Sweden offers a wealth of cultural and fish delights

It is easy to see why Swedes are so ambivalent about their first 12 months as members of the EU -- there is little Europe can contribute to the country which has everything. Sweden is bursting at the seams with natural beauty, fish, personal wealth, immaculately preserved architecture, fish, history, culture and fish.

By fish I'm not referring to your greasy British cod or your Russian tinned sardines in tomato sauce. The Swedish fish experience is a glittering rainbow of juicy pink shrimps in their shells, silvery pickled herring, bright orange mounds of caviar, red slices of salmon...and there's no better place to sample all this sea fare than on board a ship.

The majestic cruise across the Baltic from Turku to Stockholm, gliding between rocky islands of snow-topped firs, is a treat for the eyes as much as for the tastebuds. After a relaxing day or night on the ferry it's time to brace yourself for the brisk winter weather and vibrant city life of Sweden's capital on the coast.

If your passion for salty sea breezes has still not been quenched, take a boat trip through the Stockholm archipelago to the Viking trading center of Birka or one of the islands depicted in the works of writer August Strindberg. On land you can travel around town on clean and efficient public transport, paying in appropriate measure for the service.

The streets and buildings of Stockholm are spotless and when the lights are switched on, reflections shimmer on the water -- a Walt Disney wonderland couldn't be more magical.

The narrow cobbled streets of the Old Town (Gamla Stan) wind their way up a hill to the Royal Palace where I heard the lively chatter of the guards taking a break from sentry duty and the amused stares of passers-by. The greatest battle for these decorative soldiers is keeping a straight face while tourists approach them to examine their rifles and fluffy white hats.

In keeping with the spirit of the past, craftspeople can be seen at work in their shops weaving, carving and hammering, 1990s prices the only sign they are aware the 21st century is nigh.

Elsewhere in the city, Swedes are racing towards the next millennium as if they intend to get there before the rest of the world. The shiny glass Cultural Center (Kulturhuset) which dominates the central shopping district has one of Stockholm's three Internet cafes where you can access the information superhighway and have a cappuccino at the same time.

Computers in the Vasa Museum allow you to redesign the Vasa warship which sank in 1628 before the enemy had a chance to see her on the horizon. No image generated by microchip can compete with the real thing, though, standing in spectacularly restored glory some 30 years after she was raised up from the sea bed.

Drottningholm Palace, one of Stockholm's many grandiose monuments to past glories.

This is undoubtedly the proudest of Stockholm's museums but it is also worth looking in at the nearby Nordic Museum, housed in the magnificent turreted replica of a renaissance palace. The displays are all on the theme of Swedish heritage and the highlight was seeing how various festivals are celebrated.

Midsummer's dinner seems to have been highly satisfactory for one family who retired to bed leaving cigarette ends, blobs of trifle and an almost empty bottle of liqueur on their table.

What happens on Skartorsdagen was not clear because I couldn't read the explanation in Swedish, but it was no party for a certain Elin Andersson, whose lifesize model hangs from a chain with her feet and hands shackled, neck outstretched under the blade of a sword.

To understand Swedish ways more fully I turned on a television in the evening and flicked channels until a gameshow called Man O Man caught my eye. In this production some strapping lads called Eivind, Kim, Bjorn and Tim demonstrated their prowess in the art of courting to an audience of giggly girls with mobile phones.

When Kim's Bing Crosby impersonation and Tim's Paso Doble failed to impress, their numbers were dialed and a crowd of skimpily clad women pushed them into a swimming pool.

But there is no reason to stay at home in front of the box. There are more restaurants and cafes per capita here than in almost any other European city and a lively theater scene -- Little Shop of Horrors and a musical version of Cyrano de Bergerac were among the shows playing when I was in town.

A cinema ticket will cost about 70 crowns ($10), but if you're fed up with hearing your favorite Western actors' voices dubbed into Russian, Stockholm offers the peace and quiet of subtitles.

TRAVEL DETAILS

VISAS
Visas are available from the Swedish consulate in St Petersburg. All Russians need visas for Sweden. These require an invitation.
Visas cost $20 and are provided by the Swedish consulate in St Petersburg four hours after the application is received.
Finnish transit visas are also necessary for Russians sailing from Helsinki or Turku. They cost 100 Finnish marks ($25) and the consulate in St Petersburg takes two weeks to process applications.

FERRY
If its financial problems are resolved then the Russian ferry Ilyich sails direct from St Petersburg to Stockholm. Silja Line ferries depart from Helsinki (daily) and Turku (twice daily) for Stockholm all year round.

ACCOMMODATION
Finding a hotel or youth hostel in Stockholm is no problem at all, especially in winter, and negotiating the price can bring unexpected rewards.

INTERNAL TRANSPORT
Within Stockholm Individual tickets for public transport are sold in units of 6.50 crowns ($1) and a typical journey on metro or bus usually costs 13 crowns ($2). A 15-minute taxi journey can cost 90-120 crowns ($13-$17) depending on the time of day.

INFORMATION
Stockholm This Week is the official city and event guide, published in English, available in hotels, museums and information centers. It contains maps, listings, addresses and opening times. Stockholm, Beauty on Water is a general guide in English.

LANGUAGE
Most Swedes are fluent in English and are usually polite and keen to help with directions and advice.