People in Sweden will tell you that they can't tell when a Norwegian is angry.

That's because the way they talk makes them sound like they're always happy.

They're very positive singing. You cannot be mistaken.

If someone sounds almost ridiculously positive, it's a Norwegian.

While their Scandinavian neighbors tend to think that the Swedes can be a little standoffish.

Probably the Norwegians and Danes are more likely to thrust a beer in the guests hand and invite them in for dinner

where the Swedes just want to kind of take a look and see what is this all about.

Coming up, learn how the Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes view one another.

Not long ago, many African American travelers had to rely on a special guidebook when segregation

made it hard to find a welcome place to stay.

You were just regular houses, and there was no phone numbers.

You would just drive up, knock on the door,

and see that you listed in the Green Book.

A lot of times the people wouldn't even charge.

Learn the history of the Green Book, and hear about the rivalries between Scandinavian

cousins in the hour ahead on Travel with Rick Steeves.

One great way to connect with the locals is to speak the language or at least some of it.

Rosetta Stone is a fast fun way to learn.

It's got helpful tools like online video chats with native speaking teachers.

You can take the Rosetta Stone demo or purchase the program at a special discount at

Rosetta Stone.com.

It's easy to take the comforts of modern travel for granted, but not so many years ago

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