SwedenNation

	After the wackiest Melodifestivalen in years, the Swedes still managed to confound all normal thinking Eurofans by choosing a dance beat operatic horror of a song by Malena Ernman called "La Voix". It really is a disappointment and you can read about it here.
	2008 Sweden have attempted to perform open heart massage on their MF/Eurosong credentials this year by choosing their last winner to represent them again. Drainpipe Charlotte Perrelli (nee Nillsson, nee something else before that) is schlagering big style and I wish them well here
	Melodfestivalen '07 was a good one, even though the result was hardly a shock. Retro supergroup The Ark won through for the Swedes and will now be favourites to take the crown back to the proper home of Eurosong. Read about the trouser-less one here
	Carola will turn up at the Eurosong for the third time this year after winning the always entertaining Melodifestivalen. Read about the beloved Christian here

The Tourist Guide says

"Sweden is a country of endless possibilities. From the far north to the deep south Sweden has a wide variety of climates, activities and scenery that will stimulate your senses and satisfy your every need. Whether you're looking for some Swedish action, needing rest and relaxation Swedish-style or simply in Sweden on business there is never a reason to be bored. From exciting survival camps in the untouched wilderness to a relaxing on a cruise in the island-rich archipelago, from standing on the top of a snow-covered mountain to hanging at a bar at one of Europes finest nightclubs, whatever your heart desires you will find it here. We are not an affected people, in Sweden life is simply and to be enjoyed.
And you are very welcome to enjoy it with us!"

Stockholm

"Stockholm is a city full of history and contradictions. Being our capital city we offer the best of the best.
With every corner you turn there's something for every taste. We have an abundance of cafe's, restaurants, stores and parks to suit every need and desire. From our grand Opera house where splendid operas are staged to Skansen, our open-air museum and Zoo, where you can visit moose, dolphins, bears and much more, there's never a reason to be bored. Relax in our high standard hotels, in all price ranges, have a picnic in one of our many parks, jump into a canoe and explore our waterways. The possibilities are endless and experiences breathtaking. Take a walk down the cobbled-stoned streets of Gamla Stan (the old town), gaze up at the narrow houses of yesteryear and you will certainly feel the vibrations of the horse driven carriages and hear the baker boasting about the freshness of his cinnamon rolls centuries before you."

A Swedish couple hunting on a remote mountain in Sweden's far northern province of Jaemtland have found 70 pairs of shoes, all filled with butter.
There were 140 shoes of all kinds - trainers, high heels, boots and tap shoes - each stuffed with half a kilo of butter and spread out in the landscape.
The find is similar to one done by artist Yu Xiuzhen's in 1996. His exhibit "Shoes With Butter," was laid out in the Tibetan mountains surrounding Lhasa, China. "If we knew who had done this we could make them clean this mess up," Alf Kjaellstroem, a province spokesman said.
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A car owner from Sweden who has taken 37 years to do just over 30,000 miles has finally cashed in a voucher entitling him to a full service.
Dag Hellsing, from Umea, received the voucher for a 31,000-mile service when he bought the Beetle in 1966.
But because he rarely drives it, he has only recently hit the 31,000 mile mark.Mr Hellsing said mechanic Mikael Ericsson has agreed to accept the voucher, even though it is now worth only £3.
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A Swedish man crashed a car into his company's cafeteria before chasing his boss with an axe.
Dozens of employees were having a coffee break in the cafe at Lindab, a sheet metal company, when the incident happened.
"He drove right through the wall into the cafeteria and hit the bar," said a police spokesman.
"Then he backed up and tried to hit people, but they were able to get away."
The 30-year-old man, who appeared confused, then jumped from the vehicle wielding an axe and began to chase his boss. The manager escaped and other workers persuaded the man to give up the weapon.
Two people were slightly hurt by flying glass and two others were treated for shock by doctors in the southern town of Grevie.
Police arrested the man and said he would probably be charged with assault.
"We cannot see any motive. He hasn't been laid off. There is nothing that should worry him," company spokesman Anders Persson said.
He says the man was an administrative worker and described him as "positive, calm and collected".
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A stray camel brought traffic to a halt in southern Sweden after running onto a main road during a snowstorm.
Several motorists called police but it was some time before sceptical officers finally believed them and went to the scene.
"We were somewhat doubtful at first," police spokesman Sten-Ove Fransson in Skoevde.
"But then more people called, so we were finally convinced that there really was a camel gone astray on the road - or else there had been a big party."
However, before police had gone to the scene, friends of the camel's owner arrived and led it back to a stable where it is temporarily being kept while awaiting a home in a new barn.

to come

Sweden's beleaguered prime minister has admitted turning to cheese in times of stress.
Goran Persson, who faces a general election this year, told daily Expressen: "I eat when I am stressed. I am doing that right now.
"I'm stuffing myself with cheese, whole plates with four or five pieces of different types at least once a day."
Persson's government has been criticised for high unemployment and for its lax response to the December 26 tsunami.
However, despite munching his way through plates of cheese, Pearson said he did not have nightmares.
"One thing I know, sometimes things go well, other times they go badly. I have the capacity to switch off and walk away and I sleep well," he added.

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Air traffic controllers at Sweden's biggest airport in Stockholm say they are falling ill because their tower sways in the wind.
The 270-foot high tower sways nearly a centimetre each way when the wind blows more than 33 miles per hour.
Pia Johansson, the airport's lead traffic controller, said the movement has caused fits of nausea and vertigo among the 30 controllers who direct the 850 flights in and out of the airport daily.
Johansson said controllers who get queasy will be sent downstairs to "relax on firm ground" until they feel better.

Ingrid Bergman
Stina Nordenstam
Ingmar Bergman
Carolina (mad as a bucket of frogs) Kluft
Greta Garbo, Anita Ekberg, Max Von Sydow, Peter Stormare, Warner Oland
Dag Hammerskjold, Bjorn Borg, Ingvar Kamprad (IKEA)

		Life expectancy	77.19 men 82.64 women
		Airports	255
		Radios	932 per 1,000 people
		Internet Users	4,137 per 10,000 people
		Railway Network	7,003 miles
		Death Penalty abolished in 1972