The Home of ABBA, Stockholm with Jamie, Oli & Lorraine

The Home of Abba, Stockholm  

The perfect start to our holiday- drinks in the sunshine with beautiful surroundings. 

We headed into Stockholm city centre where at the water's edge we sat in a cafe overlooking the small boats travelling up and down the calm waters. We sat and refreshed ourselves with cold drinks and ice creams soaking up the atmosphere of the busy city. The morning was spent at the Wassa Museum, where the famous warship is housed. This ship capsized and sank on its maiden voyage in 1628, it remained on the seabed just outside the harbour for 333 years until it was salvaged and raised in 1960's and preserved. It's an awesome ship to view as it is the world’s best preserved 17th century ship and we marvelled at its ornate wooden carved sculptures that ordain the entire structure. 

Down at at waters edge we sat overlooking the harbour  before we boarded a sightseeing boat which took us across the harbour to one of the Queen's palaces. The boat was piloted skilfully around the harbour by the captain who was happy to pose for photographs in his gleaming white naval uniform. It was a wonderful way to see the city from a different perspective. 

It was then up to the top deck to take our seats on the sightseeing bus and viewed Stockholm's wonderfully historic buildings and architecture. We stopped off at Djurgarden Island where we entered the Viking Museum. Inside we learnt everything there was to know about the Vikings and explored the Viking Age. We all looked fearsome as we tried on a traditional helmet and held a spear looking like a real "SUPER TROOPER". We posed for photographs next to a Viking dragon boat and inside a traditional Viking Longhouse. 

It was then time to head for the main attraction that we had all come for ABBA, The Museum. This is an interactive exhibition showcasing the infamous pop groups collected works. Inside we had a knowledgeable tour guide and with our headphones on we listened to the band tell their own stories and memories from their incredible career. We were able to look at some of their original costumes and see a mock studio where they wrote and recorded some of their biggest hits. 

There was even a stage where some of us channelled our inner "DANCING QUEEN" and become the fifth member of ABBA by performing on the large stage together with Björn, Benny, Frida and Agnetha avatars to the sound of our favourite songs. We all received a huge round of applause from all the other ABBA fanatics and loved every second. Everyone managed to buy gifts of T-shirts, posters, badges, books and records as a small memento. 

We caught a bus, then walked to City Hall and the quayside where we boarded the M/S Prince Carl Philip boat which was built in 1901 and had been restored over the years. We powered through the scenic archipelago of Lake Mälaren to the world heritage site of Drottningholm Palace on the island of Ekerö. 

 Drottningholm is the best-preserved castle, built in the 17th century with its decor influenced by several kings and queens. Today the Swedish royal family use it as their permanent residence. Unfortunately, we didn't see them, but we did enjoy walking around their beautifully symmetrical palace gardens complete with fountains and manicured lawns. 

An ice cream treat in the sun is always a must! 

Norfolk- Boats, Trains & Seaside with Netty & Candy

 Norfolk - Boats, Trains & Seaside 

The perfect start to the holiday! Introductions were made to the amazing volunteers who were on hand to help us with all our fun activities that we had planned. We boarded our leisure cruiser at Ludham Bridge for a relaxing journey along the Broads. During this exceptionally wonderful experience we practiced our royal wave to all other vessels we passed. We were treated to the amazing sight of The Albany, one of the five remaining wherry vessels which were the original form of transporting goods on the broads. 

An ice cream stop was a must and we found just the place in a quaint little village called Thurne. We all managed to buy some great gifts and postcards, too. 

Our next stop was at Holt Stream Railway which felt like stepping back in time. This old fashioned station had its own museum, original carriages and a 1932 dumper truck! 

We took our seats and made ourselves comfy as steam puffed out of the engine and the station master waved us off. Our journey took us through a mixture of country and coast until we ended up in the pretty little seaside town of Sheringham. Once again, this station was full of memorabilia for us to enjoy.

Our journey took us through a mixture of country and coast until we ended up in the pretty little seaside town of Sheringham. Once again, this station was full of memorabilia for us to enjoy. As we walked through the town centre, we browsed the many quirky gift shops and made our way down to the seafront. We enjoyed listening to the breakers hitting the shore and watching the adventurous swimmers enjoying the sea. There were also a variety of Air Force planes whizzing past us in the skies. 

After more shopping, spending our holiday pennies in the arcades, we treated ourselves to another ice cream! It was a unanimous vote for a Fish and Chip supper, well we were besides the sea after all! 

It was time to head to the water where we donned our life jackets and made our way down to the jetty for more fun on the water to have a go at sailing. This was an amazing experience and we took to it like ducks to water. We all had the opportunity to hoist the main sail, handle the jib sails, steer the rudder and winch up the keel. 

Our next activity was canoeing! Once again, we worked well in our group, doing everything as a team. Our instructors were so impressed with our skills that they let us go further afield than normal. That’s praise indeed. With smiles on our faces, we took in the beautiful scenery whilst feeling proud of our hard work. 

 Another fascinating find along the river was The Abbey of St Benet at Holme. It lies deep in the Broads, close to the meeting place of the rivers Bure and Ant. This was the only Norfolk monastery founded in the Anglo-Saxon period which continued in use throughout the Middle Ages, and is the only monastery in England which was not closed down by Henry VIII – the Bishop of Norwich is still the Abbot. As well as being of great historical interest, St Benet’s Abbey is also very atmospheric. For over 200 years it has been a favourite spot for artists, photographers, and tourists.

It was then our turn to take to the helm and be in charge of the boat. This was an amazing experience and we all agreed we made great captains! 

Being next to the water, being so close to nature felt so calming and peaceful.