InfoAnda - Century-old steamers inspire nostalgia in Stockholm's waters

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Winter's Bone seeks indie film honors | | 27 February 2011
Electronic medical orders may save lives | | 3 May 2010
Australia's deadliest bushfire kills 108 | International | | 9 February 2009

Microsoft Halo aims to reignite video game market | | 14 September 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Century-old steamers inspire nostalgia in Stockholm's waters

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Asia Pacific World Century-old steamers inspire nostalgia in Stockholm's waters AFP - Saturday, July 31 Send IM Story Print Century-old steamers inspire nostalgia in Stockholm's waters VAXHOLM, Sweden (AFP) - – Sitting in an armchair on the sun-soaked bridge of the vintage Stockholm steamer SS Storskaer, 84-year-old Stieg Dingertz, dressed to a tee, savours a special day out on the Baltic sea. Some 60 years ago, the naval engineer was at the forefront of a movement to save the Swedish capital's steamers, deemed outdated and ready for replacement by a modern fleet to navigate the city's sprawling archipelago. Now, he watches with satisfaction as 10 century-old white steamships adorned with multicoloured flags gather in the quaint harbour of Vaxholm for their annual parade. "This one was destined to be abandoned. We had to fight for it" to be kept in service, he said of the Storskaer, a classic 320-passenger model built in 1908. "It's very important that they continue to serve regular routes so that they don't become museum ships," the former city counselor added. The elegant silhouettes of the white steamers, with their tall black chimneys, French-polished mahogany guardrails and birch trunks serving as fenders have been a fixture here for more than a century. They still ply the waters for both tourists and Stockholmers alike. Aboard the Storskaer, Stockholmer Bo Hurell, a 79-year-old advertiser, is en route to Vaxholm for an annual lunch with former classmates in the tourist town's hotel, a ritual for the last 55 years. "Since 1955 we've been taking the Storskaer. It's convenient. It always leaves Stockholm at noon and always arrives at the same time," he says, leaning on the guardrail and sipping aquavit. The steamer's slow pace gives plenty of time to enjoy the area's natural beauty, passing island after island, spotting the occasional typically Swedish red-and-white painted cottage. Inside, the steamers retain the old-style decor of varnished wood panelling and crimson velvet armchairs. "It's an authentic atmosphere that carries you back to a century ago," said the Storskaer's young captain Johann Baeckstroem, in officer's uniform complete with bow-tie and white cap. For tourist Ling Kin Pong, a 22-year-old student from Hong Kong, "the Swedes know how to preserve traditions." But they have not neglected technology, and steamers are now fully equipped with the latest navigation instruments, radars and global positioning systems. But even before the instruments, Claes Insulander, 65, who has been manning the Mariefred, built in 1903, for half his life, said the steamers were good for manoeuvring through archipelago. In fog, they cruised at a constant speed with the motor's revolutions set to a watch and the captain hoping for the best. Yet it is below deck, in the machine room, where the true soul of a steamer lies, with its distinctive smell, the racket of rods and cylinders and the humming of the boiler. "It's a triple expansion engine that turns at 152 revolutions a minute," proudly explains the Storskaer's chief mechanic Johan Lundell, 43, as he runs an oilcan over the cogwheels. The Storskaer can reach up to 14 knots, or around 25 kilometers (16 miles) per hour, earning it the nickname of the archipelago's "King of Steam". A sharp bell pierces through the racket of machinery, meaning the captain has ordered to change direction and Lundell promptly activates a lever. Up on the bridge, Baeckstroem has just shifted the brass telegraph to full astern. "I can go from full ahead to full astern in zero seconds," he beamed. The Storskaer's boiler is fuel-powered, but others, such as the Mariefred's, are still powered by coal, leaving a long stream of black smoke through the archipelago's blue skies. The steamers' arrival in the 1850s spelled the end of isolation for the few farmers, fishermen and hunters who lived scattered across some 30,000 islands and islets in the archipelago, according to Berndt Festin, the outgoing president of Stockholm's prestigious archipelago foundation. "People used to living off hunting, especially seal hunting," he told AFP. But today -- in part thanks to steamers -- relaxation is a prime occupation in the pink granite, forest-covered islands, now sprinkled with about 40,000 vacation homes. Despite this population "boom", Festin insists there is still plenty left to explore in the archipelago. "There are always some islands for sale," he said. Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary Reuters - 34 minutes ago "The Office" to continue without Steve Carell Reuters - 34 minutes ago Sarajevo becomes biggest regional film market Reuters - 2 hours 34 minutes ago Women rise to the top in "Mad Men" Reuters - Saturday, July 31 Broadway sings blues over synthesizer invasion AFP - Saturday, July 31 News Search Top Stories New BP boss vows to stay the course in Gulf clean-up Colombian guerrillas propose talks on conflict : video US growth slows fueling recovery fears US economic growth 'welcome sign' but more needed: Obama New boss vows no BP pullback from Gulf oil crisis More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Argentine students crack three-decade-old murder mystery Calcium supplements linked to heart attacks: study US Fed official warns of 'Japanese-style' stagnation At least 140 dead in DR Congo river disaster Shell defends deep-water oil production, as profits soar More Most Viewed » Parachuting donkey shocks Russian beachgoers Argentine students crack three-decade-old murder mystery World's first full face transplant man appears on TV Paris Hilton caught with cannabis in handbag Quark by quark, atom smasher closing in on 'God particle' More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo! Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos World Cup 2010 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Saturday, 31 July 2010
Syrian, Saudi leaders urge Lebanon to avoid violence
France crime crackdown targets foreigners
Floods kill more than 400 in Pakistan's northwest |
Washington Post favors audio tycoon's Newsweek bid: report
US embassy vehicles torched in Afghan capital
Israel launches air strikes on Gaza: Palestinians |
New BP boss vows to stay the course in Gulf clean-up
US embassy staff in Paris get check-ups after suspect letter
Smartphones tempting new targets for hackers
French mother 'relieved' after admitting baby killings
Colombia rebels call for talks with new government |
US growth slows fueling recovery fears
July the deadliest month of Afghan war for US
Japanese rescue-bot can sniff out disaster survivors
US economic growth 'welcome sign' but more needed: Obama
Berlusconi in crisis after revolt by key ally
Microsoft to confront Japan watchdog on Yahoo-Google deal
New boss vows no BP pullback from Gulf oil crisis
One charger to fit new mobiles as of next year: EU
First gay couples tie knot under new Argentine law |
U.N. tells Darfur peace force to focus on security |
Canadian serial killer Pickton denied new trial |
Fire prompts evacuation of 2,000 homes north of LA
Smartphones tempting new targets for hackers
Four dead, 19 hurt in China tax office blast: state media
One charger to fit new mobiles as of next year: EU
Malaysia talent show picks 26-year-old as top 'Young Imam'
Minority Islamic sect under fire in Indonesia
Floods kill more than 400 in Pakistan's northwest
Shanghai journalists attacked after shampoo report
China says it disapproves of EU sanctions against Iran
North Korea officials seize Kim biography in Myanmar: author
Drug-tainted Japanese pop idol divorced: reports
'Nightmare' start for iPhone 4's latest launch
Emboldened RIM readies new touchscreen BlackBerry |
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Sarajevo becomes biggest regional film market
Women rise to the top in "Mad Men"
Century-old steamers inspire nostalgia in Stockholm's waters
London launches cycle hire scheme
Hugh Hefner: Rebel with a cause
Air China subsidiary to buy 10 Airbus planes: statement
Japan's Mazda narrows losses in first quarter: Kyodo
Bangladesh garment workers riot over wages
Hitachi sees $996.85 million net profit in 1Q
Audi counts on China in bid for new sales record
Japan PM pledges to press ahead with fiscal reform
Malaysia, New Zealand to launch trade pact in August
India's central bank fines Standard Chartered, ICICI
