Looking for the Perfect Valentine’s gift?

Swim in the warm waters of the Caribbean!

You know you are! So what are you going to get that special person? Sure you could get them chocolates or waste your money on flowers.

Yep, you could do that.

But why would you when you could………BUY A TICKET TO THE CARIBBEAN! Yes it sounds expensive, but here’s the best part – it isn’t.

Sail from Tampa, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico with the Royal Caribbean Cruise line for four days in a State Room (i.e. nothing but the best for your loved one) for just $529 per person.

And if you’re feeling even more adventurous and depending on how much you have to save things, you could splurge on the Love Affair package for an additional $327 per couple.

The package includes: Private Cocktail Parties – Special Gifts – Couples Workshops on Romance, Finance & Commun- ication – Wine & chocolate covered strawberries in your stateroom – Private Events – and more…

But this cruise is not just about, perhaps, salvaging a relationship or strengthening one, it’s also about visiting a new place.

Cozumel

Explore the ruins’s park in Cozumel or the markets festooned with the local and native produce! That is if you can get yourself away from the pristine beaches.

You’ll be happy you do book this, especially if you do through CTravel who are you local experts on cruises and ensuring you get the best deal!

Since today’s post is all about cruises and because those are where the best deals are these days of economic tightening, why not treat yourself to a second one (after Valentine’s of course) and sail with the Norwegian Cruise Line!

Only it will have to be a small treat because the cruise will only set you back $399 per person for seven days!!! Well that’s for an inside room. If you really want to up your game then you can book the balcony for $599 per person. That is still an incredible savings.

7-Day Eastern Caribbean from Miami Norwegian

For seven days sail in pure luxury from Miami to Nassau to St. Maarten to St. Thomas and ensure you get the best deal you know you need to contact CTravel!

Of course if you’re looking for something a bit more exotic and long distance there is really only one cruise for you: The Baltics!

Yes for just $106 a night per person you can sail from Copenhagen, Denmark to Stockholm, Sweden, Tallinn, Estonia, St. Petersburg, Russia, Helsinki, Finland and Warnemunde, Germany over nine days.

Cruise the Baltics

You would set sail on June 4th and return on June 13th into Copenhagen for the prices starting at $949! What are you waiting for?

Oh the temperatures?! Well have no fear, by then the weather should be warming and the ice should be melting. Heck it’s June right. The average temperature in Stockholm is 70 degrees (Fahrenheit of course).

So call or visit CTravel today for more information and book your cruise for 2011!

Coming Clean in Bath, England

The Bath Abbey

“Can you make some room,” yelled a man from the platform.

“Can we get through? We have seats!” screamed a frazzled traveler trying to bypass the compartment.

Another passenger surrendered and sat in the bathroom. I found a foot of empty space next to the train’s door. With my bag resting on my two feet I prayed we would be moving soon.

Rush hour on London’s commuter trains. I had, clearly, not thought-through my travel plans to Bath, England. It  was only supposed to take only an hour and a half. It – trip number nine out of ten from London for less than $100 – felt like five hours as a I grappled for an inch of space.

Where else have I been for less than $100 for my Rock Fever Column for The Royal Gazette? Good question. It started with a ticket for $65 (one-way) from Bermuda to London with my frequent flier miles. Make sure you get them! Next I hit Stockholm and Sigtuna in Sweden; Sachsenhausen and Berlin in Germany; Hampstead, Dover and Brighton in England.

Now, with number nine, it was time to come clean. I was heading to Bath. Silly me decided to try and go at 7 p.m. on a Friday night.

After extricating myself from the mass of bodies I found myself stranded on the streets of Bath. Luckily it is not a large town and I managed to find my Y.M.C.A. hostel after negotiating very drunk college students in about 20 minutes. The Y.M.C.A. might be easy to find, but it’s not exactly inviting so I plunked down my bag and hit the town.

Roman Baths

Some 2,000 years ago the Romans also arrived here. Rather than the Y.M.C.A.’s pathetic shower they decided to channel Bath’s hot sulfurous waters into elaborate pools. These really took-off in the 18th Century when England’s ladies and gents began coming here for the waters and enjoying the season in terraced houses! These iconic homes that line Bath’s streets were featured in the musings of Jane Austen who lived here briefly in the 1800’s. And of course what else do you do with really old, beautiful buildings? UNESCO makes them a World Heritage Site!

I believe the city more than earned the right; even at night. As I walked through the varied lanes and roads of Bath, the yellow street lights illuminated a city haunted by visions of 18 and 19th Century England from Austen’s books. This includes the 18th Century, Pulteney Bridge which crosses the River Avon and is filled with shops. If you have ever been to Florence and witnessed the Ponte Vecchio, then you’ve seen the inspiration for this gorgeous bridge. Walking along the river’s edge and listening to the falling water was soothing, to say the least, after my horrendous train ride.

Ahhh Bath, I think I could get used to you.

With my train stress washed down the river, it was time to relegate myself to my bed for a full-on assault the next morning. First I would have to try my hand at the breakfast. Ugh. the crumbs of bread and poor attempt at an English Breakfast ensured that next time I go to Bath I will save my pennies for one of the quaint Bed and Breakfasts I continually walked-by.

