Friday’s French music break - Måns Zelmerlöw, “Should've gone home (Je ne suis qu’un homme) "

If you’ve been following Friday’s French music break for a while now, you might have noticed the trend for some featured artists to sing only in English…or a sometimes approximate version thereof.

Conversely, there are also several non-native French speakers who choose to re-record tracks they've originally sung in another language specifically for release in francophone countries.

Josef Salvat did it with “Open season” for example.

And so did Mika - although, with “Elle m’a dit”,  he went the whole hog and released a song he had never previously recorded in English.

Joining the club is Swedish pop singer and TV presenter Måns Zelmerlöw with his plaintive (good word that) but catchy “Should've gone home (Je ne suis qu’un homme) “

Måns Zelmerlöw - screenshot from video of “Should've Gone Home (Je ne suis qu’un homme"

Actually on first hearing the song, you might well think it’s Salvat again as it has the same sort of feel to it.

Now, Eurovision fans among you (and there are a fair number scattered around the globe) will probably recognise the name, because Zelmerlöw won the whole shebang for his country back in 2015 and was one of the co-hosts at this year’s show.

Originally released in August 2015 and taken from his sixth studio album “Perfectly damaged”, the French version of “Should've gone home (Je ne suis qu’un homme)” keeps the original melancholic (OK so let’s not exaggerate too much) chorus cry.

But most the verses have been translated - courtesy apparently of singer-songwriter Doriand (Laurent Lescarret) who has done the same for the likes of Mika, Julien Doré and Camélia Jordan.

Anyway, “Should've gone home (Je ne suis qu’un homme) “ isn’t that bad, and neither is Zelmerlöw’s French as the audience at a one-off performance at la Maroquinerie in Paris in October 2015 was able to hear he performed  Gilbert Bècaud’s French standard “Et maintenant”.

Et maintenant

So take a listen.

And just in case there are any Swedish readers out there - Ha en bra helg

Friday's French music break - Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, "Chez Keith et Anita"

It's without doubt the music event of the year in France - well unless, of course, you're counting on the country finishing as an also ran in May's Eurovision Song Contest in the Swedish city of Malmö.

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy's new album is set for release in April, and already French radio stations are playing an acoustic version of the first track to be taken as a single.

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy (screenshot from video clip of "Chez Keith et Anita")

Bruni-Sarkozy is back in fine form as she murmurs her way through "Chez Keith et Anita", a charming little tune "with a Cuban rhythm" about Rolling Stone Keith Richards and his former partner Anita Pallenberg.

Heck, at one point Bruni-Sarkozy even breaks into a rap...of sorts...although that might be putting it a little strongly perhaps. So let's settle for "talking in tune".

The single is from the former-top model, cum actress and one-term first lady's fourth studio album "Little French songs", the long-anticipated (by some) follow-up to her best-selling (really?) "Comme si de rien n'était" in 2008

Among the treats in store on the new album apparently is a homage to her other half - the former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, just in case you needed reminding.

"Mon Raymond," she sings in the track entitled "Raymond". "Il a tout bon, c'est d'la valeur authentique, pour franchir le Rubicon on peut pas dire qu'il hésite / (...) Mon Raymond, il est canon, c'est d'la bombe atomique." (You can do the Google translate if you need to).

Cough, cough.

And there's a swipe at that much revered/reviled profession of journalism in "Les diseurs" with, "Il faut dire que c'est pas drôle, non, d'faire diseurs, ce n'est pas le beau rôle, non. Toutes ces heures passées à causer pour finir oubliés".

Strong stuff.

Sadly you'll have to wait until April 1 (and no, apparently that's not an April Fool) until you can get your mitts on "Little French songs" and treat your ears to the breathless dulcets of the 45-year-old.

But just in case you're impatient to hear what all the pre-release fuss is (or will be) about, here's the acoustic version of that first single, "Chez Keith and Anita".



Now if all that hasn't made you prick up your ears in absolute delight, there's also a tour in the offing.

