![]() Situated in Illinois on Lake Michigan, Chicago is the U.S third most populous city, known as The Windy City, and it certainly lived up to that name. Chicago has everything to offer from fine dining, entertainment, world class museums and amazing architecture and after eight busy days in New York I was ready to take all this in and enjoy five relaxing days exploring Chicago. After arriving from LaGuardia Airport into Chicago O’Hare, I jumped into a taxi and headed to my Air BnB in Uptown where my host Gal meet me with her adorable rescue dog Scout. Located in Uptown Gail’s apartment was about twenty minutes on the L train to downtown Chicago. The L train is basically a train system that runs above street level on tracks running across the city, which was easy to use and for about thirty dollars for a week ticket, you get unlimited travel access the city. ![]() With the suitcases dropped off, freshened up after travelling, I wrapped up warm, and set out to explore this beautiful city. The first place I wanted to visit was Navy Pier. Navy Pier has everything to offer, from restaurants, attractions, shops, dining cruises, bars and not to mention amazing views of The Chicago Skyline (you get some gorgeous views on a night-time). It’s the perfect place to escape too, there a Ferris Wheel, with air conditioned and heated cabins, you can take a ride on the wheel to get some amazing views of downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan. I would advise you to wrap up warm if your visiting December and the winter months, as it does get pretty cold, but I found the perfect bar to stop off, for a craft beer warm up and recharge my batteries. The vast selection of restaurants and bars means, Navy Pier, can be somewhere you can end you day, with some good food and some classic craft beers. So with Navy Pier been my number one pick in what to do when visiting Chicago, let me now talk you about my other four top picks. If you like me and like taking views of various cities, at the top of buildings, then you have a couple of options in Chicago. First there is the John Hancock Building and there is also the Willis Tower (formally known as Sears Tower). My favourite was The Hancock Building, or known as 360 Chicago, offers the best views Chicago and Lake Michigan. I was lucky enough to visit on a clear day, which made the views even better. For those are brave enough, for around seven dollars you enter The Tilt, where you basically stand in this glass panel, hold on the bars, and it tilts you over the street, I love anything thrill seeking like that, and it was best seven dollars ever spent. You all know I like a beer, regularly and the 360 building has a bar, what perfect way to sit with a beer and overlooking Lake Michigan. Not to mention the view form the Hancock building are night are just equally as stunning. Seeing the city lit up at night is beautiful. If you into science, technology and museums that encompass all this, then the museum of Science and Industry in Chicago is a must visit. Situated a little way out of Downtown Chicago but still easily accessible by public transport, it is one of the largest science museums in the Western Hemisphere. I did not anticipate how large this place was, and if I did have any prior idea, I would have visited a little earlier, as I never got to experience the full museum. This museum has everything, and I mean everything, you can walk through a Boeing 727 which is hanging from the roof of the museum, walk through a tornado, climb on board a German World War II submarine or even take a run in a giant hamster ball, seriously a giant hamster ball. The place is huge covering acres of land, and with over four hundred thousand square feet of hands on exhibits, this is why the museum is a must visit. Currently some of their exhibitions include science storms, transportation gallery, farming, and with new exhibitions opening all the time, you’re going to need a full day to explore this place. As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, I love a good river cruise, where you can sit back, relax, and take in the sights of a city by water, whilst listening to a local tour guide talking you through the history of the city. Chicago has its own river cruise. Now giving its December, you may think I am mad going on a river cruise, and let’s say it was a little nippy, but I was wrapped up, had a coffee so I was very well prepared. The cruise is known as Shoreline Architecture River Cruise. The one thing that I do like is the tour guides, you get a really in-depth tour of the city by water, going under the many bridges and not to mention taking in some spectacular views. If you are travelling in the winter months, then the river cruises do run, but depends on the weather, so a quick check of the website and your good to go.
That’s my top pics of Chicago, there is so much more to do, from more museums including The Chicago History museum, Ernest Hemingway’s birth house, Zoos and a number of bus tours that take you around the city. If your visiting then I would highly recommend getting a Go City Pass, which, for a one-off payment, give you free access to a number of the best tourist attractions downtown.
0 Comments
In November I got to visit New York City, and tick another holiday destination of my bucket list. My time New York was non-stop. From the moment I stepped foot of my flight at JFK Airport to the moment I flew to Chicago eight days later, I literally did not stop. New York is not the place if you’re looking for a relaxing city break, as even eight days was not enough to do and see everything I wanted to. Rather than talk to you about anything and everything, as I will be sat here typing this blog for the next week, I’m going to talk a little about my top five favourite things. Some people who have been to New York may agree or disagree, as everyone has their own personal preference on that you can do in The Big Apple. But these were certainly my top five. So here goes, I’ll keep each one short and sweet as I would Imagine you will have you own idea of them. 1 - 9/11 Memorial and Museum![]() September 11th, 2001 is date no-one will ever forget. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum is an experience I will remember for years to come. The memorial grounds are free of charge for anyone to visit. Situated exactly where the twin towers stand. The memorial grounds are the exact size of the twin towers, consisting of two square pool, with water flowing through them. The one thing that makes this place special is how peaceful and tranquil it is, all you can hear is the waterfalls, and you can barley hear the traffic from the nearby busy roads. The museum was another emotional experience. If your visiting the museum, I would recommend a good two to three hours, so you take in the exhibits and exhibitions that make up the museum. It’s a truly moving experience where voice recordings, missing person posters, video footage and thousands of artefacts are on display. 2 - Circle in Cruise (Harbour Lights)The harbour lights cruise is a river cruise that take you on river cruise, after sunset so you can see New York at night by river. The two-hour cruise sets sail down the Hudson River, past The Statue of Liberty and then heads up The East River, under Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge taking in everything at night. If you have had busy day sightseeing, this will be the perfect ending to your day. The views of Manhattan and downtown New York at night are spectacular. You can sit back relax and take in the views, as well have a snack and an alcoholic beverage. There is on-board WIFI so you can share all those important pictures on your social media accounts and you also are joined by a tour guide on board, who talk you about some of the landmarks you pass on the tour. Check out Circle Line Cruises website as there are a number of other cruises that you can also enjoy. 3 - BrooklynIf you have time, I highly recommend checking out of the local neighbourhoods. Brooklyn is the perfect neighbourhood to escape the hustle and bustle of downtown Manhattan. Brooklyn has lots to offer from quirky cafés to Brooklyn’s very own brewery, a number of museums and some must see places, it would be rude not to visit Brooklyn and let’s not forget the star attraction Brooklyn Bridge. To start the day off you can visit Washington Street in Dumbo for iconic picture of The Manhattan Bridge and then head down to the waterfront to visit the famous Jane's Carousel. Then head into Brooklyn to explore this diverse neighbourhood. Brooklyn Brewery is must visit for those who enjoy a good microbrewery made beer or ale. Stop here for a beer to recharge your batteries and tour of the brewery. Then why not finish the day with a walk across Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan, the views are simply breath taking, and I stopped of numerous of times to get some snaps of the Manhattan skyline. 4 - Macy's Thanks Giving Day Parade![]() Fortunately I was in New York for Thanksgiving Day and I had the opportunity to see Macys Parade for real and it’s a truly magical experience. The parade does start until half 9, however you will get people lining the sidewalks from as early as 4am to get the perfect spot, I fortunately found the perfect spot in Central Park over looking 59th Street, giving me perfect views of the parade as it headed down 59th Street before turning 6th Avenue. The parade consists of everything from brass bands, well known a list celebrities, dancers, floats and gigantic balloons. It is a must-see attraction and is well worth the early wake up call. Wrap Up warm though as its end of November and it can get very chilly. 5 - Ellen's Stardust Diner![]() If you’re looking breakfast or dinner with a twist look no further. At Ellen’s you indulge in some good food, while watching the waiters and waitresses entertaining you with their singing and dancing abilities. Situated on Broadway, the waiters and waitress staff come here to work in the hope that they will be recognised and get a job performing on Broadway. From morning to evening the staff keep you entertained while you sit back and tuck into a meal. Whilst the food here is a little pricier than other restaurants around Manhattan and whilst it also good quality food, people may say they are nicer more affordable restaurants around, but the entertainment and the atmosphere wins hands down here. So there is my top five picks from my recent visit to New York, I also got to visit a number other attractions including The Rockefeller Centre, Central Park, The Empire State Building, Madame Tussauds, The Ride, Times Square, Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty, The Stonewall Inn, China Town, Little Italy, Wall Street, Intrepid Sea and Air Museum to name a few, all of which I also recommend.
