Books set in or about Scandinavia
Jan 14th 2005, 4:15 am
#16
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Books set in or about Scandinavia
> I agree, but I want to inform you about what "the trouble" actually
> means.
I did not mention this because it is so complicated. But since you
started this .....
> Make sure you get a visa say at least one month in advance.
Also make sure your visa does not end with your planned departure
in case you want to extend your visit. Extending a visa at the last
minute can be expensive.
> When you arrive in Russia, will receive an immigration card, where
> you say wheter or not you have anything to declare. Travel guides like
> Lonely Planet have detailed information. You give the authorities one
> and keep one for your departure. This card is stamped by your hotel.
Has this changed in the past few years? Previously hotels only
wanted your passport and visa to register your visa. I never had a
hotel ask for my customs form.
> You visa must be registered within 3 days after your arrivel. You need
> a hotel with visa support, becuause your are not interested in doing
> this job yourself. To register you have to hand over your passport at
> the hotel.
Yes, do not forget to register your visa. If you are staying at a hotel
(most people do), the hotel does this automatically. If you tried to
leave Russia and never registered your visa, you might be forced to
pay a large fine.
> Lot's of restaurants also have menus only in Russian or more detailed
> menu in Russian. As the names of many dishes are the same, it is useful
> to be able to read russian menus.
The cheapest places to eat are cafes, which never have English menus.
More expensive restaurants will often have English menus.
Or you could hire a guide to avoid the language problems, like Elena's
original post offered.
Casey
> means.
I did not mention this because it is so complicated. But since you
started this .....
> Make sure you get a visa say at least one month in advance.
Also make sure your visa does not end with your planned departure
in case you want to extend your visit. Extending a visa at the last
minute can be expensive.
> When you arrive in Russia, will receive an immigration card, where
> you say wheter or not you have anything to declare. Travel guides like
> Lonely Planet have detailed information. You give the authorities one
> and keep one for your departure. This card is stamped by your hotel.
Has this changed in the past few years? Previously hotels only
wanted your passport and visa to register your visa. I never had a
hotel ask for my customs form.
> You visa must be registered within 3 days after your arrivel. You need
> a hotel with visa support, becuause your are not interested in doing
> this job yourself. To register you have to hand over your passport at
> the hotel.
Yes, do not forget to register your visa. If you are staying at a hotel
(most people do), the hotel does this automatically. If you tried to
leave Russia and never registered your visa, you might be forced to
pay a large fine.
> Lot's of restaurants also have menus only in Russian or more detailed
> menu in Russian. As the names of many dishes are the same, it is useful
> to be able to read russian menus.
The cheapest places to eat are cafes, which never have English menus.
More expensive restaurants will often have English menus.
Or you could hire a guide to avoid the language problems, like Elena's
original post offered.
Casey
Jan 14th 2005, 4:54 am
#17
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Books set in or about Scandinavia
> Most contries outside the former USSR republics will need a visa to
> visit Russia. To get a visa you need an invitation from a hotel with
> visa support, before you apply for the visa. A travel agency can take
> care of that for you, or you can find a hotel or an agency orginazing
> home stays in Russia, that book a room and sends you the invitation.
What's the deal if you simply intend to borrow somebody's flat?
A friend of mine has one there - I'm not that curious about
Russia but my girlfriend might be interested in seeing it. Will
an invite from my friend (who is not even Russian, let alone an
official) work?
============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ==============
Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760
<http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975
stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557
> visit Russia. To get a visa you need an invitation from a hotel with
> visa support, before you apply for the visa. A travel agency can take
> care of that for you, or you can find a hotel or an agency orginazing
> home stays in Russia, that book a room and sends you the invitation.
What's the deal if you simply intend to borrow somebody's flat?
A friend of mine has one there - I'm not that curious about
Russia but my girlfriend might be interested in seeing it. Will
an invite from my friend (who is not even Russian, let alone an
official) work?
============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ==============
Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760
<http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975
stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557
Jan 16th 2005, 12:02 pm
#18
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Books set in or about Scandinavia
If you can find it (which I doubt) the English author Horace Marryat's "One
year in Sweden"
which was published in 1862 being one of the first travel guidebooks
published. Years ago I
found a copy in my grandfather's library and enjoyed it immensely. A very
thorough book which
gives a mid-19th century view of Sweden, its history and lore.
Selma Lagerlo:fs "The wonderful adventures of Nils Holgersson" must be
easier to get.