The head of Barclay, the lucky record label releasing "Little French songs", Olivier Caillart, confirmed Bruni-Sarkozy would be taking her show on the road later in the year.

"A tour is planned in the autumn," he said, adding how delighted he was that Bruni-Sarkozy had "shown confidence in the label by signing".

"The quality of her writing, the unique timbre of her voice and its charm make her one on the major French singing artists," he added, not exaggerating in the slightest.

Ah.

Amandine Bourgeois to sing French Eurovision Song Contest entry

Proving there really is life after television talent shows, Amandine Bourgeois has been chosen to represent France at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in the Swedish city of Malmö in May.

Bourgeois won the sixth edition of Nouvelle Star - France's version of Pop Idol - in 2008.

The show, which was cancelled by M6 a couple of years ago, is currently undergoing something of a renaissance on D8.

And that's perhaps what Bourgeois is hoping for by taking part in the annnual Europe-wide musical jamboree, because since winning Nouvelle Star, her career has hardly been...well er...decidedly rocky (although not in the musical sense of the word).

It all started off reasonably enough, with her debut album "20 m2" in 2009 being pretty well received by music critics and the public alike.

It reached a high of number five in the French charts and went gold. The first track released as a single, "L'homme de la situation" was a catchy little number which received plenty of airplay and reasonable chart success.

Amandine Bourgeois (screenshot from "L'homme de la situation" official clip)

There were two follow-up singles both taken from the album - "Tant de moi" and "Du temps" - which helped keep Bourgeois in the public eye, her album in the charts and bolster tickets sales for her tour of generally small to medium-sized venues around the country.

Bourgeois' second album in 2012 "Sans amour Mon amour" apparently "inspired by the retro 60's R&B of Amy Winehouse" and the two singles "Sans amour and "Envie d'un manque de problèmes", although well-written and produced, pretty much failed to register on the all-important commercial rader.

The result? Well Bourgeois was forced to cancel her tour after selling only 4,000 copies of the album and admitting how upset she was.

"I'm very sad and sorry, but it's really difficult to fill venues when my album simply isn't selling well and the songs aren't played on the radio," she said on her Facebook page, making a promise that she would "work and pray hard to continue living her passion".

And the way apparently to "live her passion" is to represent France in Malmö!

Amandine Bourgeois (screenshot from "L'homme de la situation" YouTube clip)

A France Télévisions committee designated Bourgeois as this country's representative - yes that's the way things are done in France: no leaving it up to the public to decide.

And the song chosen for the 33-year-old to sing in front of millions will be  "L'enfer et moi"

Here's wishing Bourgeois all the best in Malmö.

She'll certainly need it if the recent past form of French participants is anything to go by.

Last year Indonesian-born singer Anggun only managed to finish 22nd out of 26 in the final and the previous year, the man with the big voice and dodgy "hairdon't" Amaury Vassili, only managed a self-described 15th placed "shitty finish".


In fact you have to go all the way back to the hey days of the competition for France's last win.

As the French media keeps reminding everyone each time Eurovision comes around, the last "triumph" for the country was in 1977 when Marie Myriam captured the hearts (and ears) of those watching with "L'oiseau et l'enfant".

"It's an honour for me to represent France," Bourgeois says on her Facebook page.

"I'm a little frightened but I also have the ability to transform that into a something positive," she told the weekly television programming magazine Télé 7 Jours.

"Whatever happens, Eurovision should open doors for me and boost my career."

There's no video of "L'enfer et moi" available yet, but here's a reminder of how she sounded back in her Nouvelle Star-winning days.

Zlatan Ibrahimović - PSG's "homeless" millionaire striker

As you go about your business this week, spare a thought for Zlatan Ibrahimović.

For those of you not so familiar with French football, he's the striker for whom the owners of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the Qatar Investment Authority, splashed out a hefty €23 million in transfer fees to AC Milan back in July and whose take home pay is said to be as much as €14 million annually (although it has recently been revised downwards to a mere nine million euros)

Zlatan Ibrahimović (screenshot)

After a slow start, the investment is beginning to pay off - well at least in terms of his performance on the pitch.

