The places I visited yesterday were beautiful but I still felt that I had only scratched the surface of Cotswolds beauty. After all, I hadn't seen a proper thatched roof cottage yet! So today I decided to go even more off the beaten track. I picked up some good walking maps from Bourton-on-the-Water yesterday and planned a trip around a place called Chipping Campden.

First up I needed to catch the 801 bus again but this time all the way to Moreton-in-Marsh. I had to change buses at the train station. The signal box at the station was very cute. 

Next I caught the 22 bus to Chipping Campden. The bus wound through Bourton-on-the-Hill, Blockley and Broad Campden. All of them looked gorgeous but only Broad Campden was going to be easy enough for me to get to. By the way, I think the names of these places are just as beautiful as the places themselves. 

Chipping Campden was another large town, but with lots of very historic buildings in the honey coloured stone of the Cotswolds. I wandered around a bit, but it was very much a sense of more of the same as yesterday. And it was already busy with tourists. 

I was keen to get back to Broad Campden so I headed off down one of the walking paths. 

Broad Campden was exactly what I felt I had missed so far. Small, charming, no tourists ... and a good smattering of thatched cottages. 

I noticed this on the top of one of the thatches. 

All of the walking paths around the village led to beautiful views. 

On one edge of the village was a field with sheep grazing. It was great to be able to get up close. 

My original plan had me walking on to 2-3 other villages. But with this village I really felt that I'd seen what I'd been looking for, plus it was lunch time, plus I was getting a bit tired of walking. So I popped into the Bakers Arms for lunch. 

I had a delicious spiced parsnip soup with crusty roll. Coincidentally, the Bakers Arms was the local bus stop so I decided to stay there to wait for the bus to start the journey back. As with yesterday, connection times for the return trip weren't so good so it took a long time to get back to Cheltenham. This time I was able to take part of the trip by train (via Worcester) which gave me some time to research options for tomorrow's adventure.

I must admit, there were times today when I turned a corner and lost my breath at the beauty and surprise of the scene that appeared before me. Truly stunning. 

The reason for staying in Cheltenham was to use it as a base for exploring the Cotswolds. It's just outside the main Cotswolds area but very accessible. Though based on what I've learnt, next time I would/will stay in one of the small towns to get a more complete experience.

My original plan was also to drive but I've gone off that idea completely. The roads around here are as narrow as Cornwall. So this morning I checked out all the resources I could to plan an itinerary using local buses. It took a bit of jiggling but I came up with a plan that looked good on paper. But would it actually work?

First off I needed to make my way to the train station. Firstly to buy a Cotswolds Discoverer pass which would give me unlimited train and bus travel. And secondly to catch the 801 bus to Northleach. 

Northleach wasn't a final destination. I needed to change buses there. But it was still a good introduction to the feel of the Cotswolds.

From Northleach I caught the 855 bus to Bilbury. Getting off the bus I overhead a woman with an Australian accent asking where the bus stop for the return journey was. I took the opportunity of speaking with her to find that out for myself too.

Bilbury was prettier than Northleach, with a small river running through the centre. 

I wandered around town for a bit and then to the edge of town.

Not the kind of wildlife signs we're used to seeing in Australia.  

The bus back to Northleach and on to my next destination didn't leave until 1:17, so I decided it would make sense to have lunch. There were a couple of options, but the Swan Inn looked the best and was in view of the bus stop, just to be safe. Had a delicious pulled pork burger. 

Also at the Swan Inn was the Australian woman I had spoken to after getting off the bus. Our paths had crossed a bit while wandering around town and we had a chat while we waited for the bus. She is from Newcastle visiting her daughter and having a holiday at the same time. She gave me a good tip for something to see at my next destination. 

We caught the 855 bus back to Northleach and then waited for the 801 bus to Bourton-on-the-Water. This town had yet another feel. By the time I got there it was about 2:30 and it was packed with tourists. Still pretty though.

