Last year I travelled to Sweden with my cousin, we arrived in Stockhom in late summer on one of the enourmous overnight ferries which regularly ply between Helsinki in Finland and the Swedish capital. A feature of the short voyage was the enourmous smorgasbord dinner included in the fare. Laid out in a room as big as a ballroom were dishes of every imaginable kind, including great platters of seafood, and wine and beer on tap. Those still up to it could party afterwards in one of the many all-night bars on board.

sailing into Stockholm, we passed some of the islands of the Stockhom Archipelago which are dotted with pretty timber houses, each with a boat jetty and sauna at the water's edge. We began to realise the importance of the sea and sailing to the Swedish.

Stockholm's is easy to get around by foot, especially if you're staying fairly centrally and nearly everyone speaks English. Most of the city is flat, and all roads lead to the harbour where numerous ferries wait to carry you to the islands that make up the city.