolis).

• Can’t read most of the Swedish • Looking for more of the Swedish Canadian connection Editor’s comment: We love getting feedback – good and bad! – about the magazine, so please don’t hesitate to contact me with any ideas, comments or suggestions at Tatty@swedishpress.com /TM Hello SP! I would be so grateful if you could email me the English translation of the Swedish written articles in each month’s issue. It’s such a painful tease to be missing a sizable portion of the magazine, and the subjects look so interesting. So, just wondering what I must do to receive this. Thanks. We just love the magazine.

Ray Olson North Scituate, Rhode Island Editor’s comment: For English translations of the Swedish Press articles in Swedish, please vist the link http://members.shaw.ca/swemail1/ Hello Swedish Press, Thank you for all your good work in keeping us informed about news from my homeland, which I left for what was intended be a one year’s adventure back in 1957, a year which has now stretched out to be 56 years! Keep up the good work! En glad prenumerant!

Barbro Morris Westlake Village, California CORRECTION: In the ‘Svenska fyren’ feature in the July/August 2014 issue, the website for Gottskär Hotell was spelled incorrectly. It should be www.gottskarhotell.se.

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From the Editor’s Desk

Patrons Wanted Swedish Press is YOUR magazine! We love providing great stories, news and views about Sweden each issue, but a publication such as ours requires a huge amount of resources. Please support Swedish Press by making a donation (either online at www.Swedishpress.com or by mail) to enable us to help keep Swedish culture alive and well in North America.

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Swedish Press September 2014

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s I look out of my office window, I can see three people out kayaking on lake Frösjön, one man fishing from a small rowing boat and a couple out walking along the lakeside path. The same view in winter will almost always include ice skaters and walkers when the ice lies thick on the frozen lake. Sweden’s extreme climate and abundant, freely accessible lakes, forests and mountains provide amazing opportunities for getting fit and active and making the most of the great outdoors.

If, like me, your spirit is willing but your flesh is sometimes weak, you may find inspiration in the story of Gunnika Isaksson-Lutteman, who decided to stop talking about big adventures and actually go on small ones every weekend – 52 in one year. From cross-country skiing in Åre to via ferrata climbing in the High Coast, she and her intrepid dog Diesel experienced some of Sweden’s most stunning scenery and exciting activities – without spending a fortune.

Those of you lucky enough to live in Canada will have similar opportunities for outdoor adventures, and unspoilt nature and a love of getting out into it are not the only things Sweden has in common, as we discovered when we talked to Kenneth Macartney, the Canadian Ambassador to Sweden, about the two countries’ special relationship.

One of the best things about being in the wilderness is experiencing wild food, especially if you pick it, hunt it or fish it yourself. Blueberries (or bilberries, as the Swedish berries should strictly speaking be called) are the ultimate healthy, free snack when you’re out in the forest or, for a more exclusive culinary adventure, a West Coast lobster safari (Heritage, p.15) sounds like a true bucket list experience.

And if all that sounds just a bit too healthy and wholesome for you, there’s a delicious recipe for cheesecake from Gabriel Ask, Executive Chef at the Montage Beverly Hills, who talks in Treats about his experiences cooking from everyone from the Dalai Lama to Michael Douglas.

On a sadder note, our Sista Ordet this month is dedicated to one of our valued contributors, Susan Lee Holmberg, who very sadly died in June after a short illness.

As a beautifully dry and sunny summer gives way to fall, we hope you’re able to get out and enjoy all that nature has to offer.

Tatty Maclay Editor-in-Chief Tatty@Swedishpress.com

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Swedish Headlines Politikerveckan i Almedalen 2014 av Sthig Jonasson

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rån den 29 juni till den 6 juli hölls den årliga politikerveckan i Almedalen i Visby.

Medan de vanliga sommargästerna håller sig borta från Visby invaderas stan i stället av politiker och kändisar. Under en vecka surrar Visby av politik uppblandat med en försvarlig mängd rykten, skvaller och pinsamheter.