I had plenty of time before the final bus back to Cheltenham so I followed up the advice I'd been given which was to walk from Bourton-on-the-Water to Lower Slaughter. I know, the name sounds terrible but it's an old word for "miry place". The walk took me along a public walkway between the towns. I bought some maps with these walkways and am considering doing a bit more walking tomorrow. They're really good paths and it's a great way to get off the beaten track. 

And Lower Slaughter was delightful. 

All in all, the day was a bit like stepping back in time. The towns and villages feel like they have barely changed. Only the road signs and occasional modern conveniences remind you that it's 2016.  

The bus back to Cheltenham left Bourton-on-the-Water at 5:10. By now my feet were killing me. It was nice to sit on the bus for a while. The journey took about an hour and a half. I managed to catch some more shots of the scenery on the way back. 

Time for a shower, a drink and some bangers and mash in the bar. 

Train photography is difficult and frustrating.

You perform the pre-photo check. Shutter speed fast enough to compensate for train movement? Check! ISO high enough but not too high? Check! Aperture acceptable? Check!

You spend your time waiting for a gap in the trees, embankments and other obstacles.

When there's a break you quickly frame your shot, assuming there's something to shoot. If you're lucky you get it. More likely you get another tree, or train signal or one of numerous other types of poles.

So you wait for another break. And wait. And wait. And wait. No break. So you lower your camera. Just for a moment.

Then suddenly the perfect scene appears. Quick! Aim! Focus! Tree! Damn!

When you finally get the scene you wanted to capture you check. Did you remember to avoid the reflections on the glass from inside the carriage and the opposite window or is your beautiful scene marred by a massive white patch? Or worse, your desperate expression in reflection! Or did the rocking of the train bump you just at the last moment? Is it light enough? Is the right part in focus? Is any of it in focus? 

If it's an epic fail you delete it straight away.  Otherwise you keep it. 

You work on the principle that the more shots you take, the greater the chance of success. Luckily you brought lots of memory cards. You're going to need them!

And on top of all that you want to be considerate of the people around you. Don't want be a nuisance. Though to be honest, this last one is just a matter of managing guilt. Nothing is actually going to stop you from trying to capture this moment. Nothing!

The hotel I'm staying in was first opened in 1838. It's quite grand and it will be a great base for my exploration of the Cotswolds.  

The room overlooks a park. 

The hotel has an impressive central staircase. 

By the time I had regroued and was ready to explore the wet weather had arrived. I waited in the lobby for the first shower to pass before heading out. Cheltenham is a lovely looking city with lots of Georgian buildings. It was too dark and wet to get pictures today but I will at some stage. After wandering a little and stopping for a coffee the rain looked set in so I decided to return to the warmth of the hotel for the evening. 

Today it was time to move on to my next destination in England. My train from Plymouth to Cheltenham Spa departed at 11:25 which meant I could have a slow morning. After essentially repacking my suitcase I made it to the train station in plenty of time. Luckily the train started from Plymouth so it was already waiting for boarding. 

I haven't travelled with this particular train company before. The seats were very comfortable and I was very happy with the location I had chosen. 

The journey took 2.5h through the variety of scenery I have come to expect and enjoy. 

The most populous area we went through was Bristol toward the end of the journey. 

Parked in Bristol station was a steam engine with these carriages. Maybe that's what I should book on my next trip? 

By this time the weather was looking quite grey and wet. 

The train arrived on time and I got a taxi to the hotel. 

Although I know there is much more to Cornwall and Devon than busy ports and sleepy fishing villages, tomorrow I head inland for the rest of my trip so I decided I should get my fix of the sea while I still could. I tossed up between heading east to Devon or west to explore more of Cornwall. West won, mainly because I had all the information I needed to get around and I've found the Ride Cornwall pass so convenient. 

First on the itinerary was Fowey. It looked nice plus I had a recommendation from a friend. I took the train to Par and then the 25 bus to Fowey. Once again, the bus stopped at the top of the town and I needed to walk down a little way to get to the shore. 

