Shades of daylight
Ice-skating in The King’s Garden and walks under the midnight sun are among the things that Danielle Stone loves about life in Stockholm.
Q. We are travelling to London to take a cruise out of Southampton. How should we spend our 10 spare days before the cruise? A.
For the first few days stay at the Phoenix Hotel. Use the Hop On, Hop Off bus, which is an easy way to get around key locations. Another popular option is the river cruise to Greenwich where you can take in historical London views from the River Thames. Then take a six-day Real Britain tour with Trafalgar visiting Bath, Cardiff, Liverpool, Edinburgh, York and Stratford, then a train to Southampton for your cruise.
Another great way to explore is by rental car. Discover the lanes, quirky villages and charming towns of the West Country. Drive from London to Oxford and the Cotswolds, on to Georgian Bath, down to Plymouth, back to Salisbury and Winchester, then drop the car in depending on where you go, but the cheapest beer we have found was 30 krona, which is roughly NZ$5.
What do you do in your spare time?
My favourite thing is to wander and explore new parts of the city. It’s such a beautiful city with so many historical buildings, a lot of parks, and it’s surrounded by water, so there is always something to explore and free!
What’s the local delicacy and would you recommend eating it?
A classic Swedish meal that I would highly recommend is kottbullar (meatballs), which you serve with a brown sauce, potatoes, gherkins and lingonberry jam. It’s a weird combination but it works, and I am yet to meet someone who doesn’t love it!
Easiest way to get around?
Most definitely public transport. It’s incredibly cheap, super reliable, quick and amazing compared to the public transport in New Zealand. I wouldn’t even think about buying a car as it’s unnecessary.
What’s the shopping like?
The shopping is amazing! There is something for everyone, from cheap to expensive. I would even go as far as to say it’s better than the shopping in Auckland, which is hard to beat!
Best after-dark activity?
During the winter, there is free iceskating in Kungstradgarden (The King’s Garden) and after dark it’s lit by fairy lights, which makes for quite the magical experience. During the warmer months, it doesn’t exactly get dark, which means you can really make the most of the night, whether you have a picnic in the park, or dinner and drinks at one of the many lakeside restaurants and or bars.
Best time of year to visit?
Any time from June until August as those are the warmer months.
What are the top three things you recommend for visitors?
Visiting Gamla Stan, the old town, is a Southampton. This is also a great way to meet and enjoy the locals and their humour in the pubs along the way.
If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary and want to extend the cruising experience, spend a week relaxing on a canal boat, sailing the waterways. For many of our customers this has been one of the highlights of their holiday.
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Email your travel questions to travel@stuff.co.nz with ‘Expert’ in the subject.
must. It’s where Stockholm was founded in 1252 and it’s one of the best preserved medieval city centres in Europe. Drottningholm Palace, where the King and Queen reside, is magical and the grounds are impressive. Vasa Museum features a shipwreck that sank in 1628 and remained under water for 333 years until it was salvaged in 1961. It’s extraordinary.
Besides family and friends, what do you miss most about home?
Friendly strangers. Swedes are very reserved and don’t interact much with people they don’t know, which can come across as a little rude. I also miss the New Zealand beaches. In
INSIDER TIP
Stockholm, the muddy lakeside is considered the beach.
How easy is it for you to get back to NZ?
Easy as long as I can afford the expensive airfares!
For Kiwis looking to move there, which industries are seeking fresh talent?
Stockholm produces the second highest number of billion-dollar tech companies per capita, after Silicon Valley. Therefore, IT professionals are always in high demand. However, there are also many jobs available in the construction industry.