If your visiting New York be prepared for long days, lot and lots of walking as well as lots of queuing and airport style security when you visit a lot of the main tourist attractions. It was worth every penny and I’m looking forward to when I visit again. Check out my Instagram Page for a lot more Photo's from my time in New York ![]() Our final day in Niagara Falls, would see myself and Sam head across to Niagara-On-The-Lake, situated a short drive away form Niagara Falls, this picturesque little town is just stunning and the perfect gateway if you’re looking for something quaint. So what brought us to Niagara-On-The-Lake. Well I mentioned in my previous blog, that whilst in Niagara Falls, Sam had booked us on a tour of some of the wineries of Ontario, and this was by bike. After a night out in Niagara Falls the previous night, and been in a fragile state, the last thing on my mind was a bike ride, and too honest at first, I could not have thought of anything worse. Well let’s just say I was totally wrong, and It was going thoroughly enjoyable afternoon. ![]() Arriving in Niagara-On-The-Lake I was taking back at how beautiful this pretty little town was, I’ll talk a little about Niagara-On-The-Lake at the end, as we had the opportunity to explore the town, and I’ll share with my experience, but for now let’s talk wine and wineries. One thing Niagara-On-The-Lake is famous for its wineries, the region along the shores of Lake Ontario is home to over fifty wineries. Canadians will visit these wineries and will travel for hours, for guided tours, and will spend hundreds of dollars at these wineries. Sam’s mam Rhonda and her husband Joe are regular visitors to some of these wineries and will spend a lot of money stocking up on wine. I recall that they have wine festival in the fall, where, everyone will jump on a minibus and travel round these wineries, be wined and dined and then spend a fortune on these wines. If I am ever in Canada during one of these festivals, I will almost certainly join Rhonda and Joe. Sam had booked our excursion through a company called Grape Escape Tours. We met at the meeting point where we were greeted by a beautiful black newfoundland dog. We met our tour guide Gwen, who would take us along the shores of Lake Ontario and the Ontario countryside. We were also joined by three other couples, two from Canada and an American Couple. The size of the group was perfect, as it was just a nice size, and we had plenty of time where we had pleasant conversations. This was my first time riding a bike in a long time, and been hungover I was a little apprehensive, but once we were on it, and set of, I was like a duck to water, and once that countryside fresh air hit me, the hangover was no more. Our ride took us along the idyllic Ontarian countryside and along the Niagara River, Gwen would talk to use along route about the area we were riding through. The weather was gorgeous, which made the ride along the river and through the countryside all that more pleasurable. I only wish I could have taking some pictures, however, riding a bike, I would have ended up in the river. ![]() Our first point of call was Inniskillin Wines. We were giving guided tour of Inniskillin by a lady called Lynn, full of personality, she talked to use about the history of Inniskillin, how the collect the grapes from the vineyards and how they make wine, I won’t bore you with how wine is made, google it! But it was interesting listening to her. We then got to sample four wines; this was the moment I had been waiting for. I still remember the over the top demonstration we got from Lynn on how you taste wine correctly I never knew there was specific way to taste wine, I though you would just drink it. I still do a dire impression of her when I’m with my Canadian friends. I can only put Lynn’s personality down to her passion and expertise, as she was a fabulous tour guide and she knew her stuff. We got to sample a Chardonnay (My favourite), merlot and two ice wines, which I wasn’t a great fan off. ![]() We then headed off along the Niagara River to our next stop, which was Reif Estate, again situated in perfect open countryside, this place again was just as great as Inniskillin. We did not get a full tour like we did at our previous winery, but we did get to sample some more wines, and we had some down time we had the chance to sit at the bar and relax. As you all know I love Prosecco and I buy and drink too much off it, and Refi Estate had the perfect bottle for me. We purchased a sparkling Riesling called The Stars, from Reif and I loved it, me and Sam saved this for Thanksgiving Day. Rhonda would kindly purchase some supplies for my next visit to Canada which was in Christmas 2018. A great winery and professional staff, and one which I would recommend as would Rhonda and Joe. I still have the Reif wine carry Rhonda give me two year back which I use when I buy my Prosecco back home. ![]() For our final two wineries we visited Caroline’s Cellar and Pondview Winery. Caroline’s was another great winery, were we got to sample some fine wines. What I did like about Caroline’s was that were giving a list of wines and we could select four different wines from this list to try. That meant I could sample white wines. We would select a wine to try then our server would tell us everything about that wine, which was pretty impressive as this list must have had about thirty different wines on this list. The staff were again knowledgeable and knew exactly what they were taking about and giving that Canadians will spend hundreds of dollars on wine, its vital staff have that knowledge. Putting the knowledge aside they are extremely pleasant, and you can see the love these staff have for their jobs. From Caroline’s we jumped back on our bikes and we headed towards our final winery which Pondview. Now I don’t remember much about this winery, which kind of tells me there must not have been anything spectacular about it, as I can recall a lot of my travels. The one thing I do remember though was you could be a wine slush. After a full day riding around the countryside, this wine slush was just so refreshing. That was a wine tour in a nutshell. Great afternoon out, Gwen our tour guide was great and was extremely knowledgeable of the local area whilst we were riding from one winery to another. As were all the staff at the wineries we visited. We also had some drive around the wineries following us, so that if we made any purchases, they could be driven back for us to pick up after the tour had ended. Check the link out for the company that runs Grape Escape. I would highly recommend doing one of there tours, we met some great people, sampled some vine wines and we had a bloody good day, especially after my first thoughts at the start of the day. ![]() We would finish the day having a walk around Niagara On the Lake, exploring this beautiful little town, and I was so pleased we had this opportunity, I would have been disappointed if I had off missed the opportunity. This had to be one of the most picturesque towns I have seen with a historical felling to it. What made the evening more enjoyable, it a warm fall evening, with nice little breeze. There were some stunningly designed houses, and the main street, was just full of restaurants from fine dinning to your common British Pub and it was this British Pub where ate and had a pint. The decor inside was exactly that of a standard British Pub. What I also loved about Niagara On the Lake was the Christmas shop. Yes it was September, but this Christmas shop is open all year round and is famous, and they had some exquisite Christmas decorations which did unfortunately