The waterfront gave great views of Fowey and Polruan on the opposite side. 

I admired this floating advertisement. 

I walked around a bit. More narrow streets and alleys. On the way I popped into one of the many bakeries and bought a cream doughnut with caramel icing. Not my usual thing but they looked so authentic and traditional. Very delicious. I told myself the walking offset the calories but I'm sure the calories are winning at the moment.

I also admired this display of seaside essentials for sale outside one of the shops. 

There was a coastal walk that I hoped would lead to St Catherine's Castle. My friend Adam had recommended it and it certainly looked like a good spot. Unfortunately I didn't take a great shot of it from the water front, but it was a long way up the cliffs. The walk there was lovely and got more beautiful once I left the road. 

But the view was well worth the climb. 

I slowly made my way back down again and had a delicious traditional Cornish pasty for lunch by the foreshore. It was 1:00 by this time so I decided to make my way to destination number 2.

The next destination was Newquay on the north west coast. I had read that it was much bigger but I thought it might be a nice contrast. It's on the Atlantic too, which I find alluring for some reason. I caught the bus back to Par and then a train on the small branch line to Newquay. I got there about 3:00. 

The tide was out which made the beach super impressive. 

The bridge between these rocks was crazy. 

Overall though, I found Newquay a little underwhelming. Nothing stood out. The next train didn't return to Par until 5:22 so I had some time to kill. I found a pub with an outside area and a nice view. 

Then I bought some fish and chips on my way back to the station. I stopped in a park overlooking the sea to eat them. The fish was amazing but the chips were a bit soggy. The wildlife were certainly interested though. One cheeky bird swooped in an stole a bit of fish right out of the container. I had to guard my food after that. But some of the birds were very beautiful so I have to forgive them.

And speaking of birds, I spent some more time today just listening to the chorus of bird song around me. Wonderful! 

The weather report for today had been mild - high teens. For the first time I went out without a jumper. Just t-shirt and jacket. By midday I had removed the jacket. Got a little bit of sunburn on my head though. That was unexpected. I've purchased sunscreen now for the remainder of the trip. 

One of my objectives for my stay in Cornwall was to get an authentic small fishing village experience, which is quite odd because I distinctly remember finding images of small fishing villages quite depressing as a kid. Anyway, I had a few picked out but I had assumed I'd only be able to reach them by hiring a car. And to be honest, I'd really rather not drive somewhere I don't know all that well. So I've been checking out public transport options and it's possible to get just about anywhere by train and bus.

One village I had my sights set on was Port Isaac which is the village they use for filming the Doc Martin TV series. I worked out this morning that I could get there by train and bus but it would take me most of the day. So I looked for a plan B. Already on my itinerary was a town called Looe which was a bit large to satisfy my main craving, but I noticed that nearby Polperro looked like it might fit the bill. So off I set after a hearty breakfast. 

First I needed to catch the train to Liskeard. That was the same direction I travlled yesterday. Crossing the Tamar River I got these shots.

Which reminds me, so many of the place names here are familiar. Launceston, Devonport, Truro, Callington, Modbury, the Tamar River - except these places are the originals. 

It only took about 1/2 hour to get to Liskeard where I had to change for Looe. The train went through a lush valley. There was undergrowth and a stream running beside the track most of the way. It was too close to get a proper shot that did it justice. Really pretty. 

When I got to Looe I explored a bit. It definitely has a port feel. The tide was on its way out. 

From the foreshore I could see a road climbing up the rocks on the other side of the river. This massive brick structure was essentially a bridge along the side. 

After having a snack on the seafront I found the bus stop for the 73 bus that would take me to Polperro. No sooner had we set of that my decision not to drive was validated. The bus made its way up a steep but narrow road while a poor little car was trying to come the other way. There were barely centimetres to spare. I would hate to have been the driver of the car. 

