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...

The train arrived into Gothenburg (actually called Göteborg) running slightly behind schedule on another rainy afternoon. I crossed the square outside Central Station and over a bridge to my hotel. You literally have to look both ways all the time as people, trams and buses interweave across the square and streets. Another town that seems to be teeming with people begging. As it was mid-afternoon I decided to tour the town immediately. I like the small train e...

Yesterday I came across the famous Øresund Bridge (different one to the photo above) back into Sweden. No passport required. I'm in Malmö (of The Bridge drama fame). It's raining cats and dogs. I'm glad I packed my Selfridges brolly. Undeterred I decided game on and set off for more walking. Next to the hotel is a 70s mall Caroli. It's light and airy inside, not too big, with a mix of high street stores like H&M and boutiques. It's been recently refurbis...

I love to plan ahead... but the best laid plans and all that. I'd really wanted to travel by train for the entire duration of my Scandinavian trip but major engineering works between Copenhagen and Cologne put a slight spanner in the works. After two lots of reconfiguration I have my route. Yesterday I had a great trip out of Dorset up to Waterloo before heading to West London for hair and nail appointments in Chiswick. The platform at Richmond was overflowing ...