When Kenzaburo Oe received the Nobel prize, he mentioned how he as a boy
knew Sweden's
geography better than that of Japan by reading "Nils Holgersson".
rgds,
-- m
<[email protected]> skrev i meddelandet
news:[email protected] oups.com...
> My wife and I are planning a trip to Scandinavia this summer. One of
> the things we like to do before we go is to read books about or set in
> the places we are going. Anyone care to make a recommendation?
> Thanks
> Steve Gerdemann
>
year in Sweden"
which was published in 1862 being one of the first travel guidebooks
published. Years ago I
found a copy in my grandfather's library and enjoyed it immensely. A very
thorough book which
gives a mid-19th century view of Sweden, its history and lore.
Selma Lagerlo:fs "The wonderful adventures of Nils Holgersson" must be
easier to get.
When Kenzaburo Oe received the Nobel prize, he mentioned how he as a boy
knew Sweden's
geography better than that of Japan by reading "Nils Holgersson".
rgds,
-- m
<[email protected]> skrev i meddelandet
news:[email protected] oups.com...
> My wife and I are planning a trip to Scandinavia this summer. One of
> the things we like to do before we go is to read books about or set in
> the places we are going. Anyone care to make a recommendation?
> Thanks
> Steve Gerdemann
>
Jan 18th 2005, 7:40 pm
#19
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Books set in or about Scandinavia
Casey wrote:
> > Make sure you get a visa say at least one month in advance.
> Also make sure your visa does not end with your planned departure
> in case you want to extend your visit. Extending a visa at the last
> minute can be expensive.
I agree, unless your planned stay is about one or three months. To
exceed your visa from 30 days to more than 30 days or from 90 to more
than 90 days, you can not simply ask the hotel to invite you for a
longer period than you intend to stay. To make the hotel extend your
intitation from say 1 to 2 weeks, even that you just inted to stay at
the hotel for 1 week ask for that BEFORE you do your booking.
> > When you arrive in Russia, will receive an immigration card, where
> > you say wheter or not you have anything to declare. Travel guides
like
> > Lonely Planet have detailed information. You give the authorities
one
> > and keep one for your departure. This card is stamped by your
hotel.
> Has this changed in the past few years? Previously hotels only
> wanted your passport and visa to register your visa. I never had a
> hotel ask for my customs form.
First, the procedure I described previously is for a tourist visa. The
prosedure is somewhat different if you have a business visa (or student
visa, transit visa or to a less degree a private visa).
It it usually handed out on the plane if you arrive by one. What has
definately changed over the years is what you need to declare, that
means changed to the better. What has also changed is that theese days
your visa is put inside your passport and is no longer a separate pice
of paper to store besides your passport.
If you move on to a new town to spend the night, after your visa vas
registered, the hotel where you stay stamp your emigration card to
"register it in the new town". If the autorities will ever check your
papers, they will check wheter or not the migration card is stamped in
the city in question. If not it should be stamped in a town that you
can reach from where you are stopped on a for a period exceeding the
time when you are stopped. If ever i doubt, as a rule of thumb you can
never have to many stamps in your migrationcard;)
> > You visa must be registered within 3 days after your arrivel. You
need
> > a hotel with visa support, becuause your are not interested in
doing
> > this job yourself. To register you have to hand over your passport
at
> > the hotel.
> Yes, do not forget to register your visa. If you are staying at a
hotel
> (most people do), the hotel does this automatically. If you tried to
> leave Russia and never registered your visa, you might be forced to
> pay a large fine.
I agree. If you stay at a hotel that you can eaily book from abroad
they do. Therefore it is a good idea to book a hotel for one night,
even if you plan for private or other accomondation, where visa support
is not offered. If your hotel does not offer visa support, you can
always go to the most excpensive hotel in town and make them register
it for you for a price. As a first (or second) time visitor, don't even
think of doing the registration yourself. The small fee the hotel might
charge you to register your visa is well worth it.
> > Lot's of restaurants also have menus only in Russian or more
detailed
> > menu in Russian. As the names of many dishes are the same, it is
useful
> > to be able to read russian menus.
> The cheapest places to eat are cafes, which never have English menus.
> More expensive restaurants will often have English menus.
> Or you could hire a guide to avoid the language problems, like
Elena's
> original post offered.
This doesn't change the point that you should not go to Russia without
knowing the syrillic alphabet. There are simply no occations in life
where you do not nead to be able to read and write things like where
you are (street signs and metro stations etc).
Jan
> > Make sure you get a visa say at least one month in advance.