The trip to Polperro took us through winding hedged roads. I took this picture after getting off the bus, but this part was quite wide by comparison. 

The bus actually stops at Crumplehorn.  You then walk down a winding road to Polperro. 

As I decended into the valley my sense of expectation increased. It was a bit magical. When I got there, the tide was well and truly out but that didn't detract too much from the charm.  

I wondered around the tiny alleys to get different perspectives. The village was exactly what I had hoped to find.

And to the foreshore. 

Along one side was a sign for the coastal walk which eventually split off to Reuben's Walk. I walked for quite a long way. It was a good work out.

I paused for a little while at a seat and drank in the moment. It was definitely another "pinch me" moment. 

I looked back at Polperro. 

As I walked back to the village I noticed one building on the opposite side in particular.  With the trees it just seemed a little foreboding.

All that walking had worked up a thirst so I popped into the Three Pichards for a pint. 

When I emerged it was just spotting with rain. By the time I made it back to the bus stop it was pouring. 

The timing of transport for my trip there had all worked out perfectly. Unfortunately the way back was not so perfect. Nothing seemed to connect so I had quite a bit of waiting time. I guess that's the downside to public transport. But I didn't have to be anywhere in particular so it was kind of nice to just pause. While waiting at Liskeard for the train back to Plymouth it was delightful to take in the symphony of birdsong all around me.

It's been a long day. It's 7:45pm and I'm worn out. I'm not certain what I will do tomorrow. I'm thinking of heading east to check out some of Devon. 

It was odd sleeping in a single bed last night. It's been along time. But this guest house is very comfortable and it was lovely to have a home style breakfast this morning. 

I managed to get out by 8:30am which gave me plenty of time to get on the 9:10am train to Penzance. As I walked to the station I heard the bird call from Kate Bush's album Aerial. It was note perfect! 

I bought the 1 day Ride Cornwall ticket which allowed me to travel on as many trains and busses in Cornwall as I like in 24h for £10. I definitely got my money's worth today.

As I was waiting for the train I couldn't help notice all the locals in their t-shirts and shorts while I was rugged up in jeans, t-shirt, jumper and jacket. 

The journey down there took about 2.5h but was full of interesting and beautiful scenery. These rows upon rows of houses as we left Plymouth were so striking. 

Then it was into the open countryside dotted with towns and rivers.

This scene caught my attention with multiple generations of industry. 

And of course we passed many stations. 

Then more rivers and inlets. 

When we reached Penzance it was clear that the tide was out. 

I wandered around. It's quite a grey looking town but you can just feel the history of it. 

The weather was very blustery and there were numerous flocks of seagulls circling around. 

I stopped at a little caravan cafe on the foreshore for a ginger beer scone with lime curd and coffee. 

After wandering around some more I made it back to the train station to catch the train back to St Erth. From there I took a short train trip to St Ives.  

As the train came around the corner and St Ives came in to view my breath was a little taken away. It looks so pretty even with the tide out. I can't imagine what it looks like when the tide is in. 

All around St Ives are some very un-English-y sandy beaches. 

I wandered along the promenade. There were so many people out and about. Must get crazy here in summer. I stopped for a Cornish pasty (naturally) which I devoured looking out to sea. This guy was hoping for a bit but it was too good to share. 

I finished off by wandering through the back streets and checking out some of the many galleries. 

By the time I got back to Plymouth it was dinner time so I regrouped and headed out to the area where most of the restaurants are. I'm not so good at solo dining but I was determined to get out there and overcome my fears. Good news is I had a great meal and nobody died. 

In some ways, flying from Bergen to London was the easy part of today. My final destination was Plymouth which will be my Cornwall base for the next 4 days. All I had to do was catch the Gatwick Express to London Victoria station, the Victoria line underground to Kings Cross, the Hammersmith line underground to Paddington then the train to Plymouth. Easy. The underground part of the trip was particularly convoluted because of maintenance - ordinarily I should have been able to catch the Circle line straight from Victoria station to Paddington. 

