This isn't as much a story but some early observations on the things I find novel about Sweden, before I start to take them for granted. -The wind turbines, or windcharmers as my son calls them. In England people fight against these and call them ugly, but their movement is hypnotic, they are like a series of amazing kinetic sculptures over the rather flat landscape here in Skane. Also they change from white to grey in a way I find almost magical. -Driving. Swedes seem to get into their cars only to chat on their mobile phones. They have a much more laid back attitiude to driving, no evidence of road rage so far, possibly because the roads here are in good condition, uncrowded and not covered in speed cameras. Beware if you want to park in the city though, parking tickets sprout like mushrooms here. -Bicycles. Everywhere. Cyclists pulling out in front of me in streams near the university. Best of all the little red plastic seat covers-I don't know where you get them but most people have them, to keep the rain off. Swedish bikes are riden sitting up rather then hunched over as in the UK. The main idea seems to ride side by side with a friend shouting to eachother, or talking on your mobile phone. The pet shops sell baskets to enable to to put your dog on your bike and cycle it about. The bikes aren't locked up, and it's OK to leave your bike slap in the middle of the street. -Coffee. The fuel of Sweden. Swedes have coffee with their coffee. -Tea-the orange fuel of England is relegated to the status of poncey drink here, little packets of various perfumed leaves infused with warm water until totally undrinkable. Green tea, white tea, herb tea and Liptons Yellow label, that insult to true tea. Their coffee is as strong as rocket fuel, their tea is awful. No one will be allowed to visit me unless they bring tea. And custard powder. -Youth. The young people of Sweden are charming, and uniformly beautiful. I don't know where they keep the ugly ones but they aren't on the street. They boys are as pretty as the girls and just as fashion aware. They all have lovely long hair. As far as I can tell they get their hair cut progressively shorter as they get older. Some rebels look slightly different, wear slightly more edgy clothes, maybe have a bit of pink in their hair. I gather other places have a more hardcore youth, but the young people of Lund are fragrant demigods. -Middle aged businesswomen on bikes. My favourite sub category, these ladies look rather like Jamie Lee Curtis, wear slim skirted business suits in sap green, cream and grey and ride their bikes to what must be high powered jobs. They look gleamingly clean and tidy and I am afraid of them. -Babies-lots of them all loved up. Frequently out with their Daddies. Swedes seem to truly adore their babies. -Apples. There is a serious risk of injury from falling apples here. Apple trees flourish in parks, gardens and streets. All varieties, all shapes and sizes. The whole place is an orchard. Amazingly the shops continue to sell apples and apple puree in spite of the obvious glut outside. They simply could not eat all of these and I guess they are cooked and frozen or left to rot. I like it that the schools have apple trees in the playgrounds. -Nature. It's everywhere in a way there just isn't room for it in England. Trees, fields, lakes, teeming with birds, deer, all sorts. And some them, like the geese and owls here make LOTS of noise. -Camping spirit. I mean the kind of love of being out in nature and living rough. The Swedes have Fritidshuses, or Stugas. Even in you live in a nice house in Malmo, youmight well up sticks and spend every weekend in your rustic shack on the lake where you can enjoy fishing, hunting swimming but mainly painting the place, fixing the leaks, maintaining the boat and of course looking after the separett lavatory, my very least favourite thing about Sweden. How can a country so obviously civilised and clean invent such a monstrosity rathr than just sort out the plumbing? -Ployglots. If you live in England and can speak two or three languages fluently you are a rarity probably employed as a language teacher. In Sweden you might get a job in McDonalds. -Food prices. The Swedes are a slim race, I suspect this is because of their constant need to jog around parks making me feel inferior and the horrific food prices. They must survive on apples, everything else costs a fortune. -Laughing. I thought the Swedes would be as dour as some of the other Europeans (no names, don't mention the war) but they laugh lots, and you see groups of colleagues and friends out to lunch (get a bank loan, buying food is involved) chatting and laughing in a way that makes me even more resolved to speak Swedish soon. -Breaks. My bank here shuts for an hour for lunch at the same time everyone else is having lunch. My husband's habit of working though his lunch hour has been forcibly stopped by his colleagues who insist he comes out for lunch, and breaks, and that he be prepared to stop for a chat at any time. -Modesty. I have yet to meet anyone who shows off or thinks they are in any way great. I love this about the Swedes, they just don't boast. The country appears remarkable wealthy, the people are beautiful and smart but they don't ever tell you anything about what they have or earn or can do. If only every nation were so demure. It enables a certain amonut of blurring between classes and as far as I can tell being wealthy is not the virtue it has been made into in other parts of the world. Overall-it's great. Come and visit Sweden if you haven't already!