Sedan 1991 har samtliga riksdagspartiledare varit där för att tala, utbyta åsikter och mingla. Almedalsveckan är i dag inte bara en mötesplats för politiska och officiella beslutsfattare.

Hit kommer också direktörer, lobbyister, PR-konsulter, debattörer, experter, massor av journalister, några miljardärer(!) och så “vanliga” politiskt intresserade människor.

Stefan Löfven (S). Foto: Marcus Johnson

Efter lottning var Stefan Löfven (S) först ut på talarscenen följd av Göran Hägglund (KD) sedan kom Jimmie Åkesson (SD), Åsa Romson (MP), statsminister Fredrik Reinfeldt (M), Jonas Sjöstedt (V), Jan Björklund (FP) och till sist Annie Lööf (C). Den drygt 30 000-hövdade publiken kunde besöka 3 513 evenemang under de åtta dagarna då oppositionen gjorde allt för att visa ett reellt regeringsalternativ medan allianspartierna i regeringen, trots usla opinionssiffror, var ganska nöjda med sin sits.

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Efter Feministiskt Initiativs (Fi) starka EU-val och framgångar i opinionen var feminism och jämställdhet heta ämnen som de flesta talare berörde.

Notera då att Feministiskt Initiativ inte hade någon egen dag som de etablerade riksdagspartierna hade.

I sitt tal berörde S-ledaren Stefan Löfven både rasism och feminism och kom därutöver med ett klart besked: Socialdemokraterna planerar inte att stänga Bromma flygplats(!).

Statsminister Fredrik Reinfeldt var redan från början på gott humör när han kom och fick den oväntade frågan vem han helst åker till en öde ö med: Jonas Sjöstedt eller Gudrun Schyman?

Han fann sig snabbt och svarade: – Är det inte bättre att vi skickar dom två till en öde ö?

Under statsministerns tal dök det oväntat upp några barbröstade kvinnor från gruppen Femen för att protestera mot något. Syftet med protesten fick inte lika stor uppmärksamhet som de bara brösten. Fyra kvinnor grips och Reinfeldt konstaterade sangviniskt att yttrandefriheten kan se lite olika ut. Framför en stor flagga med texten ”Feminism utan socialism” utvecklade Jan Björklund (FP) sin syn på jämställdhet. Björklund vill inte att jämställdhet blir en valfråga som Fi och oppositionen kan ta ensamrätt på.

Dessutom krävde han strängare straff för män som slår kvinnor.

Centerledaren Annie Lööf fick den otacksamma uppgiften att avsluta Almedalsveckan. Den mesta publiken hade åkt hem och de som var kvar var trötta, men Lööf lät sig inte bekomma.

Hon började med en jämförelse mellan Täby och Kopparberg, två orter som har ungefär lika många invånare, men med helt olika social struktur och olika förutsättningar. Kopparberg har tre gånger så många sjukdagar, tre gånger så hög arbetslöshet, tre

Foto: Marcus Johnson

gånger färre som pluggar vidare efter gymnasiet, och fyra gånger så många som röstar på Sverigedemokraterna.

Lööf var inte nöjd med sakernas tillstånd men hade väl ingen direkt lösning på problemet med de olika förutsättningarna.

Oväntat väntat var att ärkebiskop Antje Jackelén utsågs till “Hetast i Almedalen” Pinsamheter På ett seminarium jämförde en miljöpartist svenska jihadister som strider i Syrien med svenska frivilliga som stred i finska vinterkriget. Inte så smart. Det yttrandet togs tillbaka efter protester i finländska medier. Ännu värre var väl att en kommunalpolitiker förklarade att borgerliga politiker av utländsk härkomst är ”husnegrer”.

Sammanfattning Som förspel till höstens valrörelse var årets Almedalsvecka lyckad och det lokala näringslivet gladdes över ny rekordomsättning. Kritiken mot evenemanger hävdar att politiken har “medialiserats” och politikernas språk och budskap har anpassas för tv och tidningar med korta, slagkraftiga formuleringar. Det har skett på bekostnad av analys och nyans.

