By Bob Van Leer

  (STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, May 14, 1989) - Dinner at the Operakallaren restaurant was excellent, and so was the price. Dinner for two came to 688 krona which converts to about $110, including tip. Betty dined on breast of snow grouse and I had saddle of reindeer. Tomorrow evening we'll have to dine at the McDonald's restaurant across the street from our hotel to make up for it.

  We arrived at Arlanda Airport, a 40 minute drive from Stockholm, at 9:18 a.m. after an uneventful flight from the Newark, New Jersey, airport on Scandinavian Air Service (SAS). Betty and I left Gold Beach Friday evening to drive to Medford to be there in time to catch a 6:40 a.m. United Airlines flight to San Francisco. There we boarded another United flight non-stop to Newark. This was the departure point for our tour arranged by the National Newspaper Association, a trade association of small newspapers.

By Bob Van Leer

  (STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, May 15, 1989) - This was a holiday in Sweden so very little was available. Most shops were closed, as were the post office and all government offices. This left the day free for sightseeing and relaxing.

  Across the street from our hotel is a small supermarket and we went in to compare prices. Because of the different language and different brands, some comparisons were difficult to make but some are not. Meats are very high. Beef pot roast (rostbiff) was selling for $7.62 per pound. Beef filets were priced at $17.58 per pound. Salmon was cheaper, $7.62 per pound.

By Bob Van Leer

  (CRUISE SHIP SILVIA REGINA, GULF OF BOTHNIA, May 17, 1989) - At this writing Betty and I are on a cruise ship sailing across the Gulf of Bothnia from Stockholm, Sweden, to Helsinki, Finland. The Gulf of Bothnia is the northern arm of the Baltic Sea. This is only an overnight cruise but it is on a large liner with all the amenities.  

  We dined tonight at a smorgasbord, featuring too many different kinds of dishes to try everything. As could be expected, the meal was long on fish dishes. There were three or four kinds of herring alone. A band was playing U.S. songs, although our party of 28 is probably all the Americans aboard. On another level there is a gambling casino and nearby a "duty-free" shop that is supposed to save you money but winds up costing more.

By Bob Van Leer

  (HELSINKI, FINLAND, May 17, 1989) - Dinner this evening took more than three hours, not because we had a speaker, or even because of multiple courses for the meal. The problem was because we had a waiter who spoke a half dozen words of English and a menu in Finnish. Betty and I compromised on "house special - very good", and it was.

  Our ship docked in Helsinki at nine this morning after a pleasant cruise from Stockholm. We had a stateroom with private bath. As we were waiting to disembark we saw some of the other accommodations. There was a large barracks-type room with bunk beds. Across from it was the next level down of accommodations, airline type recliner seats. Customs inspection was the easiest we have seen anywhere. We didn't even have to show our passports.

By Bob Van Leer

  (LENINGRAD, USSR, May 18, 1989) - Today our party met with Finnish government officials in the morning and then boarded a train for a seven-hour trip to Leningrad, Russia. We have now been in Russia for only half a day but much of what we have heard about the country appears to be true.

  But first, a report on our briefing on Finland

  Finland is faced with a problem that won't go away and the Finns can do nothing about - Russia. Finland made a separate peace with Russia, ending Finland's association with Germany in fighting the Russians. As a result of losing two wars in Russia in the 1940's, Finland lost a considerable amount of territory and some of its rights to independence. The size of Finland's army and air force is limited by the peace treaty with Russia.

By Bob Van Leer

  (LENINGRAD, USSR, May 19, 1989) - Days are long this time of year in Leningrad. Full dark doesn't come until midnight and it lightens up again about 4 a.m. This gives us more time to see the city.

  The Russians we see on the street are well dressed. Nobody appears to be even hungry. We have heard of long lines to buy things in Russia but the only consistently long line we have seen is at the liquor store. We were told that hours of sale were cut to reduce alcohol consumption. One result is a shortage of sugar, as Russians began to distill their own vodka. 

  While everyone here is fed and clothed and housed, even the Russians publicly say that the economy is in bad shape.

By Bob Van Leer

  (LENINGRAD, USSR, May 20, 1989) - Today was a day for Russian history and culture, both past and present. We were scheduled to go to Petrodvorets, the old czarist summer palace, by hydrofoil boat. Our Intourist guide, Alla, said the hydrofoil trip was called off because "the hydrofoil navigation season has not begun" and we would go there by bus instead.

  Later in the day when we were on the Neva River downtown, we saw a hydrofoil loaded with passengers coming up to dock. Even with this evidence right in front of us, Alla insisted that the hydrofoil navigation season had not yet begun because her superiors in Intourist had told her so.

By Bob Van Leer

  (WARSAW, POLAND, May 21, 1989) - Our Polish airliner arrived in Warsaw just before midnight after a one-hour flight from Leningrad.

  The day began with a two-hour tour of the world-famous Hermitage Museum in downtown Leningrad. The museum was built next to the Czar's Winter Palace in 1764 to house an art collection for Empress Catherine. The museum has since spread to the Winter Palace and both buildings front on the Neva River. The palace itself would be a museum if there were nothing in it, but it houses one of the greatest art collections of the world. 

