I'm half way through my time living in Nantes. Yes, I returned here after a brief visit in February, this time to work on a project. I packed for cold weather, but I've been lucky, it's been glorious! Nantes is a fantastic city. It's got beautiful architecture, great shops, oodles of bars, excellent public transport and is very walkable. Most mornings I've taken advantage of the weather and walked around the city, generally going off the beaten track. I love d...

22 23 July Upon recommendation from the waiter at The Veranda Restaurant, Grand Hotel I walked to the Vasastaten area to visit Gro for lunch. It's a slightly more edgy neighbourhood, in that many bearded men with plaited designs hang around coffee shops with a hippyish vibe. It seemed miles and miles, especially as the sun was beating down ferociously on the concrete. I had to cross a really busy road which was a bit dicey. The cafe looked remarkably closed, and...

The sun has shone consistently. Who knew I would come to Stockholm and get a tan. It's been great walking around the city. It's made up of 14 islands which gives each area you visit its own unique feel. The classic architecture Swedish-style mixed with bang up-to-date modern building with some 70s stuff in between. Day one of my exploration on Sunday morning I started with a bus tour which visited all parts of the city including where the cruise liners dock. Al...

Three quarters of an hour after arriving into Oslo I realised I'd left my Selfridges brolly on the rack above my seat on the Bergen train. I've still got the outer cover but the important element is missing. I went back to Sentral Station but of course the train was no longer at the platform. The left luggage chap said it was too soon for it to have been processed for left luggage (and it takes two to five days and they are closed on the weekend). I will be in St...

I've been looking forward to the daytime Bergen-Oslo train trip for a while. It's been described as one of the great train journeys, and it lived up to its billing! You just don't know where to look. The scenery every which way is overwhelming... almost too much for the eyes and brain to compute. You pass through tunnel upon tunnel followed by gorgeous lakes, sneaky peeks of snow capped mountains and clouds nestling amongst the trees. It is beautiful! Passing ...