Fotnoter: Almedalen är en parkanläggning i Visby. Under medeltiden var det en hamnanläggning. Ursprunget till Almedalsveckan är de tal som Olof Palme höll under några somrar under 1960-talet.

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News at a Glance Ambassador’s trans-Sweden bike trip The US Ambassador to Sweden, Mark Brzezinski, recently pedalled 650 kilometres from Gothenburg to Stockholm to promote the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a US-EU free trade agreement currently being negotiated. During the bike trip, dubbed the T-Trip, the ambassador and his team met and talked to business people in both large cities and small villages. ‘I can categorically say that this bicycle adventure is one of the best engagements we have had in Sweden,’ said Brzezinski. ‘It helped us highlight the strong ties between the U.S and Sweden and see first-hand how TTIP could create jobs, give consumers more choice, grow our economies and

How Russia sanctions affect Sweden

make the connection between the U.S and Sweden even stronger.’

Man killed in forest fires US Ambassador Mark Brzezinski visited Scania DemoCentre. Photo: Scania

New Swedish citizenship laws New citizenship laws due to come into effect on April 1, 2015 will have great significance for Swedes living abroad.

Those who have lost their Swedish citizenship due to rules aimed at avoiding dual citizenship will be able

[Business] News

Moscow banned most food imports from the EU on August 7th, in retaliation for Westerns sanctions imposed over Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Roughly 10 percent of EU agricultural exports go to Russia. For Sweden the food export to Russia is worth 670 Million kronor and represents about 1 % of Sweden’s total export.

The ban – targeting cheese, fish, beef, pork, fruit, vegetables and dairy products over the next 12 months – is expected to seriously affect Western economies. For Sweden however, the direct impact should not be too severe.

In fact, Swedish companies selling oil and egg powder used in Russian mayonnaise may be the only companies which see an immediate and serious effect, news agency TT reported.

to apply to reinstate their Swedish citizenship. Children whose mother or father is a Swedish national will also automatically gain Swedish citizenship and children and young people will not have to live in Sweden for such a long time in order to get Swedish citizenship. See www.regeringen. se for more information.

While Russia’s retaliation may not impact Sweden financially in the short term, the action will still have repercussions on the Swedish economy.

Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg, while in Washington for the US-Africa summit, said the economic effects of the sanctions would be indirect, but tangible, as the sanctions will impact Russia’s fragile economy.

“The major effects on Sweden will come indirectly, as Russian growth decreases.”

President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

Photo: Olivier Hoslet/EPA

Over a thousand people were evacuated from their homes and one man burnt to death in the worst forest fire Sweden has experienced in living memory. The fire began on July 31 near Sala in central Sweden and at the time of going to press, the blaze had affected an area of more than 15,000 hectares.

Interest rate at all time low Economic activity continues to strengthen in the Swedish economy.

However, inflation is lower than expected and the underlying inflationary pressures are lower than expected.

The Executive Board of the Swedish Riksbank decided that a lower repo rate is needed for inflation to rise towards the target of 2 per cent. The Board cut the repo rate by 0.5 percentage points to 0.25 per cent in July.

The repo rate, the rate of interest at which banks can borrow or deposit funds at the Riksbank for a period of seven days, has changed frequently in the last 5+ years. The rate peaked in September 2008 at 4.75%. From then it dropped down to 0.25% in only 9 months. The rate was then gradually raised to reach 2% by 2011 and is now back at the record low level of 0.25%.

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[Swedes] in the News

Photo: royalcourt.se

De Mistura named U.N. peace envoy Italian-Swedish diplomat Staffan de Mistura was recently named as the U.N’s new peace envoy. De Mistura, who was born in Stockholm to a Swedish mother and an Italian father, holds dual citizenship of Italy and Sweden, is a marquess (marchese) and speaks seven languages. His 40 year-long career in various UN agencies has included work in many of the world’s trouble spots and his new role includes the challeng-

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Photo: Svenska Spel

The long awaited engagement between Prince Carl Philip and his girlfriend of four years, Sofia Hellqvist, was announced on June 27th. The couple, who live together on Djurgården, will marry during the summer of 2015. ‘Sofia has today said yes to the question to spend the rest of her life with me.