The 30-year-old has scored seven goals so far in the team's first six games in Ligue 1 and his presence at the club has undoubtedly captured the imagination of many a fan and sent politicians and the media into a predictable frenzy.

But while he's initially living up to his starring role in the multi-million euro set-up, away from the pitch, not everything appears to be as it should.

Why?

Well it's simple really. With so much lovely take home pay, Ibrahimović hasn't actually got a home to which he can take it.

That's right - he's currently homeless - or in French "Sans domicile fixe".

Along with his other half, actress-model Helena Seger and their two young children, the Swedish international is apparently having problems finding a suitable pad in the French capital and instead is having to "slum" it at a place which is described in its own blurb as "representing the ultimate in French luxury and refinement".

Hardly what could be described as a half-way house, the prestigious Hôtel Le Bristol with the "cheapest" (inverted commas definitely needed) room costing €850 a night (download the PDF file of room rates for a real shock) and a continental breakfast setting back those with more money than sense €35, is the temporary abode for the family of four with PSG footing (ouch - sorry) the bill.

Of course for some extra much-needed publicity, Ibrahimović could call on the services of French telly's best-known estate agent Stéphane Plaza whose programme on M6 "Recherche appartement ou maison" regularly helps families find the "property of their dreams"

But for the moment "Ibracadabra" as he's often nicknamed, doesn't seem in too much of a hurry.

"Paris is a fantastic city with plenty of history," he said wisely at a recent press conference.

"And if things continue as they've started with my living in the hotel, I'll perhaps end up by buying it," he continued none too seriously when the subject of house hunting was broached.

"Or I'll live in the Eiffel Tower and arrive at training sessions by parachute."

Aha, the man seems to have just right sort of preposterous solution to his housing needs.

We wish him luck.

French handballers strip a journalist half naked on live TV

You would think being a sports journalist would carry few risks.

It's not as though reporters are putting their lives on the line covering wars or getting a little too close to violent demonstrations

And after a team or an athlete has won something the atmosphere is usually a joyful one as the inevitable questions will be trotted out about "How do you feel?" "What did you think of the game?" and "How are you going to celebrate?"

But among the obvious euphoria, the unpredictable can happen, as BFM TV journalist, Nicolas Jamain discovered while trying to interview two members of the gold-winning men's handball team at the London Olympics last weekend.

French handballers Nikola Karabatic (left) and Xavier Barachet help BFM TV reporter Nicolas Jamain bare his chest live (screenshot BFM TV)

Jamain, the channel's special correspondent during the games in London, was trying his best to remain "professional" in front team members, Nikola Karabatic and Xavier Barachet, at Le Club France the evening after Les Experts had beaten Sweden in a closely contested final 22-21 to retain their gold medal.


Somehow though things didn't quite go as Jamain planned because as he tried to pose that award-winning question to both of the players as to how it felt to win a gold medal (duh) they proceeded to pull at his jacket and shirt, leaving him almost completely topless.

Jamain persisted in spite of the jeering and cheering in the background, taking it all with good humour and finally getting both men to calm down enough to be able to have them thank their fans back in France.

It was, as the anchor back in the Paris studio said at the end of the report, an example of the delight everyone had at Les Experts winning.

And bravo to Jamain for managing to hold it all together.

Another magic moment thanks to live TV.



Nikola Karabatic et Xavier Barachet déshabillent... par rmcsport

France gets (David) Beckham's briefs

It might be solace of some sort for French football fans after the rumours that the British player, David Beckham, was about to sign for Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain, came to nowt.

David Beckham (screenshot from H&M commercial)

Because now they can, in a manner of speaking, at least get their hands on a part of one of the world's most famous players after the line of underwear bearing his name was launched in France this week.

All right so it comes a week after the Swedish retail company H&M started selling the "Bodywear collection" in London and that "Beckham in his pants" moment during last Sunday's Super Bowl in the United States when the entire promotional video of the 36-year-old "stretching and arching an eyebrow" clad only in the vestimentary bare essentials was shown during a commercial break.