Fully famished, I decided I would have to visit, well where else? The Roman Baths! This complex built by….the Romans (see you’re getting this) are essentially as they left them. In 75 A.D. they channeled the waters into this complex that rivals the baths in rome (and I should know I have been there). Visitors, unfortunately, are no longer allowed to bath in the waters that are 116 degrees Fahrenheit. At least the modern complex has built a terrace for visitors to watch more than 240,000 gallons pump through each day before descending into the underground chambers that offer a historical guide to the baths. With a ticket that cost about £11 I was able to walk around wishing I could jump in, but it also offered me an entrance to the Fashion Museum. Well I mean after you bath you need to dress, right?

Exiting the baths (not Bath, you get it, right?) I was bombarded by the Bath Abbey. This cannot be missed. I

More Abbey

don’t mean go inside, though you should. I mean it is the centre of the town. Established in the 8th Century, the first English King, Edgar in 973 was crowned here. Through the years it has been built and then fallen until Elizabeth I ordered it restored. The Abbey has been the same ever since her meddling.

Around the Abbey and the Roman Baths is a mix of modern shops in old buildings. I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost with in the Upper Borough Walls, Union Streets and Barton Street among others filled with shops and little cafes opening onto the side walks. Bath is, among other things, a town built for luxury! Eat your fill in the famous restaurants that include English Chef Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant and then, if you’ve got it, bath in the actual complex for it – the Thermae Bath Spa. It will cost you though! £24 for two hours!

I did not have the cash for this luxury so I enjoyed a free walk up to the Circus. No, not Barnum and Bailey’s. Bath’s Circus is  comprised of three semicircular terraces of Regency houses surround a circular park. It was designed by architect John Wood the Elder, who built much of 18th century Bath. I tried to get my landscape photo and decided to use the rest of my Roman Baths’ ticket and head for some fashion.

Not much to note here. A very small museum, Bath’s Fashion Museum main focus is, of course, a whole spread on Princess Diana’s fashion through the years. At least I did not waste the rest of my £11 ticket!

Before I could wish Bath good-bye, there was one more museum I needed to visit. Jane Austen’s of course.

The Royal Crescent in Bath

This illustrative author was a resident in Bath between 1801 and 1806 and the city features heavily in Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. She ended-up hating Bath when her, her mom and sister fell on hard times here. Perhaps that is why the city devoted the sad little home on Gay Street as a museum to the artist. My guidebook had warned me, but I couldn’t miss one of my favourite writer’s museum! It was dull.

Oh well, I was almost done with my trip to Bath. I wandered through some of the green and stunning parks including the Royal Victoria Park in front of the Royal Crescent and meandered back on the train. Luckily Friday’s rush hour was over and I could comfortably ride back to England’s capital fully refreshed.

Refreshed and ready for next week’s column: finding things to do in London for under $100. It can be done! I promise.

And of course visit www.robynswanderings.com for more all of your daily travel tips!

Visiting Brighton’s Seaside

Brighton's Lanes

Perhaps it was the salty air of Dover’s Cliffs. Maybe it was the email from a friend encouraging me to experience it. Was it the notorious name?

Brighton. I had heard the name so many times and even though it is only about 50 miles or 80 km from London, I had never been to this seaside town. As a Bermudian I never quite understood the point. I’m afraid a beach will never impress. Ok, maybe not never. I was impressed by Sri Lanka’s….but that’s another story.

Back in Britain, my emailing friend assured me Brighton was more than beach. I decided it was time. It was time to add its infamous name to my list of trips under $100 from London. Yes, if you have been following the Rock Fever Column I write for The Royal Gazette for the last few weeks I have been to Stockholm and Sigtuna in Sweden; Sachsenhausen and Berlin in Germany; Hampstead and Dover in England. For photos of these trips and Bright visit my photos page.

I was further encouraged to jump to Brighton because the train-trip was less than an hour from London Bridge Tube Station and it cost less than £10! Just a tad cheaper than the £50,000 the iconic Brighton Royal Pavilion sold for in 1850. The creation of George IV, the Royal Pavilion was originally a farmhouse before he decided to reinvent it. Now the Pavilion is a draw for crowds visiting this seaside town. Well, at least, it was for me!

However, I’ve never been a map reader. Yes, I admit. I am one of those people that has to literally stand in a map before orienting myself. Luckily for directionally challenged people like myself, Brighton has Visitor Information Centres dotted around the city. I found the closest one to the train station hiding in a Toy and Model museum. I gave the models a miss and followed the man’s directions.

They sent me meandering through streets lined with multi-coloured stores, organic cafes and leather markets, that might have looked more comfortable on Middle Road, Bermuda rather than North Laine, Brighton.

Eventually, I found it! Well, the Pavilion Gardens first and then the Royal Pavilion.

It was a witches’ castle. What am I talking about? You know you’ve made them. Every kid in Bermuda has. You’ve held the wet sand in your hands and made drip castles.

