The Tranquil Little Town That Is Vaxholm

You might want to experience a one day getaway in Sigtuna first.

*******

Another couple of days off of school and my friend Linh and I went to the small but cozy town of Vaxholm, just over thirty kilometers away from Sweden's capital city, Stockholm. 

We used our SL cards to use the tunnelbana (the subway system) to Tekniska Högskolan (in the red line towards Mörby Centrum) before we changed to Bus number 670 to Vaxholms Kyrka. Once we reached the church, we hopped off, admired the shining sun and walked to central Vaxholm.

Upon walking, we notice that Vaxholm is just like Stockholm's Old Town, Gamla Stan. The architectural design of the houses, the pavement composed out of bricks and the magnificent view of the water makes me think about walking through the narrow streets and admiring the shops and boutiques in Gamla Stan.

Vaxholms Centrum

After some more walking, we reached the pier. There was only a few boats sighted, so you can clearly see the islands close to Vaxholm, separated by the water. The weather was amazing for a walk, so we spent more time walking around the pier and browsing the shops to soak up some Vitamin D.

We then saw one of Vaxhom's most precious attractions, the Vaxholm Fortress. The fortress is situated on a separate island with no connections by land whatsoever.

More Travel Pictures On My INSTAGRAM

Afterwards, Linh and I walked some more and had lunch in Vaxholm's Pizzeria, before boarding a bus bound back to Stockholm.

Another small walk/Sweden adventure today was successfully completed. Honestly, I expected more from Vaxholm, as the standards set by our first trip to Sigtuna were really high. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this day.

Where in Sweden should I explore next? Leave me a comment!

*********

Read More - Solna's Karlberg Castle

- Unlucky Numbers Around The Wolrd

Follow Me On Social Media | Thoughts Blog - Instagram - Twitter

Read More

Paris Day 2 - The Arc De Triomphe and Concorde

Read DAY 1, Where We Visited The Eiffel Tower and The Louvre HERE.

***

The second and final day in the city of lights began with a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus ride from The Louvre to Concorde. The Place De La Concorde is a popular square in France also encloses the Obelisk. The Obelisk stands 75 feet high and weighs more than 250 metric tons. On October 1836, the Obelisk replaced a guillotine in the middle of the Place De La Concorde, by the order of King Louis Philippe.

The Obelisk, as captured from the second storey of the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus.

Near the hieroglyph-covered monument is the famous Champs-Élysées. The avenue stretches out more than 1.9 kilometers (about 1.2 miles), and is surrounded by small or renowned shops, cafés, restaurants and cinemas. We strolled down the whole avenue from the Place De La Concorde, and taking a bunch of pictures along the way. I was a bit disappointed because we went there in the afternoon and that people tell me it's way better to go there at night. 

After a long walk along the Champs-Élysées, we made it to the Arc De Triomphe. I was quite bummed to see that there was construction going on the upper portion of the arch, something that I obviously didn't expect. I really like the detail of the designs around the arc. The arc honors the people who fought and perished for France during the Napoleonic and French Revolutionary Wars.

The Arch From The Place De Charles De Gaulle

After we visited this very historic monument of France, we used the bus to go to Palais Garnier / Opéra, but we needed to take a quick detour because my sister needed to use the restroom. We weren't planning to go to the Galeries Lafayette during our stay, but we stumbled upon it while we had our search for a restroom. 

We literally went up and down the stairs of this wine-selling establishment (much like Systembolaget here in Sweden) to find the restroom, because people kept telling us that the restroom is just "along the way". We found it, we used it and we got out of the Galeries Lafayette. That was very unexpected, but at least I got a glimpse on what it [Galeries Lafayette] would offer. Shoe boutiques, wine and alcohol and tons of different restaurants offering different types of cuisines.

We then walked to the Palais Garnier which on the outside appeared astonishing. Much like the Arc De Triomphe, it was undergoing construction. This made me sigh. When we entered, we saw more detail of architecture.

To wrap things up, we took the bus again and went to the Notre Dame De Paris. The Notre Dame is one of the many things that I would just dream to see, but I have seen it. The outside of the building blew me away. The intricacy of the architectural design on the outside made our jaws drop. When we entered, I could feel the solemnity of the church. We donated a couple of Euros and offered candles. I was extremely overjoyed on the fact that I just offered a candle on one of the most highlighted areas of Paris.