come with a price. Also in Niagara On the Lake, is a shop that sells all things Scottish, Irn Bru, Haggis you name it. Sam made a Bee Line for this shop, as she spent time living in Scotland and therefore could stock up on her Scottish favourites. Visiting Niagara On the Lake you can take a few minutes’ walk through the town up to Lake Ontario. With breath-taking views over Lake Ontario, and we were fortunate enough to have a clear falls evening, you can see the CN Tower on the horizon. The day ended sat by Lake Ontario, with a nice light airy breeze, listening to the calm ripples of Lake Ontario, and I could have sat there all evening. Niagara-on-The- Lake is one my top five places to visit while in Canada. Back in the fall of 2017, I visited my old house mate and friend Sam in Canada and we embarked on a little adventure across Ontario and Quebec stopping off at many places. I have already written a few blogs on some of these places, so check them out. Another one of those places I visited was Niagara Falls, and it was a truly a magnificent place. We stayed in Niagara Falls for three nights and three nights was not enough. Niagara Falls was my favourite place I visited whilst in Canada. Niagara FallsSituated between the Canadian Province of Ontario and the US State New York and is connected by the Peace Bridge crossing. In total three waterfalls make up Niagara Falls. The largest being The Horseshoe falls, because of its Horseshoe shape, and this is the absolute beauty. Two smaller waterfalls also make up Niagara Falls, which are The American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, which lie on the United States Side. It’s the larger of the three falls that we call The Horseshoe Falls that people come from all over the globe to see, and the Canadian side offer the best views. The American side you have to settle for a viewing platform to view The Horseshoe falls, which let’s face it, probably isn’t the best. The town of Niagara Falls has a lot more to offer than this waterfall. It’s a major tourist destination that has observation towers, casinos, theatres, mini golf, amusement arcades, museums, indoor waterparks and theatres. With colourful billboards and advertisements it has that Las Vegas feel to it. My time in Niagara Falls![]() So back to our stay, the one thing you notice straight away when you’re in Niagara Falls, is sound. You can hear the crashing of the water, from almost anywhere in the town. We were lucky to have three glorious day of weather which made out stay all the more enjoyable. Our first day we explored the town, had a walk down to the waterfalls them self, and I could have just sat there and watched it all day, it was mesmerising, watching the water flowing over the falls and crashing down. Another fond memory of the falls was feeling the vibration on the ground from the water crashing over the edge, as well as the damp haze you can feel in the air next to waterfall. The damp haze was just perfect in the heat. Right next to the falls is a small visitor centre called Grandview Market Place, which houses a restaurant and a bar, we stopped of here for a beer to refresh and relax. Whilst this was little on the pricey side, the view from the large windows were something you would expect to see on a postcard. We then decided to head for some food, and there is something for everyone, from steak houses, to Chinese, Indians, Italians there is everything. Our evening ended with a visit to Ripley’s Believe it or Not and a game of mini golf on a dinosaur themed golf course. For those who may not have heard about Ripley’s it is a museum showcases wired and strange facts, and it’s a decent enough place to visit. There is also one situated in Copenhagen, if your ever in Denmark. Our second day we decided that we would do the Hornblower Niagara Cruise. This a boat that takes you right up to the waterfall in the lower part of Niagara Falls, and you get full close up view of the water crashing into Niagara River. The tour lasts around twenty minutes and costs around thirty Canadian Dollars (Twenty Pounds). Travelling almost underneath the fall your provided with a red poncho, and trust me you need it, as you will be soaked by the end of the twenty minutes. For those who know who Horsey Hilda is, even she has experienced Niagara Falls. The day was scorcher, so that soaking of the falls, was just perfect. It was an amazing experience and I would I highly recommend it to anyone. There is also a cruise called Maid of The Mist, which operates from the American Side, so if you’re in Canada make sure you book the Hornblower. From there we met up with Leah one of Sam’s friends, who subsequently became my friend. With the temperature hitting nearly thirty degree’s and clear blue skies, we decided its perfect weather to have drinks. Niagara Falls is lucky enough to have a Hard Rock Café, and this was where we headed, with live music the atmosphere was simply great, the singers knew how to work the crowd and had everyone up dancing and singing, asking where people were from the asked me and when I said England, she sang Like A Virgin by Madonna for me. They were a great duo act and sat listening to them having a beer was just perfect. After a few afternoon drinks, some food we were back at our Motel, where we were heading out for drinks the night. But first we were going to pay the Casino a visit. I set myself a limit of Forty Dollars for the Casino, as I did not want to spend a fortune. Whilst getting ready one memorable moment I will never forget is when Leah picked up some of money and made it rain. We still laugh at that now whenever we mention it. Our Casino stop was to Falls View Casino. For anyone visiting Niagara Falls, I would recommend a visit, with hundreds of machines, gaming tables its great just to even walk around and embrace the atmosphere. We then headed out to explore some of the bars around Niagara Falls and it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, sports bars to Karaoke bars. The next day was our visit to Niagara On the Lake for our wine tour, keep your eyes posted for some future blogs, which I’ll write, but I have supplied the link for you to have a read of their website. Three days not long enough to explore Niagara Falls, with so much to do, we were spoilt for choice. Everyone we come across whilst were out exploring Niagara Falls were so friendly, I remember going into a shop one morning to pick up a couple of things, and the lady extremely pleasant and welcoming. One final thing that I loved about Niagara Falls; is the way The Horseshoe Falls lights up on a night time. My final night in Niagara Falls, Sam opted for an early night, so I headed down to take in the atmosphere. Lit up with array of colours, listening to the sound and feeling the light haze of the waterfalls was just the icing on the cake and what away to end my time in Niagara Falls. The nostalgic feeling is something I will treasure for the rest of my life, and if you’re in Niagara Falls, get yourself down on a night-time, you are in for a treat. Its magical My recent vacation to Canada for Christmas and New Year, I chose to fly with KLM, not only were they the cheapest option, but listening to feedback from friends who have flown with KLM, I decided to give them a try. I have previously flown with many other major airlines in my time, including British Airways, Air Canada, Aer Lingus, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) as well many smaller airlines, including Easy Jet, Jet 2, Norwegian Air and Thomas Cook Airlines. Out of all these I have too rate my flight experience with KLM as one the best, and I would highly recommend them to anyone.