Brighton's Royal Pavilion

What you were making has in fact been sitting on Brighton’s seaside since the1800’s: The Royal Pavilion. And for £9.50 you can experience one of the most ridiculously over-the-top, formerly private, homes in Britain. Originally a farmhouse when George IV the Prince of Wales, rented it in the 1780‘s, it grew along with his lifestyle of drinking, womanising and gambling and Brighton’s! A former fishing town, Brighton also started to transform into a seaside retreat for the rich and famous.

When George was sworn-in as Prince Regent in 1811 because his father George III was incapable of acting as the monarch, the villa grew. John Nash stepped-in. He introduced minarets and domes to the exterior while lathering the interior with enormous dragons and seashell-encrusted ceilings in the red-walled Music Room. No expense was spared, which is all I could think of as I walked through with my complimentary audio guide.

Queen Victoria ended-up inheriting the Palace, but even with all of its grandeur it could barely fit her growing family. Plus she was all about austerity. The opulent palace didn’t quite fit with her vibe so she decided to sell it.
The City of Brighton was quite happy to purchase the former Palace to ensure somewhere for tourists to visit. Hey, I bought a ticket.

Thoroughly impressed by George IV’s ability to spend money, I decided it was time to learn a little more about Brighton in the last couple of years. Sitting right next to the former Palace is the Brighton Museum. Convenient.

Random. Free. Both are reasons to visit this museum that offers some insight to the more-recent history of Brighton. The museum documents the growth of this capital of clubbing in Britain as well as its trend-setters. Of course there is the Fashion and Style section with random outfits provided by everyone from the gothic icons to the grunge mixed with Egyptian antiques. I did say random. Feeling thoroughly acquainted with the history of Brighton I figured it was time to head to the seaside.

Of course the seaside is what Brighton is about! I mean that’s why the rich and powerful people started coming here. The seaside was more than just a beach. It was a health clinic. Yes, a health resort of sorts. In the early 1800‘s Dr. Richard Russell created these ‘dippings’ which included a total immersion into the sea water to cure-all. I can imagine he was paid a pretty penny for these! Heck I can do that. Ok no I can’t. I’m Bermudian. I wasn’t going anywhere near the water.

Brighton's Pier

So luckily for me, the Brighton Pier is still standing and could keep me well above the frigid waters below.

The Pier is the epitome of traditional British seaside. Painted white, filled with an amusement park, rows of junk food and, of course, a candy store, the Pier is somewhere to sit and enjoy the views if you’re lucky and find a nice day. Other than that? It’s not much and the day was too cold for me! I hit the end and headed back to the interior to find a coffee and somewhere warm.

Luckily I could take my pick in the narrow streets in the area called The Lanes i.e.old, bricked buildings creating human-size mazes. Cute stores filled with antiques and clothes called my name. I ignored them and found a tiny coffee place to enjoy watching the fellow lost souls.

The light was fading. It was time. Time to finish my enjoyment of the beachside retreat and head back to London. Which is why Brighton is a great trip from Britain’s capital. It’s an afternoon, it’s a weekend, it can be both. I know, I know, there are supposed to be great clubs in Brighton. I didn’t have the energy. I will have to see them next time.

That’s because I still have to find a few more trips from London that cost under $100! And I did it. Perhaps it was time to come clean. To Bath it is next week and, of course, check back here tomorrow for more suggestions for your own trips!

Dover’s Castles and Cliffs oh my!

Entering Dover Castle

The quiet beep awoke me from my Channel daze.

“Welcome to France. You’re phone calls with now cost…..”

What? But I’m not in France. I’m still in England and yet my phone calls and texts have doubled in price?

Cell phones. The bane of my existence while I travel for a month to find ten trips for my Rock Fever column in The Royal Gazette, for under $100 from London. So far I’ve been to Stockholm and Sigtuna in Sweden; Sachsenhausen and Berlin in Germany; and Hampstead in London.

Now this little piece of technology had interrupted my sunny view of my sixth trip or the white cliffs of…. Dover! Perhaps I should not have been surprised that the French had invaded my phone. The neighbour is about 20 miles or so across the Dover Straight from this strategic southern tip of England. Check out my photos here.

Overlooking the Channel

A town, castle and cliff, Dover was little more than an hour train ride from the St. Pancreas train station in London. Do not, however, make the mistake of shelling-out for the fast trains. With a ticket salesperson’s slight of hand, what should have cost me only £15 pounds ended-up costing me close to £30! Even worse? On the fast trains I also had to switch vehicles outside of London. The slow trains, on the other hand, would have been more direct and less costly. In any case, I arrived around 1 p.m. A little late, but luckily the walk to the Castle from town is only about 15 minutes.

This British Border town has been critical for Britain’s safety for more than 2,000 years, which is why Henry II built the Castle in 1180. After he built the Keep, the Castle became known as “the key” because, of course, any enemy that took it would have full access to Britain.

I seized the Castle via the signs that led up the hill. Luck gave me a sunny day and a man in a ticket booth allowed me to enter for £11.80. For those who do not want to or cannot walk there are buses from town into the castle and inside there is a free land train. I crossed the moat with barely a stone thrown at me and was met with a view of the bustling docks below. Large ferries and cargo ships fill with cars and then expel cars in England’s main port to Europe.

