The Grand Hotel Stockholm opened in 1874 ... making it one of the oldest in Europe. The Nobel prize ceremonies were hosted here from 1901 to 1929.

There are now 330 rooms and suites ... 37 suites actually ... with 6 brand new ones ... of which one is mine!

So up early .... and the cooking feature ... with Mathias Dahlgren ... who has 2 Michelin stars with Matsalen (The Dining Room) and 1 star Matbaren (The Food Bar) ... they both sit next to each other in the hotel. Dining is "formal" and Food is "informal" ... we had dinner last night in Food ... it was yummy and the service was outstanding.

So we cooked a wonderful lobster poached in butter dish together ... washed down with a lovely Meursault ... it was a really fun morning ... Mathias is a lovely chap and a fabulous chef ... you don't have to be an angry, ignorant ape to be a great chef, don't you know!

From there it was an interview with the hotel General Manager Marie-Louise Kjellstrom. She has been here since last April 2010 ... and came from the airline SAS. She had never worked in a hotel before! She is awesome ... very forward thinking and her plans for the hotel are very positive.

Then my suite review ... I have a LOVELY suite! I love my job! This will be up on the website in the next 6 weeks ...

Off to the Nordic Spa now for a dip and a sauna! Lovely way to the end the day!

Tomorrow is our last in Stockholm/Sweden .... I love it here ... boohoo ...

 Marie-Louise

 With Mathias and Daniella (the restaurant's GM)

 With our wonderful "PR" - Jorgen Andreasson

Part of my suite ... hmmmmm ...

I am quite taken with Stockholm!

Rolled out of bed quite early this morning and after breakfast we zoomed off to the Vasa Museum ... around a 10 minute drive away from The Grand Hotel.

The Vasa is a ship that was built between 1626 to 1628 by the King of Sweden (Gustavus II Adolphus). It was 69 metres long and 52.5 metres high ... had 10 sails, 64 guns ... and 145 seaman. It was made of 1000 oak trees. It was set to be the greatest warship of its time. It set sail on its maiden voyage between 4 and 5 pm on August 10, 1628. It sailed just 1300 metres and then capsized! Thankfully only around 50 people died ... The problem was that the ship had one too many deck ... and a mere breath of wind just knocked it over. It was Sweden's "Titanic" ...

The ship lay at the bottom of the Harbour until it was "found" by Anders Franzen in 1956 ... after three summers of looking! Surely everyone must have known where it was!

In 1961, the ship was raised and then started a massive restoration of it ... with a jigsaw of pieces from the seabed. The museum was built over a dry-dock and that was opened in 1990 ... by 2001, over 20 million visitors had marvelled at the Vasa!

We were VERY lucky that Fred Hocker - the Director of Research at the Vasa - was our guide. We filmed while the museum was empty ... which was a real treat.

Only researchers and Heads of State are allowed on the ship ... we got close ... very close! When I buy a private island and name it Varunland, then I will be allowed on it too!

The Vasa IS the must see of Stockholm. If you get Fred as your guide - then that is the icing on the cake!

Next up, the National Museum. Here I met with the delightful curator Cilla Robach who took me on a guided tour of the museum taking in Swedish art from the 16th century ... then to Larsson - the father of Modernism in Sweden ... right up to the 20/21st century - chairs, lamps etc!

It's been a fun ... but educational ... and tiring day!

Off to the Spa for a sauna I think!

 I am touching an actual part of the Vasa ... with Fred!

 The Deck

 The closest I was going to get to the Vasa!

 National Museum

 Don't touch!

 Mr Rembrandt, I presume?

Well, I feel quite chipper this evening!

I have just had a Swedish massage. Yes - Pauline my therapist put me through the teachings of the 18th century Swedish physical therapist Per Henrik Ling ... and I feel grrrrreat.

I was meant to be spending the day on the island of Sandhamn BUT it was raining heavily so that was cancelled. Thankfully the delightful marketing chap here at The Grand Hotel - Jorgen - organised for me to spend the afternoon with a personal shopper at NK, Sweden's oldest department store.