> Also make sure your visa does not end with your planned departure
> in case you want to extend your visit. Extending a visa at the last
> minute can be expensive.
I agree, unless your planned stay is about one or three months. To
exceed your visa from 30 days to more than 30 days or from 90 to more
than 90 days, you can not simply ask the hotel to invite you for a
longer period than you intend to stay. To make the hotel extend your
intitation from say 1 to 2 weeks, even that you just inted to stay at
the hotel for 1 week ask for that BEFORE you do your booking.
> > When you arrive in Russia, will receive an immigration card, where
> > you say wheter or not you have anything to declare. Travel guides
like
> > Lonely Planet have detailed information. You give the authorities
one
> > and keep one for your departure. This card is stamped by your
hotel.
> Has this changed in the past few years? Previously hotels only
> wanted your passport and visa to register your visa. I never had a
> hotel ask for my customs form.
First, the procedure I described previously is for a tourist visa. The
prosedure is somewhat different if you have a business visa (or student
visa, transit visa or to a less degree a private visa).
It it usually handed out on the plane if you arrive by one. What has
definately changed over the years is what you need to declare, that
means changed to the better. What has also changed is that theese days
your visa is put inside your passport and is no longer a separate pice
of paper to store besides your passport.
If you move on to a new town to spend the night, after your visa vas
registered, the hotel where you stay stamp your emigration card to
"register it in the new town". If the autorities will ever check your
papers, they will check wheter or not the migration card is stamped in
the city in question. If not it should be stamped in a town that you
can reach from where you are stopped on a for a period exceeding the
time when you are stopped. If ever i doubt, as a rule of thumb you can
never have to many stamps in your migrationcard;)
> > You visa must be registered within 3 days after your arrivel. You
need
> > a hotel with visa support, becuause your are not interested in
doing
> > this job yourself. To register you have to hand over your passport
at
> > the hotel.
> Yes, do not forget to register your visa. If you are staying at a
hotel
> (most people do), the hotel does this automatically. If you tried to
> leave Russia and never registered your visa, you might be forced to
> pay a large fine.
I agree. If you stay at a hotel that you can eaily book from abroad
they do. Therefore it is a good idea to book a hotel for one night,
even if you plan for private or other accomondation, where visa support
is not offered. If your hotel does not offer visa support, you can
always go to the most excpensive hotel in town and make them register
it for you for a price. As a first (or second) time visitor, don't even
think of doing the registration yourself. The small fee the hotel might
charge you to register your visa is well worth it.
> > Lot's of restaurants also have menus only in Russian or more
detailed
> > menu in Russian. As the names of many dishes are the same, it is
useful
> > to be able to read russian menus.
> The cheapest places to eat are cafes, which never have English menus.
> More expensive restaurants will often have English menus.
> Or you could hire a guide to avoid the language problems, like
Elena's
> original post offered.
This doesn't change the point that you should not go to Russia without
knowing the syrillic alphabet. There are simply no occations in life
where you do not nead to be able to read and write things like where
you are (street signs and metro stations etc).
Jan
Jan 18th 2005, 7:43 pm
#20
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Books set in or about Scandinavia
As I suggest in another posting it might still be a good idea to book
accomondation for one night and make the hotel do the paperwork or
simply walk into a hotel to ask them to do just the registration
without you staying there. Ask at a few hotels and take the best offer.
This is only by passes in order to make sure that your host does not
have to make the paperwork for you. It is possible though. You will
have a private visa and it works pretty similar to a tourist visa exept
for that your hosts invite you instead of an hotel.
Jan
accomondation for one night and make the hotel do the paperwork or
simply walk into a hotel to ask them to do just the registration
without you staying there. Ask at a few hotels and take the best offer.
This is only by passes in order to make sure that your host does not
have to make the paperwork for you. It is possible though. You will
have a private visa and it works pretty similar to a tourist visa exept
for that your hosts invite you instead of an hotel.
Jan
Jan 19th 2005, 6:28 am
#21
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Books set in or about Scandinavia
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
(nitram) wrote:
> On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 19:16:18 +1030, "Sandra Griffiths"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Try Henning Mankell's works- they are mysteries, usually set in Skane
> >(southern Sweden) & feature a detective Inspector Wallander. The books
> >convey the feeling of time & place- & the writing is good too
> >
> >Enjoy your trip
> >
> >Sandra
> >lurking in Adelaide
>
> You beat me to it.
>
> I enjoyed Smilla's Feeling for Snow
> AKA Smilla's Sense Of Snow Peter Hoeg's bestseller.