I turned from the sights and set mine on the Secret War Tunnels. Henry II might have built the Castle on the hill in 1180 for strategy, but the Napoleonic Wars in the 18th Century demanded more. Tunneling began to hide troops fighting against the French. Then in the 1940’s the tunnels were resurrected as the command centre for Operation Dynamo i.e. Britain’s retreat from France when they could not immediately defeat the German army. In less than a week, Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsay, from his Dover cliff operation centre, had organized the removal of 340,000 men from Dunkirk, France. By 1942 the British War Cabinet realized these tunnels were bomb proof and started expanding to create an underground city of sorts.

Now these tunnels house a slightly Disney-ish tour of the barracks, hospital and officers’ quarters, complete with sound effects. No, I’m not kidding. As the tour wanders along the halls, voices of the war time effort echo above your head. Not as interesting or as informative as, I thought, the museum that is attached to the tunnels.

While the tunnels protected the military, the civilians were left within reach of the German guns based in Calais. The museum takes pains to explains the extent of bombing on Dover during WWII. Between July 1940 and September 1944, these poor souls were subjected to 2,226 shells landing in the town and 686 in nearby areas. More than 3,000 air raid alerts were sounded and more than 10,000 buildings were damaged. Two hundred and sixteen civilians were killed and 344 were severely injured. This British town was on the front lines. It only became safe in September 1944, after which the guns at Calais were captured by the advancing Allies and finally fell silent. It’s too bad this suffering was not better portrayed in the tour, but luckily it was free.

I left the sound effects and continued my assault on the hill and eventually landed in the Keep of Dover Castle.The entire Castle complex is 70 acres with the highest point containing a pharos, or lighthouse, that was originally built by the Romans to guide their ships across the Channel. Those Romans, always ahead. It’s little more than a circular stone tower standing next to a small stone church (St. Mary-in-Castro), but it is striking set within a beautiful green expanse. More interesting to me, however, was walking the former path of its light rays to see the Channel extending in front of me and the infamous white cliffs stretching to the left. No wonder the Romans built here.

Retreating to the Keep, which includes the Great Hall and two stone chapels, I was bombarded with another history lesson. “The 1216 Siege Experience” is a sound and light show that depicts the French attempt to seize the castle. By 1216 the French had, in fact, invaded southeast England, controlled London and the Tower. Dover held strong, rallied the troops and in 1617 ran the French out of town. Dover was “the key” after all.

The Keep now also contains a 12the Century, replica kitchen, a modern restaurant and a shop. I navigated the knighted plates and spoons trying to come home with me, saved my pounds and took the final batteries that looked across lush, green fields and white cliffs. It was time to head for the open air.

Dover Cliffs

If I could find the way. Other tourists jumped into their cars. I had no choice. I backtracked to the guard who let me in, who told me to head left. I have said this more than once, but thank goodness for the Brits and their signs.

A half hour of following these signs brought me to the National Trust-run cafe overlooking the famous cliffs that were painted white by fossilized marine life. These are transcribed with 4 km of paths that lead to the South Foreland Lighthouse.

At this point, however, I had been walking around the 70 acre castle, up the cliffs and I preferred to sit and watch the ferries meander through the channel. The sun was setting. It was getting cooler. The lighthouse would have to be reached another day.

“Your calls will cost…”

Ok. Ok. I get it. I’m going! It was time for the journey back to London and to my next trip for under $100. Forget the war time history. It’s time for some “cultural” inheritance of Britain at where else? Brighton of course.

Sweet Swedes

 

Sweet Tooth

 

Fantastic. Sweden might stop selling their alcohol at 6 p.m. every day in specially assigned stores. They might not even sell alcohol on the weekends.

But when it comes to candy? They will get you drunk on sweets 24 hours a day, in every store you can find. I don’t even want to know what the dentists in this Scandinavian country are paid!

I just returned from visiting Stockholm and I couldn’t resist these candy cornucopia. Well for both Photo of the Day and, well, my sweet tooth!

I mean how do these Swedes stay so fit? Clearly they can’t be indulging in these candy trays? They must just be for the fat tourists.

Nope. Not at all. Every time I went in for a scoop so did someone named Sven with blonde hair (just kidding a Swede) dove in too.

I noticed something. They didn’t take much. I was ready to fill the bag to the brim with chocolate raisins and sweet strawberries……my Sven? A couple of pieces.

Ahhh moderation. That’s where we all left it. In Sweden! But have no fear! There is another way to keep your waistline in check and it has everything to do with the people you are with.

Yep a study recently showed that College kids (cause you know that freshman 15 sneaks on) who have chubby roommates are less likely to gain weight.

I’m not kidding. It was done by the University of Michigan and their explanation? The chubby roommate probably watches what they eat more closely. So how’d they get overweight? Want to read more. Check out the article here.

Happy Friday everyone!