Connecting through Amsterdam is straight forwards, once you disembark the flight you find yourself in departures, all you simply need to do is, find a transfer kiosk, scan your boarding pass and check your self in on the self-service screen. No going through passport control, no queueing to go through security, just a couple of touches of a screen and you finalise your connection, then you can explore Schiphol if you have the time. Fast forward six-hours I’m now boarding my flight to Toronto. ![]() I flew on a Boeing 777-200 and choose an Economy Comfort seat, Seat 10K, and I could not have picked a better seat. Basically this is an Economy seat, that has more leg room, more recline and situated at the front of Economy, and my seat was also an extra leg room seat. Once again staff were extremely friendly, professional and attentive. Food was as you expect from an Airline, I had chicken and rice, which was tasty and a lot better than what British Airways serve. As with all Long-Haul flights, there is a vast array of in-flight entertainment. Flying with a foreign airline was I was pleasantly surprised with the choice of British TV shows and New release movies that were available to watch. I managed to watch Sing, A Quiet Place and The Meg, which passed the time nicely. Again with complimentary service, your spoiled for choice and having a few Heineken, with made the flight all that more comfortable. The duration of the flight was smooth, with the occasional turbulence, which is common on most transatlantic flights. All in all a pleasant flight. ![]() My return flight, from Toronto to Amsterdam was faultless and the service from the crew exceeded my expectations, not because they did anything extraordinary but because of extra little touched from one of the flight crew. My flight was on board a 747-400. I’ve always wanted to fly on the queen of the sky, and been a bit of an aviation geek, these Jumbo Jets, just look stunning. Again I flew in Economy and booked an Economy Comfort seats, had their own little cabin at the front of the aircraft, with the rest of Economy behind us. The section had about 10 rows of 5 seats, so giving the size of a 747, it was a relatively small section, which was fantastic as we had our own personal space. ![]() We only had one cabin crew in our section, she was extremely polite, and I had opportunity to talk to her whilst everyone was boarding, asking what I had done in Canada and where I was from, she addressed me as Mr Cheek, which I would have been happy with James, but that was the level of professionalism she maintained by addressing me by Mr Cheek. While speaking to me, she had a handheld device and told my I may be in luck and would a full row to myself, but no sooner she said that, thing changed, and mother and daughter sat next to me. Once boarding had complete, she asked the mother and daughter if they would like to move a few rows back, to their own row, they took that opportunity, leaving me with a full row to myself. She come back down to my row, saying make yourself comfortable now, you can even lie down and have a sleep and if you need anything just press your buzzer. Perfect. During the flight she came up a couple of times checking I was comfortable and if I needed anything, likewise with everyone else in our section of the plane. Before landing into Amsterdam she wished the lady in front good luck for her interviews, which they had been discussing, then passed me and wished me a safe flight onwards to Newcastle. It’s the little things like that, that make all the difference, and been in that small cabin space you got that extra personal service. We had a rough landing into Amsterdam, which is common with the strong winds they get around the airport, but the Captains handled the landing perfectly and got us down on the ground in once piece. It was just a perfect flight experience and one best flight experiences I have ever had.
My final flight from Amsterdam to Newcastle was on board an Embraer, a much smaller plane with a seating configuration of 2-2. Once again cabin crew polite and pleasant and the flight was extremely smooth. At this point the jet lag must have kicked in as I remember the cabin crew waking me up, for when we came into land in Newcastle. ![]() I’ve been doing these amateur blogs since January, and when I started, I would have probably not thought twice about writing about Playa Del Ingles, Gran Canaria and Magaluf, Mallorca, however I have decided to write one now, and the memories I have from these places with my friend Sarah. There is a little more behind this and it’s a lot more personal, for those reading this now will know, I will talk to you about this at the end of this blog, but first let me tell you about some of the memories that I have. Now we have all done the boozy holidays, going out every night getting drunk, waking up the next morning, in vomit, urine, the previous nights pizza, hanging out your rear end and then going to sit by the pool and slap on the factor 4 Carrot Oil and fry. We have all been there and have the T-Shirt, and I have hundreds of memories to treasure and remember, not only that we met some amazing people over the three years, people who I can call friends. We had two enjoyable years in Gran Canaria in 2014 and 2015, Jade joined us in 2014 and it was just me and Sally Stumps in 2015. (I’ll explain Sally in a moment), and we went to Magaluf in 2016, maybe not as enjoyable as Gran Canaria, but I still have some memories to treasure. Everyone knows where Gran Canaria and Mallorca is and what they have to offer, most of us have probably been so I won’t bore you with those details. Gran Canaria 2014![]() In August 2014, myself my friend Sarah and Jade, one of Sarah friends jetted of to Gran Canaria, this was my first holiday in four year, after looking after my mother who unfortunately suffer from MS, and I was determined to have a good holiday, and it didn’t disappoint. We had the pleasure of meeting so many people on this holiday, Kristian and Craig from Essex, Myky and Tom from Birmingham, Jimmy from Birmingham, not to mention many more. I also met a lady from Glasgow called Barbara who I still message occasionally. I have previously been to Gran Canaria, so I knew what to expect. Our flight out, is a moment I will treasure forever, we pre ordered Champagne for the flight, when I ordered mine, I mentioned that it was Sarah’s 30th birthday (it wasn’t), never did I expect Jet2 to have banners, a card and cake and for the whole plane to sing happy birthday, she wasn’t happy, but once the Champagne started to flow she saw the funny side. To this date, I do not know how I pulled it off, as I would have assumed Jet2 would have had our date of birth on their flight itinerary. I don’t think the people sat being liked us as we were having too much fun, but that what holidays are for, fun. When we arrived, we immediately made our presence known round the pool, for literally getting drunk, wasting all our money on inflatable toys, making a fool of ourselves and annoying everyone. Sarah took part in the Ice Bucket challenge, having to convince hotel staff, to give us a bucket of ice, was not the easiest of challenges itself. One of the of memories from this holiday that will stick in my mind was getting a final warning in the hotel, for chucking a pillow out the window as Sarah had pinched it the previous night and Jade throwing a pizza of the balcony because she had put on a stone on the holiday. It was then we thought we should start to behave for the rest of the holiday, but did we? No we didn’t but thankfully we never get thrown out. It was a great holiday, and it was just what I needed. The flight home was funny, we bought our mothers these hideous parrot ornaments, only for Sarah to accidently smash it whilst going through Security at Gran Canaria Airport. These are only some from this holiday, reading this you may think we were probably nightmare, and you know what we probably were, but we are on holiday and we had an absolute fun time. That’s all that count, Right? Gran Canaria 2015![]() Moving on to 2015 and me and Sarah headed back to Gran Canaria again. This year so the introduction of Horsey Hilda, who to this day is still famous. Now horsey Hilda is basically one of them horse heads, who we named Hilda. We had so much fun with her (I refer to Hilda as her), from wearing her on the plane, to causing havoc around the pool with her on, to this day people still call her Hilda. This was also the year where I dared Sarah to change her name to Sally Stumps on Facebook for a drink and she did and was stuck with it for 60 days, people will know Sarah would do anything for a laugh, that was her character. Sarah also lost her phone on the first night, no surprises losing her phone. We also met up with Kristian and Craig during our second week, who we met the previous year, Sarah went as far as ordering a new phone, and then getting her mam Susan, to post it to Kristian so he could bring it out to her when he flew out. The first night I went to take a picture on her phone, only to drop it, her face, was a picture, thankfully it didn’t smash. She even decided to send her ex a postcard. Like last year we made our presence known around the pool, causing general havoc, drinking and soaking up the sun, and Hilda was the star of the show this year, these people who come for