Today is a very happy day for Sofia and I,’ Prince Carl Philip told reporters at a special press conference.

Wallenberg awarded Congressional Gold Medal

Ms. Nina Lagergren, (C), half sister of Raoul Wallenberg, speaks during a ceremony posthumously awarding Raoul Wallenberg with the Congressional Gold Medal in honor of his heroism during the Holocaust at the U.S. Capitol, July 9, 2014 in Washington, DC. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

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iplomat and humanitarian Raoul Wallenberg was posthumously awarded the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal during a ceremony in the U.S Congress attended by the hero’s sister, Nina Lagergren. The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, whose mission is to preserve and spread awareness of Wallenberg’s legacy through research, commemoration, activities and educational programs, was the driving force behind the initiative to award the medal to the Swedish diplomat.

ing task of finding a political solution to the dragging civil war in Syria.

Forsberg enters NHL hall of fame Swedish center Peter Forsberg was recently announced as one of the 2014 inductees in the NHL hockey Hall of Fame. The third Swede of all time to join the Hall, ‘Foppa’ Forsberg joins Börje Salming and Mats Sundin and will be inducted in a ceremony in Toronto on November 17th. The ice

hockey player’s career included 249 goals in 708 career games before being cut short by injury and he also bears the unlikely honour of having a certain type of plastic shoe – ‘Foppatofflor’ – named after him.

Suneson runs coast to coast

Photo: Suneson.se

Prince Carl Philip engagement

Retired economics journalist and veteran runner Björn Suneson recently completed his fourth coast to coast run across the US from Los Angeles to New York.

Suneson, 66, began his trip on April 25 and arrived in New York on August 1, averaging around 30-35 miles per day. He runs alone, pushing a baby buggy containing his clothes and equipment, as he believes a support car is ‘cheating’.

Read more about his epic run on his daily blog: www. suneson.se.

Company File

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stablished in 1933 with a fleet of only five airplanes, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines is today a four-star airline with a fleet of 256 aircraft (passenger and cargo) flying to 257 cities around the world. One of the fastest growing airlines, it has received several “Passenger Choice Awards” from Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX).

In 2014, Turkish Airlines, for the fourth consecutive year, was named “Best Airline in Europe” by Skytrax. A winner of the “World’s Best Economy Class On-Board Catering” award, Turkish Airlines was also the recipient of the Skytrax “Best Business Class Catering” award in 2013.

Turkish Airlines flies to more countries in the world than any other airline (107 countries over five continents) according to UMB’s Official Airline Guide. The global airline won the SkyTrax

[Turkish Airlines]

Award, known as the “Passengers Choice Awards,” for the “Best Airline in Southern Europe” consistently in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. In 2012, Skytrax named Turkish Airlines “Best Premium Economy Seats in the world” for its Comfort Class seats.

The airline flies five times a day from Landvetter and Arlanda to Istanbul, with connections to US cities including New York, Boston, Washington, Houston and Los Angeles. Turkish Airlines began flying to Stockholm in 1982, to Gothenburg in 2009 and their most recent destinations in Scandinavia are Ålborg and Billund.

Strengthening their Scandinavian ties still further, the airline has recently signed two major sponsorship deals in Gothenburg, Stena Match Cup Sweden, the biggest annual sailing event in Sweden, held in July in Marstrand. And additionally Turkish Airlines has become the official airline partner

of Gothia Cup, the World Youth Cup in football.

In addition to Europe, the airline is strategically expanding its network into Russia, Central Asia, Far East Asia, the Middle East, Africa and North and South America. As one of the fastest growing airlines in the world, Turkish Airlines holds a strategic position between the East and West.

In order to keep alive its brand equity, which provides a serious advantage in terms of competition, Turkish Airlines invests in its quality of service, in-flight entertainment systems, comfortable seats, gourmet cuisine and its employees. The airline is always at the forefront of the latest technological advances and innovations in the aviation industry and boasts one of the youngest fleets. Turkish Airlines currently holds a four-star ranking and consistently strives to secure a five-star ranking.