Good Old Times in Sweden

 

The King's Hunting Grounds from the water

 

We were late. Why? I had decided to go running in the Djurgården park (actually an entire island) near my friend’s house in Stockholm. It used to cater to King Karl XI’s hunting raids. Now it catered to my pathetic attempt at some exercise. As me and my friend manoeuvred around the grounds that now include a theme park, an open air museum, and art museums that some five million other people visit each year I was wondering the lunacy that encouraged me to go running as we had to speed up. We were late for our boat trip.

What am I doing? Besides trying to run in Stockholm? Right now I am on a mission. A mission to accomplish ten trips from London that cost under $100 for my column, Rock Fever in The Royal Gazette. And check out this link for more photos from Sweden.

Last week I had found a flight to Stockholm for $47 on Ryanair. Just my luck I also had a friend who could put me up in Sweden’s capital. So I decided to stay a while and find a second trip. It had to be visiting Stockholm’s Archipelago, which cost less than $100 – actually it cost $30 to be exact.

It was an adventurous outing for both of us (my Swedish friend had never visited the archipelago). I thought I had sussed out our plan of attack the day before, but jet lag and not knowing the city very well meant I got the wrong inlet (there are lots of them in Stockholm) filled with boats. After running like the wind, we missed the boat.

We had an hour to kill over a coffee next to the beautiful Royal Swedish Opera house. The sun went away and the wind picked up. I wasn’t sure I had dressed properly. Too bad, we had the boat tickets.

Side note for planning your own trip: By September many of the boats visiting Stockholm’s archipelago and beyond have stopped running. It’s too cold. That’s because the archipelago extends from Stockholm 60 km to the east. It is also made up of 24,000 islands and islets. Some of the larger towns, besides Stockholm of course, are Gustavsberg and Vaxholm – which you can visit if you book before September. There is also a trip through the archipelago and to Sweden’s oldest town – Sigtuna – but again we missed the boat by a month this time. Which is maybe better. During the summer months the islands out here which host 50,000 holiday homes become swamped. Which is a fairly new phenom. Until the 1950s these islands used to be mainly inhabited by farmers and fishermen.

 

Islands in the Stockholm Archipelago!

 

More than just difficult to keep your farm going, what with ice that isolates you from the mainland, these farmers also had to row their cows. Row their cows, Robyn? Yes. As we watched the craggy islands covered in green and sprouting colourful homes we were told that seven of these islands were named for Monday to Sunday. Trying to maintain the grass on these islands cows would be moved to the respective island by their respective farmer. A hell of job when only one cow fits in a boat.

I’ll take the blanket provided by our cow-free motorboat any day! Oh and some of the vodka! Yep we passed the island were the first Absolut vodka was served. I’m sure it was an Absolut pain to serve in the winter. Ha ha…ok not funny. Too bad we didn’t have any to warm our frozen hands.

Archipelago visited it was time to meet her boyfriend for a concert. We also had to eat. So we made our way to Stockholm’s answer to New York’s Village – Sofo. No not really New York’s Soho. The Village. Small restaurants flank bars, which open to Swedes not dressed quite so conservatively as their Gamla Stan compatriots. Relief! Not everything Swedish is in its perfect place!

I was hoping for some Swedish food. A typical dish? Potatoes, lots of meat and gravy. But my friend swore up and down that they rarely eat this food. Luckily in Stockholm there were plenty of other options. We chose a Mexican restaurant/bar. That finished it was time to head for another port. It was random music time provided by the band Ara in the Munchenbryggeriet club called Dislocated hidden under the stone hills of Sofo. Interesting.

We chose to spend the last day I had in Sweden visiting its oldest town – Sigtuna – not feeling old. So after our random concert we went to bed.

Good thing we did. An hour from Stockholm and $40 roundtrip (which fits my $100 budget perfectly) Sigtuna should have been easy to reach. It wasn’t. Good luck trying to find the right train in Stockholm’s main station. “Go up. No down. Round. Go up”. We spent half an hour scaling the same stairs repeatedly. Our elusive train eventually dumped us at its last station to find a bus. An hour and a half later we were walking along the oldest street in the oldest town of Sweden.

I was shocked by Sigtuna. I walked into the tourist centre with its pinned map and there was Bermuda pinned. Someone had been here before. And not a surprise. With quaint, coloured houses I could almost be in Bermuda. Then the wind swept off of Lake Malaren and I remembered I wasn’t. And I needed food.

The oldest street is luckily peppered with plenty of restaurants, bars and pubs to choose from. There is even a

 

Oldest Street in the Oldest Town of Sweden: Sigtuna

 

grocery store if you wanted a picnic. I didn’t want a picnic. It was too cold.

We chose a cafe with $10 salads and jacket potatoes (I’m still under my budget). Tummies full we decided to hunt down the runic stones we had targetted on our map. Built more than a 1,000 years ago, it was the royal and commercial centre for some 250 years. Sweden’s first coins were even minted here! Unfortunately it was ransacked in the 1100s and never gained back it population or importance. Well until an airport was built nearby – Arlanda. Now there are about 7,204 Sigtunians. Also important are the former Sigtunians –- the Vikings which left the runic stones. We hunted these down. The stones of course.

Besides a basic museum about the towns history, Sigtuna offers a beautiful backdrop for photo enthusiasts with the lake and colourful wooden houses and green outstretched arms of the apple trees. It was lovely escaping from the city confines of Stockholm.