Yes, that's a magnificent book. (Isn't it Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow
or am I misremembering?)
I've read a couple of detective-stories-cum-political-thrillers by Liza
Marklund set in Stockholm which I enjoyed.
(nitram) wrote:
> On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 19:16:18 +1030, "Sandra Griffiths"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Try Henning Mankell's works- they are mysteries, usually set in Skane
> >(southern Sweden) & feature a detective Inspector Wallander. The books
> >convey the feeling of time & place- & the writing is good too
> >
> >Enjoy your trip
> >
> >Sandra
> >lurking in Adelaide
>
> You beat me to it.
>
> I enjoyed Smilla's Feeling for Snow
> AKA Smilla's Sense Of Snow Peter Hoeg's bestseller.
Yes, that's a magnificent book. (Isn't it Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow
or am I misremembering?)
I've read a couple of detective-stories-cum-political-thrillers by Liza
Marklund set in Stockholm which I enjoyed.
Jan 19th 2005, 7:56 am
#22
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Books set in or about Scandinavia
On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 19:28:19 +0000 (UTC), [email protected]
wrote:
>In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
>(nitram) wrote:
>> On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 19:16:18 +1030, "Sandra Griffiths"
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> >Try Henning Mankell's works- they are mysteries, usually set in Skane
>> >(southern Sweden) & feature a detective Inspector Wallander. The books
>> >convey the feeling of time & place- & the writing is good too
>> >
>> >Enjoy your trip
>> >
>> >Sandra
>> >lurking in Adelaide
>>
>> You beat me to it.
>>
>> I enjoyed Smilla's Feeling for Snow
>> AKA Smilla's Sense Of Snow Peter Hoeg's bestseller.
>Yes, that's a magnificent book. (Isn't it Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow
>or am I misremembering?)
It was called Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow, when I read it too. When
I googled for it, it had the names I gave above.
>I've read a couple of detective-stories-cum-political-thrillers by Liza
>Marklund set in Stockholm which I enjoyed.
--
Martin
wrote:
>In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
>(nitram) wrote:
>> On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 19:16:18 +1030, "Sandra Griffiths"
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> >Try Henning Mankell's works- they are mysteries, usually set in Skane
>> >(southern Sweden) & feature a detective Inspector Wallander. The books
>> >convey the feeling of time & place- & the writing is good too
>> >
>> >Enjoy your trip
>> >
>> >Sandra
>> >lurking in Adelaide
>>
>> You beat me to it.
>>
>> I enjoyed Smilla's Feeling for Snow
>> AKA Smilla's Sense Of Snow Peter Hoeg's bestseller.
>Yes, that's a magnificent book. (Isn't it Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow
>or am I misremembering?)
It was called Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow, when I read it too. When
I googled for it, it had the names I gave above.
>I've read a couple of detective-stories-cum-political-thrillers by Liza
>Marklund set in Stockholm which I enjoyed.
--
Martin
Jan 19th 2005, 4:34 pm
#23
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Books set in or about Scandinavia
> >>
> >> >Try Henning Mankell's works- they are mysteries, usually set in
Skane
> >> >(southern Sweden) & feature a detective Inspector Wallander. The
books
> >> >convey the feeling of time & place- & the writing is good too
> >> >
> >> >Enjoy your trip
Thanks to every one that responded.
I have already read Smilla's Sense of Snow" and one book by Henning
Mankell. We have another Mankell book stashed for reading on the trip.
I did manage to find a book by Kerstin Ekman in the library but I
haven't read it yet. I'm currently working on Professor Marten's
Departure by Jaan Koos.
BTW as many suggested we already had planned to visit St Petersburg as
part of this trip. The problem of getting a Visa is a little unsettling
though.
Steve Gerdemann
> >> >Try Henning Mankell's works- they are mysteries, usually set in
Skane
> >> >(southern Sweden) & feature a detective Inspector Wallander. The
books
> >> >convey the feeling of time & place- & the writing is good too
> >> >
> >> >Enjoy your trip
Thanks to every one that responded.
I have already read Smilla's Sense of Snow" and one book by Henning
Mankell. We have another Mankell book stashed for reading on the trip.
I did manage to find a book by Kerstin Ekman in the library but I
haven't read it yet. I'm currently working on Professor Marten's
Departure by Jaan Koos.
BTW as many suggested we already had planned to visit St Petersburg as
part of this trip. The problem of getting a Visa is a little unsettling
though.
Steve Gerdemann