So I met up with the delightful Lena who took me around the store "shopping" - Swedish brands only ... Sweden is NOT cheap ... but everything is of fantastic quality. We did have fun ...

Sleeeep!

Lena

Eeyore needed a cuddle

Greetings from The Grand Hotel in Stockholm.

Awoke in a red house - called The Blue Cone (the architect changed his mind about the colour at the 11th hour!) - and had a final breakfast in the main house before we filmed a lovely interview with Britta Jonsson-Lindvall who owns the hotel with her husband Kent. She is honestly one of the nicest, kindest, sweetest people in the world. I was VERY sad to leave the Treehotel, Love (guide & friend), Harads, Boden and Lulea ...

I was given a wonderful gift as I checked out ... may post a photo tomorrow! The boys are rather jealous!

Anyway, I am here now in the Swedish capital city - in the finest suite in the finest hotel ... lucky me!

Love, Britta & moi ... with the lovable village idiot in the background!

Love climbing into the UFO

I am cold ... cold, cold, cold ... it's not that cold in Harads ... but I have just been standing in a freezer that was MINUS 19 degrees ... and Tim was kind enough to pour some snow down my neck!

OK - I am staying at the Treehotel. There are 11 rooms in the main building which was built in the 1930's. It was once an old people's home and now is a guest-house! The house is "listed" so it's filled with cute, quaint and original features.

The Treehotel is famous world over for the 5 suites that sit around 100 metres from the main building. The 5 suites are built in the trees and are contemporary. The hotel was opened in July 2010 ...

The suites: The Mirror Cube - a cube made of mirror that sits in a tree, a Blue House, a UFO, a log Cabin and a Bird's Nest. Five architects were invited to design these suites ... and not only are they unique but are fabulous!

I have been living in the Mirror Cube. 16 square metres in area ... made of pine inside and mirror outside. I don't have a regular toilet ... my "stuff" gets frozen and disposed of ... the integrity of the cube is all important! There's no running water - just an inventive wee glass bottle - and very little storage ... there is underfloor heating, a double bed, internet and one of the most amazing "room" experiences I have ever had!

This place works because of Britta - who with her husband Kent (who is on a trip to Russia this week) fill this place with love and hospitality. I simply LOVE it!

In the afternoon - again with Love - we popped up to Svantes Vilt & Bar - five minutes up the road. Here they process bear, moose and reindeer meat. Erm - it tasted smokey ... hmmm ....

The UFO

It was meant to be Blue!

With Andreas Renberg and Love and meat!

I am absolutely exhausted! It's the fresh air here in Harads.

Up early after a really crazy nights sleep. Really weird dreams ... very weird indeed. Will explain tomorrow ...

So met up with my guide Love Rynback (pronounced "Luveh") after breakfast and we ventured up the road to Caspadia's Farm - a working horse farm. Here I met the delightful Cicci Nilsson and her beautiful Irish Cobb horse - Romany. They are a very "ecologically friendly" lot these Swedes and when it comes to moving logs, rather than using trucks, they use horses! I was taught how to be a "log mover"! It was not easy but was great fun! Cicci can move upto 300 trees a day! The logs by the way are used for firewood ... silver birch and pine.

From there, we ventured to the Laplander Lake to try and catch some brown trout. We spent FIVE hours trying ... and failed quite spectacularly! I am not too sad about it ... I have learnt how to cast magnificently!

Sleeeeeeeeeeeeep! After a reindeer dinner! Ha!

Greetings from Sweden! Greetings from the Treehotel - Harads, Boden ... 60 minutes drive from Lulea - one hour flight north of Stockholm!

I am staying in a room like no other I have ever seen or stayed in ... more on that on Monday.

The journey has been long but quite stress-free.

I need some sleep now ...

Have just had a unique supper which comprised of bear meat, moose, reindeer and ocean trout ... hmmm ... and it was washed down with Swedish whisky ... oh, and a dessert of Artic raspberries. All prepared by the owner Britta ... more on her on Monday too!

This is all too exciting!