Pakistan in surprise rate rise, cites inflation risk
Japan, US recovery fears send Asian stocks tumbling
The Office to continue without Steve Carell |
Women rise to the top in Mad Men |
Sarajevo becomes biggest regional film market |
Quake in northeast Iran injures 170 people
Dutch anti-Islam party to have strong voice in next govt
Smooth-talking hackers test hi-tech titans' skills
Blast hits China tax office in apparent attack |
Hamas vows revenge after Israeli strikes on Gaza
Berlusconi split with ally erodes once comfortable majority
New BP boss faces up to massive Gulf oil clean-up
US-TECH Summary
Fidel Castro says U.S. mistreating convicted spies |
Iran mother facing stoning pleads to see children
BlackBerry maker to launch tablet in November: report
Colombian guerrillas propose talks on conflict : video
Turkey sued in California over Armenian genocide
Quake in northeast Iran injures 170 people |
Google not sure if China behind service disruption
Obama urges Iran to release three U.S. hikers
True/Slant website shutting down
Chavez deploys military units in Colombia row |
Israel launches air strikes in Gaza after rocket fire
Twitter offers help in finding accounts to follow
US casualties in Afghanistan soar to record highs
Software released for attacking Android phones
Australian PM Gillard heading for defeat: new poll |
Google agrees to delete WiFi data collected in Hong Kong
Australian PM Gillard heading for defeat
Turkey sued in California over Armenian genocide |
Floods kill 37 in China's northeast: media
Emboldened RIM readies new touchscreen BlackBerry
Dutch close in on government with anti-Islam party backing |
China says coal mine blast leaves 17 dead
Curfew in Indian Kashmir as fourth protester dies
Inquiry slams 'systemic failings' in killer Australia fires
Pakistan intelligence agency scraps UK visit
Arizona immigration law appeal set for November
Malay court clears Muslim of church firebomb attack
Blast hits China tax office in apparent attack
U.S. worried more secret documents may be released
Pakistan monsoon floods kill more than 400
Polls turn against Australian PM Gillard
Ore. district attorney says no Gore prosecution
Ariz. governor considers changing immigration law
As Emmys host, Jimmy Fallon aims not to offend
Software released for attacking Android phones |
Second woman sues Casey Affleck for harassment
Deadly gas explosion destroys building in Calif.
Calif. wildfire jumps aqueduct, approaches homes
Kings of Leon moves past "Pigeon-gate"
BlackBerry maker to launch tablet in November: report |
"Jersey Shore" star Snooki arrested
NY reps. bicker over 9/11 responder bill's defeat
Teen stars align for "Camp Rock 2" soundtrack
"Law & Order" TV show fails to find a new network
Drinking edges up in US, with beer still favorite
Taiwan brewer to invest $30 mln in China: report
"The Office" to continue without Steve Carell
Malaysian tycoon launches $1.48 bln power firm buyout
S.Korea hikes wages for N.Koreans in joint industrial estate
S.Korea sees $30 bln trade surplus in 2010, above fcast
Second woman sues Casey Affleck for harassment |
Jersey Shore star Snooki arrested |
Kings of Leon moves past Pigeon-gate |
As Emmys host, Jimmy Fallon aims not to offend |
Teen stars align for Camp Rock 2 soundtrack |
Law & Order TV show fails to find a new network |
Thousands fight forest fires in Russia heatwave
Pakistan spy chief scraps UK trip on terror remarks |
Israeli air strike kills Hamas commander in Gaza
Wildfires spread in western Russia, kill 28 |
Germany mourns Love Parade victims
Israeli air strike kills Hamas commander in Gaza |
Chelsea Clinton set for lavish, secretive wedding
At least 100 hurt in Bangladesh clashes over wages |
Dozens killed and stranded by Afghanistan floods |
Merkel attends memorial for Love Parade victims |
The big day: Chelsea Clinton to wed in upstate NY
Fresh allegations slams Delhi Commonwealth Games
N.Korean FM meets Myanmar FM amid nuclear worries
India to back New Zealander for top ICC post
Pakistan spy chief scraps UK trip on "terror" remarks
Philippine Airlines cancels flights as pilots quit
Leong, Siddikur tie for lead at Brunei Open
Taiwan authorities probe oil refinery fires
Philippine Airlines cancels flights after pilots quit
China invests $40 bln in Iran oil, gas: minister
ICICI Bank profit up 17 percent on better loans
ICICI Bank profit up 17 pct on better loans
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01