Anyway, I'm pleased to say it all went without a hitch. There were a few steps I had to navigate with cases, but overall it wasn't too bad. And once I finally made it to the train I pampered myself with a first class ticket to relax and take in the view. 

The train trip took 3.5 hours and I even managed to get to Plymouth a couple of hours earlier than I'd expected.

And the view was stunning. Third day in a row of incredible vistas. I feel so fortunate.  

Around Reading I saw lots of canals with barges. 

Then endless fields and towns. 

For a little while we tracked the south Devon coast. 

Before returning to green fields. 

When I arrived in Plymouth I just needed to walk 15 min to my accommodation.  Plymouth isn't a particularly picturesque town/city, but it will be a good base. As soon as I arrived I headed out to explore. I made my way to the shore and discovered you could walk up the old lighthouse. That was a good way to get a sense of the place. But then my camera battery died (and I hadn't swapped over my spare from the other bag) and it started to spot with rain. I decided to call it a day.

This time I'm staying in more guest house-like accommodation. Small, cosy but very well presented. I wasn't quite sure when I first arrived but I've warmed to it already. I'm sitting in the little bar sipping a beer while writing this blog. Nice.

Today is the end of my Scandinavian adventure. All of it has been great, but the train trip to Bergen and the fjord cruise are the highlights. My flight to London departed at 7:10am so I had to be up early ... and miss the buffet breakfast which was really good yesterday! Oh well, the perils of travel. 

The flight took 2 hours and I managed to snap a few pictures along the way. These are of the fjords as we left. 

This is a HUGE wind farm off the English coast. I think it was near the Thames estuary. 

And then here are some pictures of the landscape as we approached Gatwick. 

I sat next to a young American couple on the plane. Although we didn't say anything on the flight we had a good chat as we trekked our way to border control. They had an 8 hour stopover in London before heading on to Ireland. They were excited about seeing what they could fit in. 

On the train to Bergen I also chatted with an older Australian couple from Victoria. They are part way through a mammoth European adventure. They got off the train before me at Flam. I wasn't sure of their plans after that. Well today as I approached the queue to border control they were in the line immediately ahead of me! They are a lovely couple and it was nice to see them again. 

Feet tired from tiny alleys cobblestoned over hillocks.  I rest beside the sea.

Waiting. 

Ice cream satisfies my craving for sweet creaminess. 

The sound of a saxophonist busking fills my right ear. A mixture of building sounds, passing cars and chatter fills my left. Both are punctuated by the occasional gull cry carried on the steady breeze. 

Boats are bobbing in the water. 

Here I sit. Miles from home. On the water's edge in Bergen. Not quite half way through this adventure. A pinch me moment.

Content. Calm. Not yet relaxed, but getting there. 

Waiting. 

Today was my one day to explore Bergen. I began by getting early up to beat the breakfast rush. After a very respectable breakfast buffet I headed out to explore. 

Quite by chance I had heard about Floibanen, the funicular railway that goes up the side of one of the mountains surrounding Bergen. I decided to give it a go.  

It only took about 8 min to get to the top but the views were spectacular! Why wasn't this on my to-do list? 

These photos show only a fraction of the view. It made me realise that Bergen is much bigger than I had realised. After that I did more exploring. I found a fortress, lots of gorgeous alleys and an interesting museum about early Bergen. 

In the museum there was a great exhibition on runes. One piece of information made me immediately think of Em and Ash. Aparently board games were played and the inscription on a runic stick said "there's no knowing what may come of hectic diceplay". Wise words. 

Before leaving Australia I booked a short fjord cruise. In fact, that was the other reason for coming to Bergen. My cruise commenced at 2:30pm and lasted 3.5h. Well worth it. What I loved most were the houses perched precariously on the sides of mountains or the small towns nestled in between the rocks.  So many towns were incredibly isolated.

