Travel Planning

I spent a fair bit of time online today. I’m trying to find some accommodation in Stockholm during March. I want something which is more than a youth hostel room, but not quite a corporate serviced apartment. I don’t think I want to share, but maybe I do. I’m not sure about that. A studio […]

Mamma Mia Around Europe

Twelve months ago, as I was travelling overseas the film “Mamma Mia” had just opened. Everywhere I went, Mamma Mia seemed to be following me. It’s interesting how in some countries ABBA was the drawcard, in others it was the stage-show, in some it was the Hollywood cast, and in Hong Kong, it’s Tom Hanks […]

Public Transport

I’ve had some amazing experiences with public transport over the last few months. I’ve been to modern cities. I’ve been to old cities. I’ve been to highly developed western economics. I’ve been to emerging former communist states. I’ve been to “super cities” in Asia. And guess what they all had? An integrated, effective public transport […]

Independent Traveller’s Advice

With some time to kill at Hong Kong airport, I’ve decided to make a list of all the things I’ve learned which may help other potential independent travellers. The knowledge I’ve gained is from the perspective of being a forty-two year old single man who wanted to travel around Europe simply and cheaply. I went […]

Life Is Motion, Move On

As there was a 200kr entry at Patricia last night, I decided against a Sunday night on the boat. That’s good drinking money in my view. A bit like NYE or Mardi Gras in Sydney. Surely it wasn’t like that for World Youth Day? And besides, I’ve already been to Patricia and thought it was […]

My Best Investment

This morning, over breakfast at the hostel, I recognised a guy I saw in a bar last night on Sodermalm. “Hello”, I thought to myself. That’s a bit freaky. And then as I got on the train this morning, I recognised another guy I’d seen in a bar a few nights ago. And then today […]

An ABBA Fan in Sweden

Since I arrived in Sweden, this is my first real chance to sit down and write about my trip from an ABBA fan’s perspective. Coming from Australia, it’s a long way to Europe, and it costs a lot of money. But the Australian dollar is reasonably strong at the moment. And it’s summer in Sweden. […]

Narvik to Kiruna

“No, I’ve got another night in Narvik”, I said to Tor, the owner of the guest-house this morning in response to what I thought was his largely rhetorical question, “So this will be your last breakfast with us?”. It turns out he was right. I’d been having such a great time in Narvik that I’d […]

Two Pub Rule

You’re aware, of course, of the two pub rule that applies in Australian country towns? The rule is that in each small Australian country town there are usually two pubs: there’s a popular pub that everyone goes to, and there’s the pub that no one goes to, but which is usually inhabited by itinerants and […]