a relaxing holiday must be thinking what the fuck, but mine and Sarah’s holidays we had no intention of relaxing, that’s not what we went on holiday for. We met many more people including Jane, Victoria (who I believe was nicknamed Dot) and their friend Tony, Jane told me and Sarah after a few drinks to and knock on the hotel door and wake Dot up who was asleep, and we did just that. We also met up with some people we knew from Newcastle for a night out in the Yumbo Centre, which resulted in me getting them kicked out our hotel, along with Sarah for the night. Sorry about that, but never wake me up when I’m a sleep. Again this holiday did not disappoint. We decided this time to go on a couple of day trips, Paltimos Park, Aqua Land and some Crocodile Park, which we were not happy at, as it cost Eighty Euros round trip and a further thirty euros into the actual park. We blamed a lady called Kim for suggesting that to us. We had many great nights out, walking up the next morning, saying we are never drinking again, and one hour later sat with a vodka. Again another great holiday, we met so many people again, I can only put this down to Sarah’s personality. Magaluf 2016![]() After two great years in Gran Canaria we decided to do Magaluf, and whilst it had considerably more downs than ups, there is still some good memories we have. Magaluf destroyed me, physically and mentally. I was 30 and Magaluf did make me realise I can’t do these drinking holidays anymore. Our first day the weather was a bit disappointing, so we had a drink and hired on of those quadricycle things, and we are blasting around Magaluf, Sarah with a can in one hand, she loved a can now and again, and how we didn’t take out a tourist is beyond me. It was the same night where Sarah got her infamous tattoo on her stomach (most people will know what I’m talking about). Hilda made her appearance again, and she was as famous as ever. Again Sarah made her presence known around the pool, but that was just her personality, making friends with anyone and everyone. Again we met so many people and made so many friends, we caught up with Kath a lady who used to work at Tesco, who moved to Mallorca, we went to met her at the doctors surgery she worked at, and ironically Sarah ended up seeing the doctor as she had been bitten by a jellyfish the previous day when we hired a pedalo. The day of the pool party, she bought a I love Pussy vest, and wore that, along with Hilda and Tutu, sat in the pool with a vodka, she certainly was enjoying herself. We literally drank ourselves into oblivion. I also decided I wanted to create a slip and slide in the hotel corridor, squirting fairy up liquid all over, I decided to go sliding, only to be fine one hundred euros for doing so, and not to mention walking the entire floor up at 7am banging pots and pans together. Also a few knew Magaluf also had its downside, where we did have a few disagreements amongst other things, but that aside we come back with some funny memories. She also lost her phone again, which it would not be a holiday for Sarah if she did not lose her phone. They are only a few of the memories, but there are hundreds more to last a lifetime. Sadly Sarah died suddenly on the 12th March 2019, whilst I am writing all these fond memories and sharing some of the pictures from our holidays, I’ve laughed at the fun and mischief we caused but it also breaks my heart writing this. Knowing that we will never be able to recreate these memories hurts so much. I met her back in Gran Canaria in 2006, and we have been best friends ever since, as with all friends we had our disagreements, maybe more than what your usual friendship gets, but that’s us, we were both stubborn. But it was her personality I will never forget, and it was her personality that give us thirteen years of friendship. We had our own little phrases we joked on about like “Round the Corner” and “How Dare You” that only us will know the meaning behind. They say there is always meaning behind every story, and I guess that the meaning behind this story / blog is to enjoy life and cherish those friendships, make memories that you will remember for a lifetime. You never know what will happen tomorrow, next week or next year, which is all the more reason to cherish those friendships and memories. Until a couple of year ago, I was aware of Air BnB and the concept, I knew that it was a cheaper alternative to staying in a hotel. For those who asking what Air BnB is, then let me explain. Air BnB is basically a website where you can book cheap accommodation, that accommodation either involves staying in someone house where you get your own bedroom, and often share a bathroom and if the host allows, you get access to use their kitchen, lounge and other communal areas of the hosts house. You may occasionally come across a property where you have the entire flat or apartment that the owner will allow you to book, these do come at a more increased cost. So that it a nutshell basically. Up until 2017, I used to turn my nose up at the thought of staying in an Air BnB and staying in someone’s house, and I always opted to book hotels, but after visiting in Canada in the fall of 2017 my friend Sam, who had booked a number of Air BnB, my opinion was drastically changed. During my time in Canada in 2017, Sam had booked an Air BnB in Toronto, Ottawa and Manitoulin Island. We stayed with a girl called Andreas in Toronto, originally from Mexico, her apartment or Condo shall I say as we are speaking about Canada as that’s what Canadians call them, was perfect, beds were comfy, and she was a pleasant lady. Our place in Ottawa we had full use of the condo, as the host lived elsewhere. Our final Air BnB we stayed in, was located in Kagawong on Manitoulin Island, our host was called Stephen an Aboriginal Canadian, he was a great host, his house over looked Lake Kagawong, had its own entrance and during the evening he built us a little camp fire where we seat a drank out Gore Bay beers we had previously bought, I believe I may have mentioned this is my Manitoulin Island blog. Sam had sold me the idea of using Air BnB, and ever since then, I have always used Air BnBs when travelling around different countries. I’ll go into a little detail sharing my experience of the Air BnBs I have stayed in, so for anyone who hasn’t used Air BnB I came share my experience with you. Whilst I was travelling around Scandinavia, I stayed in four different Air BnB, my first been a place on the outskirts of Copenhagen. A ten minute train journey to Copenhagen central station and a five minute train journey to Copenhagen Airport, Helmuts home was conveniently located in a quiet suburb of the city, I had my own entrance which was perfect, meaning I didn’t have to worry about coming to going, in total I payed £150 for a four night stay, you would pay this for 1 night for a hotel in Copenhagen. From Copenhagen I headed to Malmo where again I stayed in an apartment about ten minutes from the centre of Malmo, my host (as they are called) was lady called Agnes, I had the pleasure of sitting down both nights and chatting to Agnes, we got on really well, and we shared the same political opinions, that something that I wasn’t discuss. For two nights in Malmo I paid £68, again a fraction of the price you would pay for a hotel. From Malmo I headed up to Stockholm, and my Air BnB was in place called Gullmarsplan a suburb of Stockholm around ten minutes on the Stockholm metro, making the city centre easily assessable. For this reservation I paid £107.75 for three nights and again this a fraction of the price you would have paid in a hotel in Stockholm. My final Air BnB I stayed in was in Oslo and again this was about a ten minute bus journey out of Oslo and cost me £133 and once again was a bargain price compared to what you would have paid in hotel, I mention in my Oslo blog that this Air BnB offered some stunning views of Oslo and I could have sat there all day admiring the view. Herman and his partner have a beautiful place, and they could easily charge more as it was worth every penny. I have also stayed n two more Air BnB. One place as in Toronto again, a centrally located condo right in the heart of Toronto, after messaging Christian the host, he arranged for me to check in before the time that was stated on his profile and arranged for me to collect the keys. For my stay in I paid £165 which was a bargain price for Toronto for a great comfortable condo. For my final Air BnB stay, I stayed in a house in Dublin, sharing with a lady called Trish and her partner Nathalie. Trish was a great host, and she went out of her way to ensure I had an enjoyable stay, she collected me and dropped me of at Dublin Airport, and she also allowed me to sue her travel pass, where I could use my money to top her pass up, and then this give me discounted travel in Dublin. So that a little about the Air BnB I stay in, and now to go into a little detail why I chose Air BnB and why I recommend to anyone wanting to use an Air BnB. The price is arguably the biggest factor for me staying in an Air BnB, you will pay a fraction of the cost compared to hotels. As with hotels the closer to the city centre you get, the more you will pay, however you will still play a lot less than a hotel. If you do book an Air BnB, everything is done via Air BnB website, so you know your money is safe.