We had to leave, unfortunately and another bus-train combo landed us in Stockholm and back in my friend’s apartment. She had an exam to finish so I made a very Swedish risotto and I waited for my early alarm.

Remember to check back here for all of your Bermuda-based travel tips all week and next week for all you need to know about planning a ski vacation!

Girl with a Cup of Coffee?

Need a cup of coffee?

I’m addicted to coffee. My name is Robyn Skinner. I’m from Bermuda and I can’t stop drinking the caffeinated brew.

But what has this got to do with travel? Well my additions is nothing compares to the Swedish author Stieg Larsson. Or at least I hope he was addicted. It could only explain his souped-up, caffeinated main characters in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Why’d I pick this book up? Well I’ve been fighting it for ages. It was like Harry Potter. I didn’t want to cave to what everyone else was reading.

But then too many things corresponded. I just came back from Stockholm. I am a journalist. Or at least I try to be. I am female. Why wouldn’t I read this book? I couldn’t figure out a good enough excuse so I picked it up.

And I couldn’t put it down. The story didn’t need any coffee on my end to keep me up till 1 a.m. reading. It is intriguing and I’m not usually one for thrillers. The characters are their own and not everything ends happy.

Of course now Hollywood has their hands on it who know what will happen. I certainly will not cave to watching the film.

In the book at least, the main journalist: Carl Mikael Blomkvist and his faithful assistant Lisabeth Salander solve the crime of a missing family member and find the solution to a financier who has creative financing schemes and runs roughshod over the law.

Well that’s the story in a snippet. There are obviously a few shots fired, some gory sex scenes and abuse toward women featured which help the narrative along.

My problem with the narrative? Sometimes its too convoluted for its own good. Sometimes pieces could have been put together before they are to add to what turned out to be a 533 page book.

Many I have spoken to try to excuse it because of the translation. I don’t buy it. There are a lot of books that have been translated and they manage to keep the words going pretty well. I mean if that were the case, i.e. translation changing the book, we would all be tied to our own authors.

My other sore point with this book? Remember how they used to try and cut-back on smoking on TV? They said it would make people want to start smoking?

 

A coffee in Stockholm outside H&M. Can I get anymore Swedish?

 

Yeah well they did. But Blomkvist and his side-kick Salander all they seem to do is smoke and drink coffee (like I said at the beginning. Sick of coffee yet? You haven’t even read the book!). I’m the first to admit I am addicted to coffee. I need one every morning. But all these people seem to drink is coffee. Oh and the odd glass of wine.

And I’m not saying write in when they go for a glass of water. What I’m asking is how many cups of coffee did they really need to drink. I swear. At least twice a page by half-way through the book they were putting on the coffee maker.

Seriously dude. Switch off the caffeine!

That said, I did like the book. And if you wanted a taste of Sweden (I mean besides my stunning columns printed in The Royal Gazette and here of course) these are well worth it. It’s a great book to take with you traveling too because it doesn’t take much to read. Easy prose. Good plot. Just make sure you don’t take-up too much coffee or start the cigarette game!

It’s a tough battle! Enjoy your weekend. Over and out to Bath, England I go but stay tuned for my column on Monday for the second trip in Sweden!

Stalking Stockholm

 

Stockholm's waterways

 

Beep. Beep. Slam. Beeppppppppppp

Is there a fire? Oh my go…sh…it’s three a.m. already? It can’t be. I hate my phone alarm. Yes I spent a year away from home without a phone and while traveling around Europe I have let one of these little cell phones dictate my life. Both a way to stay in touch and alarm, it can be helpful. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so rough with it.

It was three a.m. though. Why? Why am I waking myself up at 3 a.m.? Any other time I would be going to bed….especially since it was the day after my birthday. But not now. Nope. Why? Because I am on a mission to find cheap trips from London. This cheap one? Well that was my mistake, but it required a 6 a.m. flight from London Stansted Airport to Skvasta Airport in…..Stockholm! There was a flight at 9 a.m. but somehow I booked the earlier flight. Go figure.

In any case I had found a £20 flight to Sweden and I was trying to get myself out of bed to get my bus to the airport. I did it. Begrudgingly. But I did it. I made my flight.

Ryanair might be persistent about their weight gain (see last week’s column budget airlines), but to be fair to this low-cost/budget airline they did get me to Stockholm on time. Which is what this week’s Rock Fever Column from The Royal Gazette is all about.

I landed in this capital city that spans 14 islands of an archipelago by 9 a.m. (two hour flight plus one hour for time difference). Didn’t know Stockholm covered islands? Yeah me neither and sadly I had been here before. To be fair to me I had been here over New Years about ten years ago. There was so much snow and ice I’m surprised I ever left the hotel room. But more importantly that means the archipelago’s waters freeze over. In fact an ice-breaking boat storms through the solid water in winter months. Otherwise the ice actually helps those that live on Stockholm’s distant islands commute in the winter.