  The Hermitage features Western European art. Russian art is in still another museum. The museum is mind boggling because of its immensity. There are 400 rooms open to the public. Our guide said a walk through each room would take you 15 miles. We have the short tour of only three miles. Our Intourist guide, Alla, said it has been calculated that if you spent one minute looking at every exhibit it would take you 11 years to see them all.

  In painters, the museum has hundreds of old masters, any one of which would make a person wealthy. There is a room full of Van Dykes. Forty-three paintings by Rubens are on display. Another room features Rembrandts. Paintings are on exhibit by Rafael, Goya, the list goes on indefinitely.

By Bob Van Leer

  (WARSAW, POLAND, May 23, 1989) - Today was a day for sightseeing and visiting famous places. This is a relief from the long schedule of meetings yesterday.

  We left Warsaw heading west on Highway E 30 across the flat Polish plain. This is the classic invasion route. And Poland knows a lot about invasions. Poland has the misfortune to be located at a strategic spot necessary to cross to get to somewhere else. Some of the invaders didn't really want Poland, it was just in their way.

  Napoleon marched along the same route our bus is taking. A roadside inn along the way is named for him. The Swedes invaded before him. In more recent times the Germans marched through Poland to Russia and the Russians marched across Poland chasing the Germans back. Poland's periods of independence have been brief. Even now, when Poland is nominally independent, Russia calls a lot of the shots for Poland. 

  Our first stop was the Radziwill Castle, situated on beautifully landscaped land. The name is best known in the U.S. because Pres. Jack Kennedy's sister-in-law, Princess Lee Radziwill, married one of the family. The castle is now owned by the Polish government and is used as a museum.

By Bob Van Leer

  (COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, May 24, 1989) - Today our party flew from Warsaw, Poland to Copenhagen, Denmark. It was only an hour's flight but it is the distance between two ways of life. Poland, while in a political ferment, is still a Communist ruled country and it shows.

  One of our party characterized the change between the two countries as "a breath of fresh air". Poland was better than Russia. Still, it is refreshing to be back in a country where we can drink the water and the normal small items we are used to having are readily available. Simple things, such as toilet paper that is soft and is perforated into sheets.

By Bob Van Leer

  (COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, May 25, 1989) - Today our party took time for a tour of the city by bus, boat and feet. The weather has been perfect here. On a main street downtown the Danes have their own version of a weather vane, life size gilt statues of two girls on a turntable. When the weather is to be fair the girl on a bicycle is out, but when stormy weather is anticipated, the girl with an umbrella comes out.

  We toured Christianborg Castle, where royal receptions are held and then went to a church, relatively new, but built entirely of brick, ceilings and all.

  Boat rides are popular here as well as at home, but this is tidewater. There are no rapids to negotiate. Instead there is a system of canals. The boats, in appearance, are similar to the Agness boats, but hold about twice as many passengers. We toured through a system of canals and then into the harbor, which is quite busy. 

  The boat dropped us off at the end of one of a network of "walking streets", which are just what the name implies. Even bicyclists push their bikes. The "walking street" is lined with shops and the street is wall-to-wall pedestrians. Almost every store is busy.

By Bob Van Leer

  (COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, May 26, 1989) - Today was our last full day in Denmark and the last full day overseas on the whole tour. We left Copenhagen by bus for a tour of the countryside with stops at two castles. By now we have seen castles in five countries on this trip.

  Our guide tells the story of a tour guide who found the diary of an English tourist and peeked at the entries. For most days there was only a three letter entry, "a.b.c.". Curious, the guide asked the tourist what this meant. The tourist said, "Another bloody castle." 

  Our guide gave us a few economic facts about Denmark. She said that taxes are high. Cigarettes cost $3.37 per pack. Gasoline is $4.00 per gallon. A Value Added Tax, a form of sales tax, adds 22 percent to the price of everything. On top of this there is a graduated income tax that has a 53 percent rate for median incomes.

  Government services are provided for the tax. Parents receive $100 on birth of a child, and $200 per year per child until they are 16. Schooling is free through the university level. Handicapped persons get special help. Old age pensions are provided at age 67. Medical care is provided at no cost and part of pharmacy bills are paid.

By Bob Van Leer

  (NEW YORK CITY, May 27, 1989) Our tour is now over and we left our hotel to start the long journey home. On the way to the Copenhagen airport I noticed price stickers on rather ordinary used cars on a lot - the equivalent of $12,691 on one and $7,744 on another.

  We boarded a U.S.-made DC 10 jetliner of Scandinavia Air Service (SAS) for the flight home. The weather was clear and bright and we left just a few minutes late. Our entire world-wide transportation network is a remarkable system. All the transportation for the whole trip was arranged before we left Gold Beach. Catherine Keusink of Pelican Bay Travel arranged the domestic portion which tied in precisely with the overseas accommodations arranged by the National Newspaper Association. This involved airliners from three countries, and a ship and train from two more nations. All of these went off like clockwork.