Isn’t that just gorgeous? The bridge was built in the last few years of the last century, opening in 2000, but the idea for the connection between Denmark and Sweden had been on the cards since before the Second World War. In fact, it was the war that was the...
Flygskam is yet another wonderful word that has arrived from Sweden. It translates to ‘flying shame’ and that’s a phenomenon that is increasing all the time in Europe. (And I use the description ‘Europe’ quite loosely meaning...
What on earth is allemansrätten? It’s something that attracts visitors to Scandinavia from all over the world. It’s a principle that Sweden is proud of – as well as other Scandinavian countries and one or two in Europe too. It is ‘freedom to...
Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd created The Knotted Gun, also known as Non-Violence, after the shooting of John Lennon in 1980. As an activist for peace, Lennon would have been appalled at the situation with guns today, especially in his adopted homeland, the...
In 1935, there was a hit song that had been featured in a film. The song was considered to be terribly English and was performed by British actor (actually Scottish), Jack Buchanan. The title of the song was ‘Everything Stops For Tea’. Of course,...
Långholmen is one of the several islands in Stockholm and you may remember that I’ve written about it before – that fact that the old prison there is now being used as a hotel and hostel. The old prison also houses a museum so you can find out about the...
Vasa was (is) a Swedish wooden warship that sank on its maiden voyage. This happened in the full view of onlookers. It was an extremely beautiful ship although not as much care was taken with its seaworthiness as its extravagant exterior. However, shipbuilding...
Its residents love living there. But the tiny settlement comes in for plenty of criticism. What’s to criticise about this charming medieval town? Well, the first thing is that it isn’t medieval at all – it was created in the nineteen nineties....
Reluctant as I am to use an aged cliché, it’s nevertheless important when we’re travelling to have some time to ‘stop and smell the flowers’. Travelling can be very hectic, especially when most of us only have a limited number of time to spend...
So few people want to stay in faceless chain hotels these days. And that’s why the Långholmen Hotel in Stockholm can provide you with a truly different accommodation experience. This is because the hotel is a converted nineteenth-century prison! It’s...