You stay with local residents. This great if you’re a tourist to area. Staying with someone who has loved in a city for many years, they are hands on knowledge of how to get around, where to go to eat, drink or visit. They know their city like the back of there hand and their knowledge can be very useful to anyone new to a city. The people I have stayed with have been extremely friendly, and I am lucky enough to have met some great people whilst staying in an Air BnB. If your looking at booking, I would highly recommend doing your research, reading up on different homes, as previous guests can leave reviews, also hosts can leave reviews for yourself and what they thought of you as guest, check my profile out, I have some good reviews. All in all Air BnB is a great affordable place to stay whilst visiting different countries and cities. As I enjoy sightseeing and exploring different cities, staying in an Air BnB is great to sleep, wash and relax. ![]() If you looking to escape the city for the day then island hoping in the Oslo Fjords is great way to for some peace and quiet, great scenery and views of Oslo. The islands in the Oslo fjords offer peace and tranquillity, you can go a for small hikes, taking in the beautiful green scenery as well postcard views of Oslo. Each of the islands have something different to offer, from water sports during the summer months, a restaurant, a visitor centre and even a monastery ruins, the islands will not disappoint. There a few different options you have if you want to spend the day in the Oslo Fjords. If you purchase a travel pass, then this is valid on the commuter ferry, various ferries will take passengers from island to island, where you can spend thirty to sixty minutes or even on each island before heading for the next ferry to another island. This what I opted for, with this option you can visit one, to or even more of the islands and spend as long as you like exploring these Islands (I’ll talk more about the islands I visited soon). Other options are available however these come with a cost, one of the more popular options available to tourists is for NOK 390 (£35) you can take a cruise around the islands, which lasts around 90 minutes however you don’t have the opportunity to explore and islands and taking the scenery. There are also other cruises available which last around two hours, again these come with a cost, and also you do not get the opportunity to explore these islands Finally if you opt to purchase an Oslo Card, a tourist pass which gives you access to a number of attractions, museums etc, you get free public transport access, which will give you access to the commuter ferry, for unlimited travel around the island on the Oslo Fjords. All ferries regardless of the option you take depart from Aker Brygge. The local commuter ferries are not only comfortable but off indoor and outdoor seating. You get great views of Oslo and Oslo harbour from the outdoor seating on the ferry. ![]() The first Island I visited was Bleikoya, one the smaller and quitter, Islands, you can head up for a small hike through the summer cottages on the island and walk up a small bank where you are greeted some great view of the Oslo Fjords. There is literally nothing other than grass, trees, walks and cottages on this island, great for a nice little walk but that’s about all this Island has to offer. Whilst waiting for a ferry to the next Island, I got the opportunity to speak to one of the locals, who lives on island. Coming from Newcastle, I find it amazing how many overseas residents recognise the Geordie accent. I found humble speaking to this elderly gentlemen, a local born and raised in Oslo, he was telling me what life was like on the Islands, there is no sanitation and the locals and people who use the cottages, have to rely on outdoor toilets, something which must be an experience during the winter months. The second Island that I got to explore was Gressholmen, a slight larger island, is home to a nature reserve on the northern part of Island, a restaurant and a little forest hike. This particular island offers some great places for sunbathing and offer some gorgeous scenery along the forest hike. The third Island I visited was Lindoya. One of the largest islands in the fjords, this island has two ferry terminals, east and west. Each terminal giving access to different ferry’s routes and access to different islands, home to locals and summer cottages and a SHOP! One of the only islands with a shop where you can buy refreshments. You can take a hike from the west terminal through the east terminal, through the gorgeous red, green and yellow cottages, the island also has a football pitch, for locals staying in the summer cottages and you also have cattle roaming the green grass. It is this island where you can also take a summer dip, which makes Lindoya one of the more popular islands. My final Island that I visited was Hovedoya. One of the smaller islands of the Oslo fjords and the island closets to the city centre. As with all the Oslo Fjords Islands you can go for a hike through the beautiful green forests or even go for swim. The island also has a café, however with this being Oslo and not to mention this café been located on a remote small island, let’s just say, bring your own refreshments to eat or drink around the island as it is not cheap. But what this island has to offer is there is the remains of a Cistercian Monastery. So a little history for you lot, the monastery was founded by English Cistercian monks. Abbott Philippus arrived on the island from Kirkstead, Lincolnshire in May of 1147, together with twelve monks and some lay brothers, they built a monastery on the south side of the church and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In 1532 the monastery was pillaged and burned down, and the ruins weren’t excavated until 1845-47. So it Hovedoya has some English history to it. The island also has an ala carte restaurant, so if your feeling rich then this is somewhere you might like to visit. The one thing I will remember from this island were the number of sheep, that roamed around, they are clearly used to general public, and were not afraid of people. One thing I would recommend if your visiting the Islands, is to stop of at a shop and stock up on some refreshments, with only one shop and some expensive cafés, you will need some refreshments if you’re planning a long day visiting the islands. Also do some research before you head off, most of the ferries only run until 20.00 in the evening, so if you miss the last ferry, your stranded for the night. Finally camp fires, camping and barbecues are not allowed, small disposable barbecues are allowed on some islands, but these have to done on sand to prevent damages to the green space and to prevent fires.
