june-2011

CREDIT
STOCKHOLM DURING
ITS SPECTACULAR
MARITIME
CELEBRATIONS
[ feature ]
STOCKHOLM // GOTHENBURG
A SWEDISH
ADVENTURE
Travel the Göta Canal, which
links the spectacular cities of
Stockholm and Gothenburg
HAVE WALKED THROUGH
I the enchanting winding,
cobbled medieval alleys and
pastel-coloured 18th-century
architecture of Stockholm’s
fairy-tale epicentre, Gamla
Stan (the Old Town). I’d like
to stick around for longer as
I’ve hardly explored the whirl
of museums, restaurants,
bars and nightclubs that add
stardust to the other parts of
this south-eastern seafront
haven. However, nothing is
going to stop me from leaving
the Swedish capital to climb
aboard the three-deck M/S
Diana for a four-day ‘Coast to
Coast’ voyage of a lifetime.
The charming vessel,
named after the goddess of
the hunt – and chastity, is now
80 years old. And entering
my small but comfortable
cabin, I almost feel as if I’m
transported back to the 1930s
– all sleek mahogany panelling
and elegant buffed-up brass
Words Xav Judd
fittings. Indeed, it’s the perfect
place to relax and shut myself
off from the helter-skelter of
the modern world – there’s no
internet, TV or even radio.
Along with a sprightly crew
of about 12 and 50 or so
passengers (mostly Australians,
Americans and Europeans) we
head from one side of Sweden
to the other. Much of the
cruise is along the magnificent
Göta Canal. The ambition of
naval officer and statesman
Baltzar von Platen in 1810,
who wanted to improve trade
links and bolster his country’s
fortifications, it was over two
decades before the 200km
coastal connection was
finished, with the aid of
Scottish architect and designer
Thomas Telford and nearly
60,000 labourers.
Even at our sedate pace (the
average speed is a carefree
4-5 knots), it does not take us
long to reach our first lock at
JUNE/JULY 2011 // WIZZ MAGAZINE 51