Britta

When there's no time, there's too much to do .... when there's ample time, there's never enough to do! So was my day ...

It's September! I can't believe it! But I still have 14 overseas trips before I start my Christmas holiday on December 10th! Tomorrow as you know, I will be in Sweden! I am first staying at the Treehotel in Lulea ... it looks absolutely BRILLIANT! I am very, very excited ... in fact, I have not been this excited about a trip for a very long time (exactly 2 weeks). My only worry are the mosquitoes and midges who love Indian blood (so I am told) ... eek!

Will this be my Suite?

I have spent the day in Clapham (London), with Oli the Editor, looking at the Geneva/Montreux and Bahamas shows.

They look fabulous - so far!

Tomorrow I am home - then Sweden on Saturday! Whoo-hoo! Endless reruns of the Swedish chef from The Muppet Show (watch the one in which he makes doughnuts - it's awesome) have made me so happy that the Swedes are going to wonder "what I am on"!

With Fred and Sam from Off Axis on Lake Geneva before the wake-surfing begins!

With Thomas Mathys at Davidoff in Geneva

Shops in Clapham - post-riots!

The locals try and clean up ...

Ed - the second editor

Oli the Editor ... ahhhhhh!

The week has been quite odd ... and it's only Wednesday.

I have started - in earnest - my preparation for next year's Marathon ... small steps etc ... but have "run" into a small problem ... a pulled muscle in my right leg. Thankfully, a wonderful masseuse called Inese has been working on the leg all week and I am hoping that by Swedenday, I should be ok again ...

On Monday I did have an off-turn though - and to commiserate, I washed down my fish and chips with a bottle of 2002 Vintage Dom Perignon ... I did feel rather better after that!

Tonight I am feeling in that mood again ... hmmm ... tomorrow I am spending the afternoon with Oli the Editor!

I wish!

Back to my desk. So much paperwork to do!

Saturday it's off to Sweden ... very exciting. I hope the weather is good -- we are spending half the time in Stockholm and the other half "in a forest". Midnight picnics! I can't wait ... sadly nowhere for midnight golf! Grrr ...

Wrote scripts for the Switzerland and Bahamas episodes today ... what great memories.

Geneva & Montreux were such a long time ago .... but strangely it felt like yesterday.

 At Davidoff - Geneva

 Montreux

 Patek Philippe - I WANT

Tim, Bernie and Me!

If all the banks go bust - will we lose "bank holidays"? If so, we must make sure they are rescued ... these long weekends are fabulous and so necessary!

No rain today so pottered down to the Jurassic Coast to watch fisherman - fish, sailors - sail and lunatics swim in the cold, cold sea! Ah - but the prawns were fresh (yumyum), the air fresher and the snooze on the beach was just ... perfect!

Back to reality from tomorrow! Eek!

VIDEO: My favourite dive of the year so far: Africa / The Seychelles / Feature / Diving at Denis Island: http://www.insideluxurytravel.com/videoplayer.php?flv=af_sey_ft_denisdive

Taking time off is awesome!

I did so little today ... except wait at home for Hurricane Irene to strike ... which according to The Daily Mail newspaper is imminent ... yes, here in England!

There has been a deluge of black flies, hornets and mosquitoes in the UK this year ... so I have bought a fly-swatter. All was well - and yes, I had been ruthless in my hunt for flies - until I suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

Hindus believe that we can all come back as a fly ... and Buddhists believe we could all be flies ... so is it immoral for me to swipe at them ... kill them ... and then flush them down the toilet?

This is all WAY to much thinking for a Sunday afternoon ...

Now, below is a link for one of my favourite features we have filmed this year, at Harley Farms in California. The farm - run by Dee Harley - is all about goats ... and cheese, yoghurt, hand creams and soaps that are made from the milk ... what fun we had. Especially when Tim was attacked by some rather large goats who tried to eat him ... and his camera. How James and I laughed!!

North America / Central Californian Coast / Feature / Harley Farm: http://www.insideluxurytravel.com/videoplayer.php?flv=na_ccc_ft_harleyfarm

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