The inside of the church was amazing. As a part of the Catholic community, I was astounded. I was astounded more when a mass was just about to start, with about 100+ people taking pictures. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to attend the mass, as it was getting late.

That concludes our trip to Paris, France this 2014. I have seen another part of the large, large area that is Europe. I have seen and experienced some sights that I would never think to personally see my whole life. Paris has been a mind-blowing experience not just for me, but also for my family that went along with the journey.

 My favorite part of Paris was definitely seeing the magnificent views on one of the observation decks of the Eiffel Tower. There were also some lows on this trip, such as the Arc De Triomphe being covered with construction and Tabac Du Roule, but those didn't hinder any of the highs we had.

I want to see Paris someday again in the future, just to say "hi" again and to see the things that have changed. Is the city more urban now? Can I still see the flawless architecture I saw the last time that I was here? Is the Mona Lisa still covered with that thick glass pane at the Louvre?

Again, that's it. Hopefully, you too have enjoyed my stay in the city of lights and love. What was your favorite part of my Parisian experience? Comment them down below and let me know! I'm Euan, and from Paris with love, Au Revoir.

***

READ MORE FROM EUAN!

- The 'Ski Road' At Bansko (BULGARIA) -

- Eating Some Tomyum In Bangkok (THAILAND) -

FOLLOW EUAN ON TWITTER

Like THE TEEN TRAVELLER on FACEBOOK

by liking, you get updates if we post and passwords on the exclusive content they only get to see on the blog!

Read More

BLOG URL HAS CHANGED. (Update)

Salutations, everyone. (What an intro.)

As you're reading this post, I shall be boarding a short flight from Stockholm to Paris with my mom and my sister. So before I go, I decided to give all of you a short update.

First of all, the BLOG URL HAS CHANGED. The old URL, teenagertravelling is no longer in use. We will now be using the-teen-traveller.blogspot.se, as it is easier to remember and recognize.

Just in case you missed that,

The Blog URL Has Changed And It Will Now Be the-teen-traveller.blogspot.com.

Next, I just want to apologize on the fact that I have not released any Bulgaria posts yet. I know some of my friends in school keep asking me on my experiences, but I always hold them off and just tell them to go to my blog to know. If you're one of those friends, it might take a few days more. There have been some problems in transferring the photos from the cameras to my computer, and I know that a blog post like this without any pictures seems very dull. 

Lastly, I'm so excited that all of you have met the co-authors! Both of them are very close friends of mine and are also passionate about travelling and writing. One of them even has her own blog! 

Read SHRIYA's Introduction!

Read PATRICIA's (The Formal Rulebreaker's) Introduction!

Go to Patricia's Main Blog (The Formal Rulebreaker)!

That's it. Hopefully everyone has a nice week ahead of them, and wish me luck in France!

Au revoir for now, everyone.

****

The Youtube World Project 2014 (by The Swedish Lad) 

EATS: Espression Lavazza

Read More

The Arlanda Express

- Information on the Arlanda Express -

Stockholm's Arlanda Airport is located away from Stockholm city itself. To get there, people need to take the Arlanda Express, a train going from Stockholm city to all of the Arlanda Airport terminals. The A. Express is really expensive, but if you're a true Stockholmer, you can use your SL card and use the Pendeltag (a with a circle on top) or the commuter train to go to Arlanda (change in T-Centralen)

Fares: Children until 17 years old travel free, youth (as they call it) from 18 to 25 cost SEK 130 (one way) or SEK 260 (return). Finally, adults travel for SEK 260 for a one way ticket and SEK 490 for a return ticket.

Exclusive photo of the inside cabin of the Arlanda Express on my blog's Facebook page.
Click Here to go to my blog's official Facebook page! 

{Like it for more exclusive blog updates!}

Read More

RANT | Why Is Stockholm So Expensive?

I decided to do another rant, because I think when you go to Stockholm, this is the most obvious thing you will notice (besides the beauty of Gamla Stan)... It's so expensive.

So why IS Stockholm so expensive? Of course you come here, you will admire the beauty of the surroundings and the old-style architecture, but you will pay hefty fees even if you want to go to McDonalds.

The cheapest thing you can buy at McDonalds is a plain ice cream in a cone, worth SEK 9 (about US$ 1.5). The ice cream isn't as big as my hand. Trust me.... I'm thirteen.