But retailing at anything from €9.95 to €14.95 the range of underwear, tee-shirts and pajamas are an affordable gift - aren't they?

Hey there are even long johns in the collection to keep both the vitals and the legs warm during this cold winter snap.

The only downside - well there are a couple really - is that donning "Bodywear" won't give you the same sort of figure as the Posh Spice's Other Half and you won't suddenly become an overnight sensation on the pitch.

Never mind, you can always dream.

And maybe someone will dip into their long pockets to offer you a Valentine's gift.

French tennis player Alizé Cornet forgets to turn her mobile 'phone off during match

It was match point against her when French tennis player Alizé Cornet's mobile 'phone stared ringing.

Caroline Wozniacki serving for the match when Alizé Cornet's 'phone rings (screenshot from YouTube video)

We've all heard those announcements at the theatre, the cinema, a classical music concert, a live sporting event or whatever.

The reminder to those present to (if the organisers are feeling particularly polite) "Please turn off you mobile 'phones". Or at least put the ruddy thing on mute.

Ho hum.

No sooner said than done. And woe betide you should you fail to do so.

But what happens when it's not a member of the public but one of those being watched or listened to, who forgets?

This.

It was a first round match at the Swedish Open in Bastad between the world's number one ranked woman player, Caroline Wozniacki from Denmark and France's Alizé Cornet.

At 6-4, 5-3 and 40:30 up, Wozniacki was serving for the match when she - and everybody else present - heard a 'phone ring.

Wozniacki kept her cool and prepared to serve again, but once more the wretched thing went off.

Bemusement from Wozniacki and then a huge smile and laughter from everyone as the camera focused on her opponent who, realising she was in fact the offender, hurried to her kitbag to turn the thing off.

Applause and more laughter all round although it was hardly the "tremendous stuff" as suggested by the commentator on the accompanying video.

Wozniacki lost the game but went on to win the match 6-4, 6-4.

Friday's French music break - Collectif Métissé "Laisse tomber tes problemes"

Collectif Métissé (screenshot from video)

Friday's French music break this week might not be the greatest song ever written and performed, but hey...it's summer and Collectif Métissé's "Laisse tomber tes problemes" surely has to put you in the right mood for partying.

Formed two years ago, Collectif Métissé pretty much represents what France is (or should be) all about - a melting pot of ethnic backgrounds and musical influences - hence the name.

The seven piece group is made up of DJ Fou (real name Sébastien Santovito), Soma Riba, Nadia Lahcene, Willy William, Yannick Cotte, Amélie Wade and Saint Ange; a "cocktail of personalities," according to the official website, that is the "perfect blend to create (those dancefloor) hits."

Collectif Métissé (screenshot from video)

The latest one "Laisse tomber tes problemes" borrows heavily from the 1992 hit "Sing hallelujah" from the Swedish-based musician and producer Dr Alban with the refrain and beat making no pretence than being anything other than a straight cover (or copy).

Just in case you can't hear the resemblance, this remix should help you out.

Not surprisingly "Laisse tomber tes problemes" is getting plenty of airplay in France and even the group (oh all right then, the record label) is confident that it's set to be THE summer hit in France this year.

No arguments there.

Yes the video's a bit macho and not entirely original; streetwise guys and their scantily clad girls as sidekicks on a beach.

And the lyrics are pretty mindless.

There's plenty of "clapping hands", encouragement to women to "undulate your body to the music" and to everyone to "enjoy the exotic dance atmosphere."

Actually that sounds a lot more erudite in translation than it is in the original Franglais.

But this is all about feeling good.

So go on.

Rather than sitting back and enjoying, get up and move - wherever you are.


Laisse tomber tes problèmes par VANESSABEN2

France retain men's handball World Championship

France's men's handball team proved once again they're the best in the world after beating Denmark 37-35 in extra time in the final of the World Championships in Malmö, Sweden on Sunday.

Les Experts celebrate winning the men's handball World Championships (screenshot from YouTube video)

And congratulations for "Les Experts" as they're nicknamed have been coming in thick and fast as they, in the words of the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, "Distinguished themselves throughout the championship, for their ability to stand with confidence, conviction and talent against formidable opponents."

