The absinthe burned my throat on the way down. Breathing in through my nose I contemplated how it was getting easier every time and when I felt it was safe I let out a high pitched roar. It was 11.30pm and there was me and Scooby and Corco and Masterson-Nolan and we were in our [...]

There are places and situations in life that make you feel like you’re part of a large monochrome puzzle all made of the same material. A place where you can feel utter harmony, utter peace. Finding those places in the world is rare, but definitely possible. In Prague, the Czech Republics old, bohemian capital, I [...]

Events include Midsummer; the Lucia festival in December, (it commemorates the martyrdom of a pious Sicilian Girl), parades, plenty of glögg , (an alcoholic fruit punch), for adults, and singing. Christmas trees are decorated, cooking and baking begins and Santa delivers presents in person to each child. Ham is the major Christmas fare, complete with [...]

Getting There & Getting Around SAS & Finnair fly regular flights into Arlanda, the main international airport. There are Avis, Budget and Hertz offices at Arlanda Airport. Daily domestic flights crisscross the country but an extensive and efficient bus and train system give you the benefit of seeing the country as you travel. Swedish roads [...]

Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s "old town," had its start in the 13th century. The medieval streets are a fascinating study of lanes, arches and stairways. It contains the present Royal Palace, completed in 1760. The original Royal Palace was burned down in the 17th century. The apartments and armory offer authentic looks into the past. Along [...]

To grasp the full character of Stockholm, island hop. Stockholm sprawls across 14 islands; each inhabited island is unique and interesting. One must-see is the Marionettmuseet (International Puppet Theatre Museum) which has puppets, masks and monsters from around the world. Tel. 46/8/10 30 61. Stockholm’s Leksaksmuseet (Toy Museum) has a playroom to entertain the kids [...]

The Kingdom of Sweden has an impressive 5,000 year history, and Stockholm is the very progressive city where it begins. Now with a population over a million people, medieval Stockholm grew along the Baltic Sea, where an archipelago of some 24,000 islands, skerries and rock protrusions have protected it from the open sea, creating a [...]

"Cologne, or Köln, is 43 miles by rail from Aix-la-Chapelle. This famous city was originally the chief town of the ancient Ubii, the Oppidum Ubiorum of Tacitus; but it became known as Colonia Agrippina from A. D 51, when Agrippina, who was born here while her father Germanicus held command in the district, induced her [...]

A bus tour is always a good way to be introduced to a new city, and the daily Heidelberg City Bus Tour is attractive and efficient. Should you prefer to be on your own, public transport around Heidelberg is not difficult, even if your German isn’t quite up to the mark. Taxis are plentiful, and [...]

  From Goethe to Mark Twain, Artists Have Loved It   Oh, to be in Heidelberg, now that April’s here! One of the loveliest cities of Europe, the great German university city of Heidelberg stretches along both sides of the wide Neckar River, a tributary of the Rhine. Pleasure boats thread a leisurely path along [...]