Another early night tonight for me. I have an early flight in the morning back to the UK. 

The Scandinavian leg of my holiday was inspired by a segment I saw on TV about the Oslo-Bergen rail line. Today I made that journey. Wow! 

There are a few things to share like the friendly Australians and Americans I met, or the excitement as the snow got deeper and deeper, or the packed train. But I think this is an occasion where I should just let the pictures tell the story. 

What more can I say? 

I had a number of sights on my to-see list for Oslo but the Viking ship museum was the only must-see. I started out early to avoid crowds. It felt toasty warm in the apartment. Outside was grey but you could see it was clearing. I checked the temperature ... 1 degree! I made sure I rugged up until it warmed up a bit.

First on the agenda was to take some photos of the buildings in this complex. They each have their own unique style and a couple are awesome. The light wasn't my friend though, and it wasn't until I returned at the end of the day that I got some semi decent shots. Similarly I checked out the opera house but, with the sun behind it, the shots came out a bit grey, Again I took more at the end of the day when the sun was shining on the front. I did get a shot of this sculpture offshore though.

Some big ferries dock here.  

From there I decided to get some cash and make my way to the Viking ship museum. It's the furthest away and I could work my way back from there. Finding an ATM proved to be more difficult than expected and I had to go a long way before I found one.

I knew of 2 ways to get to the museum: bus and ferry. I decided on bus and began a mission to buy a 24h travel card. That also proved to be more difficult than expected. Even the ticket machines at the train station didn't cooperate. So I went with the ferry instead. In the end it was a better and cheaper option anyway.  Before boarding I stopped for coffee and some cake near city hall. Speaking of city hall, this is the building.

I found this sculpture/frieze on the side amusing. Is the guy trying to ambush the other two? Seemed a bit incongruous.  

This was the ferry to the island with the museums.

The Viking ship museum is on an island with a number of other museums. The houses near the museum are post-card perfect. It looks like quite an affluent area. 

The Viking ship museum has 3 Viking long boats that had finished life as burial vessels and were then discovered from the mid 1800s to early 1900s. It was great to see them in real life to get a sense of their size and design.

The museum also has artefacts found at the sites. 

The ticket also gave me entry to the Historical Museum but that was back in downtown Oslo, so I made the ferry trip back. There was some good scenery on the way. 

After stopping for some lunch I passed what appears to be the Main Street of Oslo and I could here a marching band in the distance. I hung around to discover it was the changing of the guard at the royal palace.  

When I made it to the historical museum I was a bit disappointed. They had some great medieval and Viking artifacts but in the Viking section they had mounted these folk art figures in the cabinets which made the displays seem quite tacky. 

I didn't stay there long. By this time I was feeling quite lethargic so I decided to be lazy and get a ticket for the hop on/hop off bus. That way I could be driven around to see anything I hadn't got to yet. I got off at Aker Brygge. This is a waterfront neighbourhood built from the late 80s and its typical of the newer, flashier side of Oslo. As well as lots of residential buildings there are lots and lots of restaurants. It's like the marina at Glenelg x 10. I stopped for a delicious gelato: 1 scoop of coffee and 1 scoop of cinnamon.  The weather was beautiful and sunny - but I still needed my 4 layers!

From Aker Brygge I slowly made my way back to the apartment. Past Akershus Fortress. 

I saw this guy leaning out the window to clean it. My Origin colleagues will know what was going through my mind. 

And past the Opera House. It's great how you can walk right over the roof.  

And finally to take some more pics of the buildings around the apartment. Also, I've noticed that the pedestrian crossing lights have 2 red men. They always appear to be on at the same time. Is that to make you stop twice as much?

I will have another early night tonight. I catch the train to Bergen at 8:30am. 

We arrived in Oslo on time. I didn't see much of the city on the way in as we had been in a tunnel for a while. The weather was grey with spots of rain. 