In any case, September was a far more friendly month to travel through Sweden. The weather had started to

 

Stockholm's boardwalk

 

cool down, but I didn’t always need a jacket. Not even on a night out. And it wasn’t too busy tourist-wise. A perfect time to hit this Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is also a member (the third largest by land area) of the European Union and ranks first in the Economist’s Democracy index and seventh in the United Nations’ Human Development Index.

I would say life is pretty ideal. And that is definitely what this capital city exudes – idealism. Welcoming me to the centre of the city was an hour bus ride complete with lush green countryside dotted with horses and lakes. The city was equally ideal. The taxi driver actually offered NOT to rip me off when I tried to get a lift to my friend’s place. He told me the cabs outside of the bus station were cheaper. More than nice taxi drivers, Stockholm also has nice-looking people too.

By that I don’t mean the stereotype of blondes. I mean there were a lot in this most populous city of Sweden (more than 800,000 live in the centre, 1 million on the immediate outskirts and 2.5 million on the outer, outerskirts). But what I mean is the Swedes wandering the streets could have just walked out of a catalogue. The babies could be featured on Gerber bottles. No wonder Ikea (the perfectly constructed furniture store) is Swedish.

 

Economics of Weddings in the National Economic Museum across from The Castle

 

These perfect streets and people of Sweden founded Stockholm in 1250, and it is the site of government as well as the official residence of the Monarch. Technically the king lives outside of Stockholm and just keeps the Royal Palace in town for his official business. That’s what I like to do too.

This mammoth palace dominates the Gamla Stan island (Old Town) and yet it only offers to open its doors for a couple of hours a day. I missed them. Only from 12 to 3. Oh well. I had seen the snippets of the castle when I had visited before. It was the warmest thing to do in Stockholm over New Years.

But more than a hand warmer this castle has 610 rooms just in case the Royal family manages to get bored in their place. It is also the site of the (I would say) dinners for the most famous of prizes – the Nobel Prize. While the jewels….the crown’s of course, also rest here. So much for my dinner accessories that night. Don’t be like me though. By that I mean jet-lagged and too late for the castle. Get up in Stockholm and make the visit. There are tours, but be warned entering can get expensive. One hundred Swedish Kronas ($15) to see each segment of the castle i.e. the Treasury or the Private Quarters, etc…. I saved my Kronas and decided to head across the street to find out about where they came from.

I couldn’t resist the National Economy Museum. I know. Go Figure. I’m one crazy tourist. What drew my attention? An exhibit on weddings and the economics behind it. Yeah it wasn’t always about love (is it?). They do say finances is one of the main reasons marriages end. Good thing I got some tips. Besides the wedding dresses, the museum was worth it’s weight in….well let’s just say it was interesting.

Did you know that the first European banknote was printed in Sweden? Or that the largest coin is here? Or how about the history of the pesos? Or how about the fact that the Swedes have one of John Steinbeck’s signatures because that’s the only way he could cash his Nobel Prize cheque? Yes. The equivalent of more than $2 million dollars used to be handed in cheques to the successful Nobel person.

Enough of the economics in museums. Stockholm’s economy doesn’t make this country break from your

Bermuda-budget (prices for food and drinks are the same). Nor does it give you a break from the Bermuda water border. But I liked that. Not the prices. Those were fine. Not as expensive as everyone whispers about

 

Largest minted coin with the lightest wallet on it.

 

Scandinavian countries, but I love being in a city where water dominates.

I felt right at home even if the boats used wooden logs for bumpers rather than heavy plastic. Yep even if Stockholm requires dodging H&M’s (the clothing stores) which dot every corner like Starbucks in London it’s still a dynamic city. A city my friend swore up and down was much like New York with its various neighbourhoods. From the Old Town (similar to New York’s soho) to their Sofo neighbourhood, which is more like New York’s village, Stockholm offers everything.

And there are cheaper things to do in this town. Which is exactly what I needed after my schooling at the economics museum. So I headed for the rest the old town with my camera ready. Picturesque doesn’t describe it. IN fact the Old Town sums-up Swedes for you. I don’t think I ever saw anything out of place – perfection.

Well except for maybe their ships. One would have though the descendants of vikings would have been able to build a boat. Unfortunately they couldn’t. But now there is a museum relegated to this. After spending a few hours wandering around the old town with camera (best way to see this town and capture your memories) it was an easy ferry ride to see the ship- Vasa.

Built from 1626 to 1628 it was supposed to be a Swedish warship. Sent to sea on August 10, 1628 it promptly sank one nautical mile from home. Oops. Dug-up in the 1960’s there is now a museum to it. Ok it might not have made the best sailing ship, but it is a decent recorder of history. So I guess it was worth it going to see it.

I wandered around the Vasa hoping that the boat tomorrow would be better built. Why? Well my friend would be off work and we decided to navigate the Stockholm Archipelago! Nothing a few layers couldn’t handle. So make sure you check My Photos page for documentation of my cheap Swedish trip and check back here next week for more on Stockholm’s islands as well as Sweden’s oldest town!

Sweden on a budget? Airline?

To Sweden by Air....Ryanair

“Your bag is 11.1 kilos. I can’t let you go through.”

“Sorry? What am I supposed to do?”

“You can only have 10 kilos. I don’t know check your bag? Put more clothes on?”

