A new meaning for exotic

For years I've done everything possible to escape the British winter. Trips to New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, India, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia have indulged my desire to dodge the cold and dark of London.

But after a while the tropics (or antipodean summers) lose their ability to surprise you - at least in terms of climate. The content may still enthrall, but the packaging starts to look a bit samey.

And so it is with a certain amount of surprise that I find myself having a terrific time in Stockholm.

It's beautiful! And the big thing for me is that it is utterly unprecedented for me in my travels to go somewhere cold, and therefore the perpetually snowy streets are the very definition of exotic. It's an absolute pleasure just wandering about, even in cold so severe it numbs your face. I'm sure I'll be keen to go somewhere warm very soon (even if it's just my bath at home) for the moment I'm revelling in a very different trip.