In Oslo I'm staying in an apartment again, but this one doesn't have a reception. I rang the company to arrange for them to meet me. The apartment was only 10min walk from the station in a brand new development on the waterfront. Once here, I was pleased to see it was more like the accomodation in Copenhagen. A bit nicer actually.  

The view in the foreground is all construction. But then there is the massive Oslo Opera House. And in the distance the waters and bays of the Oslo fjord.  

I popped down to the supermarket to get supplies. Another set of words to decipher! You could make a game out of it. It was almost 6:00pm when I got back. I'm going to eat in while I'm here. After Oslo I'll be in hotels for 10 nights in a row. 

As I've been writing this the grey skies have cleared and everything us blue. A fine day is forecast for tomorrow which is just as well, because there's a lot I want to do. 

I slept OK other than my mind racing while processing the ideas I encountered at Dark Mountain last night. When I awoke at 5:00am I wanted to write down the thoughts that had coagulated overnight. I'm feeling much better today (and thanks so much for the "get well" wishes Robyn, glad you worked out how to post a comment).

My train to Oslo was at 11:06am so I had plenty of time. After breakfast and repacking I checked out and made my way to the metro. I decided metro to central station would be easiest and by 9:30am it shouldn't be too busy. I was right. Got on and off really easily.

My train ticket for Oslo was first class - not as expensive as you might think and much more comfortable - and it meant I could wait in the SJ Lounge. It had a good view of the main station concourse.

The train departed on time and I had booked a single window seat on the right hand side. That was a stroke of luck because the sun was mainly on the other side and photos would have been more difficult. This is the route we took.

I pre-purchased lunch with my ticket.

The landscape from Stockholm to Oslo was surprisingly constant. Pine forests, birch trees, rivers, lakes, fields, wooden houses and the occasional town or small city. The main difference was that the first half was flatter and the second hillier. Actually, in parts it reminded me of British Columbia and Ontario in Canada.

We arrived in Oslo on time. I'll write about that in the next post.

Today I caught the metro to Central Station to catch my train to Oslo. I was in the lift about to go up and a woman motioned me to hold the lift for her and her pram. That was lucky because I didn't know which floor to select and she was able to help. 

Then she said she recognised me. Was I at the Dark Mountain event last night? Of course I was, and on second look I recognised her too. We had a brief chat about the event before having to go our separate ways. 

There would only have been 20-30 people at the event. How random to bump into one of them next day! 

I think the universe may be telling me this group and what they are about is important. 

A friend, who I met a few years back through mutual acquaintances, is living back in Stockholm. We made plans to catch up at lunch time today. In addition to that I wanted to go to the top of the city hall tower. The rest of the day was fluid.

I organised myself to get to city hall by 9:00am. They only sell tickets to the tower on the day and there is a strict limit of 30 people per tour. My intention was to get on the earliest tour possible, but while walking to city hall I noticed the sun was still quite low in the east. It would have made it very difficult to photograph the part of the city I most wanted to. I decided to buy a ticket for later in the day instead.  

Ticket purchased, I had some time to spare before heading off to meet Adam. I wandered a bit around Gamla Stan looking for souvenirs. Which reminds me, I hope people aren't expecting any post cards from me. With this blog they seem a bit redundant. For morning tea I purchased a delicious almond bun from a bakery in Gamla Stan.  From Gamla Stan I had a good view of city hall.

i wanted to make sure I was on time to meet Adam so I headed to the central station to catch the metro. While I was there I checked out where I would need to go tomorrow when I catch the train to Oslo. I caught the metro to Telefonplan. It's further out than I had previously been and it was interesting to see the difference. 

It was great to be able to chat with the delightful Adam and hear about everything he's up to. He's a co-founder/co-organiser of the Stockholm Fringe. But time flies and before I knew it, it was time to let Adam get back to work and me back into the city. 

I made it to city hall in plenty of time before my tour so I took some photos of the building. Until today I had only seen it from a distance and it seemed a bit monolithic and harsh. Up close I saw another side.