I looked around and saw others scampering through their bags trying to rearrange things. I stared at the Ryanair bag-nazi. She didn’t back down.

I retreated to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later I exited wearing two pairs of pants, four shirts, two jackets and my camera stuffed in a jacket pocket. I guess they can’t weigh me.

My low-cost harasser told me I was free to board now that I weighed an extra kilo. Now I just had to overcome the heat and fainting feeling as I walked to immigration.

It’s the price I had to pay. For what? Well that’s what this week’s Rock Fever Column is about: Budget Airlines.

Why? Because I’m currently based in London trying to find ten cheap trips (less than $100) from and in this city. The first? That was last week’s Frequent Flyer flight to London. Ok it was $130, but that was round-trip so really only $65 one-way! See I told you counting your miles can be helpful!

The second? Well that one saw me sweating the small things (yes I even managed to fit my computer charger in my jacket) to board my flight to Stockholm, Sweden. That’s because I had found a flight for £10 to Stockholm on budget, Ryanair’s website. Yes I wrote that!

How many bags?

But Robyn, what about taxes? Ha. Those only added £10. For £20 or $47 I had a return flight (which takes about two hours one way) to Stockholm, Sweden.

Sure it sounds great, right. And it is…..but….butttttt well you read about my layering. Which brings me to my cheap trip column this week: traveling budget airlines (the only way to travel under $100 outside of Britain). So tip one is: look at your self in the mirror and ask yourself: Can I really travel light? And I don’t mean one checked bag instead of two. I mean only ONE carry-on bag (and by one I mean no computer bar and purse combo. I mean ONE) and NO checked bags.

Why only one bag? Well that’s simple. Tip two is Ryanair and Easy Jet (two major budget, European airlines) charge for checked bags. Yep. It would have cost me more to check a bag to Stockholm than checking myself in! £30 for my bag! The clothes can stay in London.

To travel light a quick tip three is to: make sure you pack clothes all in one colour category (i.e. black is easiest) so matching and mixing is easy, bring travel-size soaps and pack a small notebook rather than full-blown lap-top.

Which leads to four which is: book the ticket even if you have to check a bag. That bag plus the ticket is still cheaper than flying other commercial airlines, but if you can: ask a friend to store your stuff or ask if the hotel will keep it for a couple of days while you enjoy Europe.

And if you are trying to kill time from the British Airways flight until your cheap flight later in the day from another airport, tip five is: head into the city with Gatwick Express and check your luggage in a museum. Yep those baggage checks are there for something. Get some culture and give your arms a rest.

That done the next task is finding your flight. These cheap flights usually fly in and out of distant airports (i.e. not the main hub) which leads to tip six: all of the budget airlines have websites for transport information to and from the random airports. For me to get to Sweden I had to go to Stansted – no not the well-known Gatwick or Heathrow – airport. I took a bus for £14 round-trip that ran all night from central London. My point? Don’t let a distant airport discourage you. You can make it and on-time with the convenient bus connections that are all detailed on your budget airline’s website when you book your flight.

So board your bus, but make sure before you do, you print your boarding passes for your flights! Tip Seven: budget airlines ensure that boarding their planes are simple (if you have carry-on luggage and print!) so make sure you abide by it. They will charge you at the airport if you fail to print your boarding passes. Don’t miss this little tidbit of information!

But make sure tidbits are not what you have eaten for breakfast or lunch. Tip eight is: eat, a hearty meal

Sweden from above

because while other commercial airlines might throw you a bag of peanuts, budget airlines will charge ridiculous prices for water!

Which could lead to them charging for waste water. What? It’s tip nine: Ryanair made headlines earlier this year saying they planned to charge for bathrooms onboard. It hasn’t happened yet, but better use the potty before you leave in case!

Charge for a kilo, charge for a bag, charge for water…..one thing these budget airlines won’t charge for? Your seat of choice. Your final tip for attempting to board a budget airline is get in line really early because these flights do not have assigned seats. You want a window? Make sure you get there first because no one will reserve it for you.

Is it still worth it? I got to the land of Ikea, H&M, and blonde vikings for under $50! Next week’s column: Stalking Stockholm.

But make sure you check back here! Since my last column I have also managed to make it to Berlin……it was amazing. Now I need to figure out where to go next!

Need a wedding gift?

His and Her Seats

Sure Sweden is known for tall blonde people, the Nobel Prize and H&M, but those are not the most fun to take pictures of….well ok maybe a tall blonde man, but you get my point.

What I could not miss was this store in Stockholm! I couldn’t resist this one. I was wandering back to my friend’s apartment and just happened to look in the window. It actually made me giggle out loud and I’m happy I didn’t know anyone on the street.

One guy gave me a strange look, but who cares when you can take a picture of someone’s chiseled…..bum? And not one, but two? Well I couldn’t resist.

And here you have it – his and hers seats located on a random street in Stockholm, Sweden. Need a gift for the couple who has everything?

Yeah I couldn’t think of anything better either. So the wedding gift sorted tomorrow it’s off to the oldest town in Sweden. You’ll have to wait for the Rock Fever Column for that one!