Mama Mia, when is Stockholm's promised ABBA museum ever going to open! The latest from my guide book reads that despite several delays, the museum is finally scheduled to open in 2010. Well I can tell you, there was something in the air that night, but not ABBA's museum! Sweden's most famous musical export produced countless beautiful melodies here in Stockholm, some of them initially composed by Bjorn and Benny in the nearby Stockholm archipelago. ABBA are in fact the third highest record sellers in musical history, eclipsed only by Elvis and the Beatles, and the supergroup is often referred to as Sweden's greatest gift to the world. So there was to be no visit to the ABBA museum, dear…

The Swedes are a genetically blessed people. I've been strolling around two cities so far, and I'm convinced every time a local sneezes the blessing must be ... you are so good looking! From the kids, to the guys, and of course the girls, it seems that everyone here in Sweden is oh so fabulous. But the Swedes are not just phenomenal eye candy, they are a creative and resourceful people whose influence on design, fashion, architecture, automobiles and of course pop music has spread worldwide. The cities I've visited so far are super modern and super efficient, with prices on par with other Western European cities. The great Swedish adventure commenced, dear reader, with a half hour train ride…

That is the question, methinks. The setting for the Bard's play based on the trials of a Danish prince is Kronborg Castle in North Zealand, less than an hour north of Copenhagen. And the answer ... hell yeah, bring it on I doth protest! Denmark is the destination following a short ferry trip across the Baltic from northern Germany, after starting on the bus in Amsterdam. The Vikings hail from the three Scandinavian countries whose destinies have been intertwined for a thousand years, and it's great to be here to explore for the first time. I booked into the central Danhostel in Copenhagen for a week in the wonderful capital city, and the surrounding attractions of Zealand. Denmark is a…

The tournament's two best football teams ran onto Soccer City stadium in Soweto to decide the World Cup, in anticipation of a finale to captivate the world. Oh yeah, The Netherlands and Spain lining up for an epic decider is sure to tantalise the world's football lovers. During the golden age of Dutch attacking football in the 70's the Oranje perfected the concept of Total Football, and with the legendary Johan Cruyff leading the line they destroyed all opposition to qualify for consecutive World Cup finals in '74 and '78. However, they finally succumbed to the host nation on each occasion. Now the present day Dutch team has the chance to make amends for those two agonising last gasp defeats,…

There’s something magical about going on a road trip in Canada; with the rhythm of the road, the variable weather conditions, and the constantly changing scenery providing endless entertainment. We rode the Greyhound back from the United States to Quebec after a wonderful New Year’s celebration, and grabbed a hire car to spend close to a week exploring the Maritime Provinces situated on the east coast of Canada. We clocked up some serious kilometres on the highway, and it was a memorable trip with the best possible travel companion. Border crossings are such a hassle nowadays, constant reader, and we spent the first day in Quebec Province skirting around the State of Maine before heading down the highway into New…

Happy New Year, dear reader, and may the upcoming decade bring you peace and love. There's no place on Earth like the Big Apple, and where better to celebrate the new year than with hundreds of thousands of fellow revellers in and around Times Square, with an estimated global television audience of a billion viewers! So what's up, as nowhere does things bigger and better than New York City. I've been reunited with my dear friend from Quebec, to celebrate the dawn of a new decade together in the mighty United States of America, and she will get to experience all that New York has to offer for the first time. To recap from the previous journal, we left off…

Recently there have been fierce winter storms in some areas of the United States. In the aftermath of the storms a bunch of people in Washington DC organised a snowball fight on Twitter, so the locals could venture out after being cooped up in their houses during the storm. The snow was flying around good style when one cop suddenly took exception to how he was faring, who knows, maybe the snowballs were too tightly packed! Anyways he pulled a gun on his snow flinging tormentors, as you do I guess, only problem being that several people filmed at the moment he lost it. Oops, I don't think that kind of behaviour is entering into the Christmas spirit... Well anyways,…

Quebec has just celebrated her 400th anniversary, dear reader, and this gorgeous part of the world is known throughout Canada as La Belle Province. This is where you'll find a little bit of Europe right in the heart of North America. The province features magnificent cities such as Montreal and Quebec City, as well as some of the most spectacular natural scenery in Canada. I'm delighted to be spending time with my lovely host at her new apartment in the centre of Quebec City, from where it's a skip and a jump to the Old Town in all it’s winter glory. We've also taken the opportunity in the last week for a perfect weekend away, exploring several tourist highlights within…

The former rancher town of Calgary is riding that bucking bronco all the way to a prosperous future. There are vast reserves of oil shale in Alberta and the province is booming, while dealing with the associated problems of rapid population growth. Since ancient times, however, man has chased the dream of making a personal fortune, and the oil game is no different to any other. Calgary was the host of the 1988 Winter Olympics, and still respects it’s cowboy traditions which culminates in the raucous Calgary Stampede every summer. Cowtown's annual 10-day Stampede is the greatest outdoor celebration in the world, and it would be great to come and visit during the festival. But on this occasion winter's in…

Banff is a gorgeous mountain town in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Millions of visitors flock to this tourist mecca every year, as they've done for a hundred years. The random discovery of the hot springs by three Canadian adventurers in the 1890's proved the catalyst for today's tourist phenomenon. Soon after the Canadian Pacific Railway cottoned on to the potential of the area, and financed the construction of the rail line as well as building the famous Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau Lake Louise. Build it and they will come is a famous saying ... well, I'm here! Travelling in a North American winter is gorgeous, but the photos don't do the scenery justice, and the brilliant…