YOU CAN stay in Stockholm  cheaper though. Keyword "cheaper", not "70% lower". You need to put some effort into it, though.

I want to skip the accommodation part, because I don't have experience there, but I do know that it'll set you back, most likely if you're staying at either a well-known hotel or a hotel near the city center.

For the food part, you can buy cheaper breads and stuff in the local supermarkets. Scope the supermarket for a bargain of bacon, ham or other meats, and just cook them in your house (if you have a kitchen). If you don't have a kitchen, you still can buy some stuff at McDonalds for less than SEK 20. (One of my personal favorites, a Double Cheeseburger will set you back SEK 20).

That's some of my advice. How about you? What other stuff do you think are worth ranting about? 

***

Read My First Rant Here:

The Ratchet Closing Times of Swedish Stores

***

Read More

Why Should We Travel?

So a lot might agree that travelling is real, pure fun. Besides the original response of "because its fun" or "I like going to other places", why do we really need to travel?

Personally, I enjoy travelling because I also want to experience the culture of other places, especially other countries. With this, I want to make the most out of my travelling experience by researching online for some travel advice, tips and etc. 

The world really is our playground. If the word "playground" means "a travelling haven", this would be a very accurate metaphor. I really like how people describe the physical Earth as their playground, because it shows me that they also want to enjoy the good things in life, and what each and every place has to offer.

Now let's go on to something only a handful of people talk about. The benefits of travelling.

1] It helps us with our ability to understand perspectives. 
If you are travelling, there is a solid possibility that you can get an outlook of the lives of the people that are natives or locals on that particular country or region. Say if you take a trip to a highly-agrarian country and find tons of farmers harvesting their crops, you may understand that the situation for work in that country is on agriculture and on farming. You can also notice different perspectives in the form of the people. Maybe you see that people are skinny because most of their food are non-fattening. There is a wide range of possibilities.

2] We have the opportunity to focus on more leisurely things and decrease stress.
While travelling, you are focused on the pleasure you feel because you're relaxing, enjoying that beautiful view of a countryside or on top of a crazy-high tower, or spending your cash on that savvy three course meal. This lets you forget about your problems and other stressful stuff. At least when you travel, you are focused on more fun, leisurely stuff instead of boring old stuff that increases your blood pressure.

3] Travelling creates memories that last a lifetime. Trying something for the first time is great!
If you travel, you may come across some scenery that you have never encountered some thing like it before. You can then proudly say that it is your first time to do something. So let's say its your first time to go paragliding in Brazil, or eating some kind of bizarre street food in China, all make a mark on your life.

4] Activate social connections / make new friends. 
Travelling is also exposure to mass amounts of people all around the world. Why not make friends along your positive journey? By the way, always be wary of friendly strangers, but other than that, it does not hurt to make friends. Become a social butterfly.

So that's it. More than what you expected? I hope so. No?, well that's fine. I want to become one of those advocates of travelling, because travelling is awesome. As awesome as eating. So are you up with me? Would you be a travelling advocate?

Read More

Travel Tips

Here are some tips if your going away to a vacation to a different country.

1: Make a checklist of the necessary items you want to bring. Some necessary items may be toiletries, medication, sunscreen and whatever your heart desires.

2: Book airfare and accommodations two months before your trip. This is especially useful if you're going to a country with major festivities, as the prices may even double in airfare and hotels.

3: Budget travelling? Buy your food at a local supermarket. Still want to taste the cuisine of the country you're going to? Buy street food from hawkers and stalls.

4: Group travelling? Assign one of you to be a treasurer. All the people in the group must then contribute an amount of money and put it in a pouch courtesy of the treasurer. Every expense must be paid using the money inside the pouch, such as entrance fees, food and souvenirs.

5: Use all your money. If you're going to a country that does not accept your own currency, it is advisable to spend all your money there. You don't want to get ripped-off by the exchange rates twice, don't you?

6: If you think flights are crazy boring, bring something that you can enjoy doing whilst in a flight. Enjoy reading? Bring a book. Enjoy playing games? Fully charge your phone or bring an iPad or whatever. Enjoy sleeping? Bring a neck-pillow.

If you enjoyed reading this post, I'll be sure to make a Part 2!

READ MORE: How To Make The Most Of Your Travel Money {from nomadicmatt.com}

Read More