There were just over 300 steps to the top of the tower. It was definitely a work out. But the steps were much easier to navigate than the tower in Copenhagen. The view was worth it. 

By the time the tour was over I decided to head back. I was going to see something at 6:00pm that Adam had suggested and I wanted some time to regroup. By the time I got on the metro it was packed. At each stop I was getting squeezed closer and closer to the centre. I could see it was going to be difficult to get off at my stop. When we arrived I could have pushed through but, as I wasn't in any hurry, I decided to stay on the train until it thinned out a bit. I got to see some more of the outer areas of Stockholm. I ended up getting off only a few stops past mine and a return train came soon after. 

The event Adam suggested is difficult to describe. Read this link if you're interested. http://www.darkmountain.se/en/the-village-the-forest-may/ It was certainly thought provoking and I'm glad I went. Climate change was the theme and some of the discussion actually connected with thoughts I'd had at the Other Worlds exhibition in London. What is nature? Does it exist on the other planets of the solar system? Are we destroying nature or are we just destroying our particular vision of nature? Will nature rebalance and go on without us? Would nature still exist in a lifeless earth?

It wasn't a late night though. I'm just sitting in bed now writing this. Tomorrow I catch the train to Oslo. 

Today the plan was all about museums. A number of interesting ones are conveniently located on an island called Djurgarden. I set off early again catching the metro to T-Centralen then changing lines to get me to Karlaplan. There was a connecting train already waiting when I got to T-Centralen but by the time I double checked that it was the right one it was leaving. I had to wait 15min for the next one, but that's better than catching the wrong one and having to backtrack.  

I was early so it gave me an opportunity to photograph some other aspects of the city. 

Some of the boats moored along the lake/sea have a lot of character. 

First museum was the Vasa Museum. I used to love to make models when I was a kid, and the Vasa was on my wish list for a very long time. I can still picture the box. Consequently, I know a little about the ship. It sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 only shortly after setting sail. Oops, that's a bit embarrassing. It lay at the bottom of the harbour for over 300 years until it was salvaged in 1961. They have worked on conserving it and have build a great museum around it. It was quite dark inside, so photography was a little tricky, but I swapped lenses which helped a bit.

This cross section was really interesting. 

After the history of the Vasa I decided to pop into the Abba Museum (pun intended). This museum was to originally open in 2010 and I bought tickets at the time as part of the Europe trip Emily and I made but something fell through and the opening got postponed. They had a travelling museum that Scott and I saw in Melbourne, but I still thought I should have a look at the local version. I'm glad I did because there were a couple of really interesting exhibits I hadn't seen. I bought some items from the shop too. I bought the DVD of their North American tour which I've never seen, the deluxe version of Chess which has videos I've never seen and the recording of the Kristina performance at Carnegie Hall which I've been having trouble getting in Australia.

After pop, it was time for some culture so I went to the Nordic Museum which showcases life, work, trends and traditions in Sweden from the 16th century to present. The museum itself is very impressive. 

And the exhibits were also very interesting. I must admit I assumed the museum would also cover Swedish history but it didn't. I guess there must be another museum for that. Stockholm appears to have a lot of museums. 

After the last museum I had intended to make my way back to the apartment, but the weather was nice, almost warm, and Djurgarden is essentially one massive park so I followed the crowds and strolled for a while. I took some more photos of the scenery on and across from the island. 

I had to get this shot. Oh the indignity. 

Another full day. 

After taking some medication, I slept better last night. Today is 1 May. Last night was Walpurgis Eve (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walpurgis_Night) and there were to be bonfires and singing. Unfortunately, in my brain addled state last night I forgot all about it, but I would have been in no condition to be out in the cold anyway. It's a little disappointing to have missed it, but plenty more to see and do.

Today my primary goal is to hit the museums and top of the list is the Vasa Museum (https://www.vasamuseet.se/en). I'm very excited about it and plan to get there at opening time.