![]() For my final part of my Scandinavian tour, I headed across to Oslo. This beautiful capital city situated in the south of Norway, offers an abundance of architecture, museums and restaurants. The one good thing I did enjoy about Oslo, that you have the option of purchasing a city pass, or if not, there is plenty do and see that is free of charge. I got to see many splendid places during my time in Oslo, for which I didn’t have to pay to visit and I will share these with you, these can be great money saving places as Norway can be quite an expensive city to visit. Slightly smaller than the other Scandinavian Capital cities, what makes Oslo great is the vast number sculptures and water features that are dotted all over the city centre and not to mention how clean the city is, not a drop of litter anywhere. If you travelling by air, then you can access Oslo city centre via commuter train, I choose to purchase a seven day pass, which gives you access to commuter trains, busses, trams and the subway, it only costs 300NOK or around £30 and can be purchased from any Seven Eleven stores, for which there is on in the airport opposite the train station entrance. These travel passes give you unlimited travel access, so it is something I would definitely recommend you buying in Oslo. You also take the Express Train into Oslo however this comes with a hefty price, and the commuter train gets you there just as quick. ![]() A short distance by tram, you can travel to Vigeland Park. Vigeland Park is the world’s largest sculpture park and is home to the works of Gustav Vigeland and offers more than two hundred pieces of Gustav work. The sculptures themselves are made, mainly out of granite and represent different human emotions, some of the sculptures represent love, hate and anger, and the attention to detail that has been put into these sculptures is stunningly beautiful. If your visiting during the summer months, the park itself is spread over one hundred acres, giving you the option of soaking up soon and having nice a little stroll. There is also a café (which is a little on the expensive) which has outdoor seating, which is great for the summer months and there is a little gift shop, located with in the park, so you can have pick up those all-important souvenirs for your friends and family back home. Something which I too spend too much on. For more information, click on the link I've added below One thing I have mentioned in my previous blogs, is that I always like to visit the Royal Palaces and watch the changing of the guards, that is if the city I am visiting has that option. Situated at the top of Karl Johans Gate is the Royal Palace of Norway and home to King Harold V and Queen Sonja. At 13.30 every day, there is the changing of the guard ceremony. The changing of the guard ceremony is a daily event at royal palaces around the globe and is something that is worth watching f you are looking for something to do or have some spare time, you never know what might happen, something which I found out on the particular day at The Royal Palace. ![]() Whilst we were stood waiting, when I say we, myself and the other tourists, for the ceremony to start, one the guards, on horseback, started to ask everyone to move back, and whilst she was a little bossy, I was thinking, what’s with her attitude, she clearly doesn’t know me, for her to tell us we had to move back as the King and Queen were going to come out on the balcony to watch the ceremony. So there he was, a round of applause from the tourists, the king and queen stood and watched the ceremony along with everyone else. The most I’ve seen of our Queen is when she is on the television, I have never seen a monarch in real life, so this well and truly one of those moments I will remember for years to come, seeing the King of Norway in the flesh. Whilst talking to my Air BnB host about this, he actually said it was very uncommon for the king to come out to watch the changing of the guard, and he would only come out on days like nation day which is 17th May. From the changing of the guard ceremony I headed to Akershus Fortress a short distance and easily accessible by tram. Akerhus Fortress is a medieval castle that was built back in the 1200, early 1300s to provide protection the royal residence of Oslo. The castle during its time has also been used as a military base. Today some of the ruins of Akerhus Fortress still stand and no additional cost you can visit the fortress where you can experience a unique historical environment, which is well preserved and well kept. On the outskirts of the fortress you will find a visitor centre where you can buy those much-needed souvenirs or even purchase a beer or coffee. Guided tours are also offered for a small price NOK 100 (£10). A great place to visit if you are wanting to know a little about Norwegian history. The fortress also offers stunning views of the Oslo fjords, and the inner Oslofjords water, now I’ll talk about this in another blog, as I will recommend a great day’s excursion and a reasonably cheap price, but for now, that’s all I’m saying on the Oslo fjords. A short distance walk from the Akershus Fortress is The Oslo Opera House. Home of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, and the national Opera theatre in the Norway this stunningly designed building has been built to look like it is rising from the Oslo fjords. Whilst I had a little nosey inside the building, and I’ll share the link of the Oslo Opera House so you can read more about the interior, what drew me to visiting this place, was that you can walk up to the top of the roof up the slanted design of the building, where you are greeted with gorgeous views of the Oslo Fjords, and a clear day, which I was fortunately enough to have you can see for miles. Defiantly a place I would recommend to visit in Oslo Something that Oslo has to offer number of parks, where you ca escape and sit back in green space and relax, one park which was suggested to me by my Air BnB host, about fifteen minutes from the city centre and lucky for me this was a two minute walk from my Air BnB, is Ekeberg Park or Ekebergparken to the locals. On the road up to, Ekeberg park was greeted with panoramic views of Oslo and as Io chose to visit the park late in the evening, it was dark and the city was lit up, the views are exquisite, and I could have stood there all night taking in the views. Ekeberg park, has around thirty sculptures and was solely financed by Norwegian businessman Christian Ringnes. Unlike Vigeland Park where the sculptures wee all created by one person, Ekeberg Park features works from many renowned local and international artists, including English artist Damien Hirst. A great park to visit if you have the time while in Oslo and lots of interesting works of art and sculptures to see. Whilst Oslo has all these beautiful places to visit, and there is plenty to do for all ages, there is unfortunately a disadvantage that comes with this. It is an expensive country, and if your looking to go out for a meal and drink, this can be very expensive. Which is why I settled on McDonalds and Subway sandwiches while I was visiting the city. While these were more expensive than back home, they were certainly a lot cheaper than a meal out. Just to give anyone a heads up at the cost of a beer. After a day of sightseeing I found a pub on the main shopping prescient Karl Johans Gate called The Scotman, I headed in and known that the cost of beer was expensive especially branded and international brands, I asked for a locally brewed beer, thinking it would be cheaper, how wrong could I be, the waitress at the bar, was like that 100 NOK, and I was “Pardon”. Basically one hundred Norwegian Krona is equivalent to around nine to ten English pounds. Through talking to the waitress, she was telling me, that Norway are not in the EU and therefor commodities such as Alcohol and Tobacco are heavily taxed, resulting on the high price for us consumers. So if you do plan on visiting them make sure you have plenty spending money. That aside, I would highly recommend Oslo as a place to visit, there is plenty of tourist attractions you can visit for free, this offsetting the cost of anything else in Oslo.
Stockholm, My favourite Scandinavian City The Vasa Museum, The Riksdag, Skansen and Gamla Stan24/2/2019 ![]() My final day in Stockholm, and my first point of call was to visit a museum called Vasamuseet or quite simple the Vasa Museum. A few friends had recommended this place, and a friend I know from my gym Sue also recommended this place a she had previously visited. When I arrived, I instantly knew it was a hit with tourists as the queue to obtain tickets snaked right around the building. Thankfully with my pre-purchased Stockholm Pass I skipped the queue an got instant access. For anyone who is wondering what The Vasa Museum is, well let me tell you. The Vasa Museum is the worlds only rescued seventeenth century rescued war ship. Before I tell you little about the museum itself, I’ll tell you a little about the story behind The Vasa the same of the warship, and that’s where the museum gets its name from The Vasa. What was The Vasa?So briefly, back in 1626 on the orders of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, the Swedish built a warship, it took around two years to build, and on 10th August 1628, The Vasa set sail on its maiden voyage, an after sailing around 1300m the ship tragically sank. A gust of wind had caused The Vasa to heal suddenly towards the port side, the sheets were cast off, and The Vasa for a short period slowly righted itself. Unfortunately a short distance further, a stronger gust of wind caught The Vasa, this time it was forced on to its port side, thus opening the lower gun ports allowing water to rush onto the gun desk, which tragically resulted in The Vasa sinking just outside Stockholm harbour. Hundreds of Swedes had come to watch the launch of the maiden voyage of The Vasa and out of the four hundred plus crew members, only thirty crew were reported to have died. The fact that this was one of the largest Swedish ships built at the time and the fact that it sank with in minutes into its maiden voyage makes this a significant event in Swedish history. Inquests were held with the captain and surviving crew, but I’ll not give too much away, so that if any of you visit The Vasa Museum, you can find all this out yourself. Fast forwarding to