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52 Swedish weekend adventures

by Jonas Hållén

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unnika Isaksson-Lutteman was longing for more outdoor adventures. Then, in 2011, she decided to have 52 of them.

Actually it was Gunnika’s boyfriend who got her from talking to action. He was tired of hearing her moaning: “Oh, we should…” and finally said: “Why don’t you just get out on some shorter trips…?” That first idea gave birth to a larger project: Gunnika Isaksson-Lutteman decided she would go for a small adventure every weekend, all year round. 52 adventures, altogether.

The first week in January she started with cross-country skiing in Funäsdalen, in the northwest of Sweden. After that she moved on to downhill skiing, skating, trekking. mountainbike, kayaking, a road trip through Norway, Via Ferrata, more trekking, sailing, parachuting and a string of other activities.

By the end of 2011, Gunnika Isaksson-Lutteman had not only fulfilled her goal – she had also made a homepage about her adventures (www.52adventures.se). Recently she won a prize for her idea with weekend adventures.

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Gunnika on one of her 52 adventures with Diesel in the bike basket. Photo: Leif Sylvan

“My aim wasn’t to walk the longest distance, climb the highest mountain, be the quickest paddler, dive to the deepest depths or ski the steepest slopes. I wasn’t even trying to be the first at anything,” she says. “I just wanted to show that there are small adventures all around you.

You can enjoy the outdoors without spending a lot of money and time to get out: go on a day trip around where you live, take a bus or

train somewhere near and spend a night in a tent.”

Most of her trips were made together with her dog Diesel, but sometimes her boyfriend or friends joined in. A couple of times she was all alone. “It’s special being out alone.

It makes the whole experience more intense and you learn how to take care of yourself and make your own decisions.”

Apart from showing herself and the world that you can enjoy the outdoors on a shoe-string budget, Gunnika had some other objectives: to become a champ at lighting fires, learning to read maps, get physically fit and mentally relaxed – and spot a lynx in the wild.

“I managed to reach my goals, except the lynx,” she says.

And how much did the adventures cost you?

“Usually a few hundred crowns per trip, sometimes less, sometimes more.”

Normally, Gunnika Isaksson-Lutteman, 34, works a researcher at the University of Uppsala. After her adventurous 2011 she has become parttime outdoor expert. Soon she will be one of the speakers at this years’s large Wilderness Fair in Stockholm.

So, what’s next?

“This summer I’m planning to go by mountainbike from Uppsala to Älvkarleby, get into my kayak and paddle back along the coast to Lake Mälaren and then back to Uppsala through Fyrisån (a small river). By chance the trip is 52 Swedish miles…”

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Snowshoe trip in Fulufjället National Park Home to Sweden’s largest waterfall, with a drop of 93 metres. Wintertime, you hike on snowshoes through bewitching woods to the frozen waterfall. With some luck, you may see lynxes in the adjacent tableland.

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The High Coast via ferrata.

Family-friendly clubbing experience. You are secured to a wire, and there are steel pegs wherever the rock lacks natural steps. Don’t miss the Hell’s Gap from Ronia the Robber’s Daughter, Slåttdalsskrevan.

Gunnika’s highlights: Skiing cross-country and with telemark bindings, gliding across glittering water by kayak and on longdistance ice skates, sleeping in a tent, listening to the silence and drinking hot chocolate from a thermos, flying through deep forests on a mountain bike, climbing rocks warmed by the sun, walking in majestic mountains, squinting at the sun and sheltering from the rain….

For more outdoor activity ideas, visit www.visitsweden.com.

Three great weekend adventures

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Mountain bike on Roslagsleden The trail stretches for 190km through picturesque Roslagen, starting in Danderyd and ending in Grisslehamn. Historically interesting places and glittering lakes, living countryside and ocean views.

Biking in the archipelago. Photo: Henrik Trygg/ mediabank.visitstockholm.com

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