the 1950s and the possibility of recovering the wreckage had been considered, a number of recovery methods had been discussed and by 8th April 1961 after a number of planned lifts and years of work and planning, the final lift began to resurrect The Vasa, and on the morning of April 24th The Vasa was returned to the world for the first time in over three hundred year and since December 1988, The Vasa has been fully restored and now sits in its new home The Vasa Museum. Now back the museumThe Vasa Museum is Scandinavia most visited museum with hundreds of artefacts, displays, information boards, Audio and Visual screen, The Vasa Museum, tells you everything you need to know, spread over six floors to which the top floor gives you stunning views of The Vasa and its restored wood work, it truly is extravagant place to visit. The restoration work that the museum puts into preserving this beautiful vessel is timeless. The museum also offers guided tours in English, by experienced guides, so you get to learn even more about this tragic ship and the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. The cinema offers short movies both in Swedish and English explaining what happened The Vasa, with videos showcasing what happened after the event, with like sounds it makes the whole experience more lifelike. My suggestion would be to visit the museum as early as possible, it can get very busy, and during Swedish school term, is popular with school trips, something which I found when I visited The Vasa Museum. Defiantly make a visit if your ever-visiting Stockholm, I spent a little under two hours at the Museum, but you could easily spend longer if you take your time to observe all the areas of the museum. When I am ever visiting different cities, I always like to visit the parliament building and the royal palace of that particular country, that’s if the country has a monarchy. What stood out right across the city of Stockholm, were posters which were either, red, yellow or blue, representing the three main political parties of Sweden. During my time in Stockholm it was three weeks until their general election, and these posters were everywhere. Stefan Lofven and the Social Democrats would eventually be re-elected to office three weeks later, and after I spoke to both my AirBnB hosts in Malmo and Stockholm, they were both unsure of who would win the general election. Unlike the United Kingdom where you only have two main political parties, Sweden like a lot of other Scandinavian countries, have lots of political polities and therefor generally one party will never win a majority. In the most recent general election, the Social Democrats were the largest party winning 100 seats and they needed 175 to have majority, this means forming a coalition government with one or two other parties is the only way a party can lead a government in Sweden, they also need to rely one confidence and supply from another one possibly two political parties as well to form a government, to form that majority. ![]() The main government building in Sweden situated in Stockholm, is called the Riksdag, and unlike the Danish government building which also doubles as a royal palace, the Riksdag is solely a government building. Situated on the small island of Helgeandsholmen, lying directly next to the Island of Gamla Stan and the Royal Place of Sweden, The Riksdag is open for visits throughout the year, open times vary throughout the year, so I would advise a quick visit to there website (see link above) and double check their opening times. You can visit the Riksdag and have a guided tour, tours are done in Swedish and English and you can also attend a public debate or hearing. It can get really busy during the summer months, so if you have a guided tour book, I would advise you to arrive around fifteen minutes early, to give your enough time to get through security check points. ![]() Literally within a stone throw, located in Stadsholmen on the Island of Gamla Stan is the royal place of Sweden. Whilst this is the Royal Palace of Sweden, it is not the official residence of the King and Queen of Sweden, the Palace is only used by Carl Gustaf XVI whilst he is performing royal duties or hosting royal events. The official residence of the King and Queen of Sweden is Drottningholm palace, situated a short distance outside the city of Stockholm, Drottingholm is a popular tourist attraction, open for guided tours and easily accessible by public transport, it’s something I unfortunately didn’t get to visit, but would have liked to, and its free with your Stockholm Pass as well. Moving back onto the Royal Palace, overlooking Lilla Varten (the name giving to the stretch of water), the place offers a number of different museums as well as The Royal Chapel, again all these are included in the cost of The Stockholm Pass, and as with most Royal Palaces around the world at 12.15 daily you have the changing of the guard ceremony, which is free of charge and if you have witnessed some changing of the guard ceremony’s it is usually good thing to watch. ![]() One of my final call points in this beautiful city, was to an open-air museum called Skansen. Skansen is Sweden’s first open air museum and Zoo and is located on the island of Djurgarden, a short distance walk from The Abba Museum. If you have visited Beamish in County Durham, then you will have an idea of what Skansen has to offer. The museum takes your five centuries of Swedish history and it also Stockholm’s only Zoo. At Skansen you can see how the Swedes lived hundreds of years ago, they replica houses to showcase the type of lifestyle they have, and even have people dressed up in traditional old time Swedish costume, who can talk to you and tell you all about life in Swedish life. There is so much to do and see at Skansen, you would need to plan potentially three to four hours, to get around the open-air museum. Around the museum there a number of food and drink outlets, as well as plenty of seating areas, so you can sit and refuel before heading further around the park. There is one place situated in the museum called Baldersluden food court, which offer a number of options from a light snack, drink, ice cream, alcoholic Beveridge or full lunch, meaning you can spend a good few hours at the museum, without going hungry or thirsty. There are also a number of picnic areas, so if your visiting in the summer months, when the weather can be particular warm, you bring your own food and sit and enjoy a picnic. Towards the top of Skansen is Stockholm’s only Zoo which hosts a number of animals including Nordic animals. Some of the animals that you can have the opportunity of seeing are, moose’s, wolves, bears, seals and otters. With regards to the Moose’s, my friends in Canada have told me stories about moose’s and how big these magnificent creatures are, and until you get to see one in the flesh which I did at Skansen, you can’t begin to imagine how the bog the actually are. There is also a children zoo, where children can visit and get to hold smaller animals such as rabbits and mini pigs. One of my favourite parts of the zoo was the brown bear enclosure. I’ve heard stories about brown bears from my Canadian friends, and between a brown bear and black bear, a brown bear is one’s path you do not want to cross. However seeing these creatures in their enclosure, especially the cubs, playing it way to adorable and you wouldn’t think for one moment that these beast would be the fierce hunters they are. Whilst Skansen is great place to visit for the day, do be prepared for a lot of walking, whilst there are lifts in places where there are stairs, for less abled people and wheelchair and pushchair users, there lot hills and banks to walk up, however this doesn’t spoil how much of a great. Gamla Stan![]() The final thing I want to talk to you about, which Stockholm has to offer is the Old Town, I paid a few visits this beautiful little place, for coffee in the afternoon to some alcoholic refreshments in the evening. Gamla Stan is perfect of you wanted to escape the city and come and relax and chill for a few hours. Your spoiled for choice when it comes to coffee shops, restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops, something which I always look out for when I’m on my travels. In the summer, sitting outside in the sun, looking around at the small narrowed cobble streets it simply divine, and most of the bars and restaurants offer outside seating. The town dates back to the 13th century and the building look that, giving this place a well and truly old town feel. Also situated on the Island is the Stockholm Cathedral and The Nobel Museum, which is a museum featuring fact, information and artefacts on the Nobel Prize. The Nobel Museum is free with Stockholm Pass, and as for the Cathedral I didn’t visit this, but usually for a small price you can enter the Cathedrals. One bar I came across while exploring Gamla Stan was an Irish Bar called O’Connells. I’ve growing fond of Irish Bars and I’m looking forward to my visit to Dublin later this year. Located in the narrow streets of Gamla Stan O’Connells has true Irish feeling to it, with a great atmosphere. I was lucky enough one evening to visit and there had and Irish band playing traditional Irish Music, it just made the whole evening more enjoyable. Unfortunately prices for a locally brewed beer at not just O’Connells but other pubs around Gamla Stan were costing around £7, so it isn’t cheap, but it worth it. To sum up Stockholm is absolutely gorgeous little city, unlike Copenhagen, Stockholm defiantly has that Scandinavian feel, you may or may not degree with me on that one, but Stockholm is defiantly one of my favourite places I have visited in Scandinavia. I would visit again in a heartbeat, and would absolutely spend more time here, giving me more opportunity to see and visit more attractions. I mean I could, write, write and write about my time in Stockholm, you have to truly understand how much of an amazing city Stockholm is.
Oh and one final thing, I think I may have mentioned it once or twice, but purchase a Stockholm Pass, it is defiantly worth every single penny, and will save you a small fortune. Thats it for now guys, keep your eyes posted for my next blog, which will be about my visit to Oslo. |
James CMy name is James, I'm from Newcastle UK, and wanting to share my travel experiences with everyone Archives
February 2020
Categories |