Sarkozy will get the chance to heap even more praise on trainer Claude Onesta's men when he welcomes them to the Elysée palace on Monday afternoon

It's a far cry indeed from those dark sporting days of last summer when the country's football team brought shame and disgrace on themselves (and others) during their dismal campaign in the World Cup finals in South Africa.

And that was surely not far from the mind of the sports minister, Chantal Jouanno, who earlier on Sunday had said that it would be "unacceptable" for players such as Patrice Evra and Franck Ribéry, to make a return to international football.

Commenting on the handball team's performance in Malmö, Jouanno said, "They were magnificent. There is no secret; it's all about training, team spirit and the will to win. They weren't taking part to finish second!"

Qualities which few would surely deny were missing from Raymond Domenech's team in South Africa.

After his tears of frustration last week over France losing out to Qatar to host the 2015 World Championships, the president of Fédération française de handball (French handball federation, FFHB) Joël Delplanque, once again had watery eyes, but this time around they were, as he told RTL national radio, happy ones.

"I kept a supply of tears but this time they're of joy and they're ones that are welcome after the wonderful performance the French team put up against Denmark," he said.

"Experience made the difference and it was extraordinary for television viewers and spectators at the game to see how deep the players had to dig into their reserves and the guts they showed to win the game."

A win which Onesta admitted had been "one of the most difficult of his career" with the icing on the cake being direct qualification for next year's Olympics in London and the 2013 World Championships in Spain.

Sunday's win confirms the French team's status as the best in the world. They have now won the World Championship four times (1995, 2001, 2009 and 2011) and are the current Olympic and European champions.

French disappointment as Qatar named hosts of 2015 men's handball World Championships

There were tears from Joël Delplanque, the president of the Fédération française de handball (French handball federation, FFHB) on Thursday as France lost out to Qatar to host the 2015 World Championships

The announcement was made in Sweden where the current men's World Championships are being held, and the least that can be said of Delplanque's reaction is that he was devastated.

"I'm bitterly disappointed and I cannot find the words to describe how I feel," a tearful Delplanque told reporters immediately after Qatar had been chosen hosts on the first round of voting.

"It's unbelievable especially after our players received a standing ovation when they came to present out bid this morning," he continued.

"I just don't understand."

Joël Delplanque (screenshot from FFHB video)

Perhaps the International handball federation's (IHF) choice of Qatar was not so surprising as Europe will have played host to four consecutive World Championships by 2015 (Germany 2007, Croatia 2009, Sweden 2011 and Spain 2015).

But the French certainly felt they had the best chances. The team are currently Olympic, European and World Champions and have made it through to the semi-finals of the tournament in Sweden.

While the French reaction was one of shock, the representatives from Qatar were naturally jubilant.

"Being offered the opportunity to organise the 2015 World Championship is a dream come true," said Ahmed Mohammed Al-Shaabi, the president of Qatar's handball federation.

"Our case was very strong and handball is a very popular sport in Qatar, coming just after football."

That case includes a deal with the national airline to provide reduced travel costs for spectators wanting to attend the Championships and a desire to broaden the appeal of the sport and, as some French papers have pointed out, free iPads for IHF members.

Delplanque recognised the importance of wanting to make handball more popular, but he insisted that the IHF had overlooked the importance of the role France and its team could play in achieving that goal.

"If the IHF wants role models for the sport, they can do no better that to look at out boys," he said.

"Our team has those qualities and if you want to make the sport stronger and more popular, to raise its level, then it was obvious that the French bid was the strongest."

If the contingent representing France wasn't happy about the outcome, there was at least one French man present who was all smiles and had some sound advice for his countrymen when bidding to hold international sporting events.

"France must look at the way it presents its bid," said Michel-Jacques Filliau, a special advisor to Qatar's minister of sports.

"If it doesn't, this kind of disappointment and failure will probably happen again."


Qatar 2015 : "c'est invraisemblable"
envoyé par Europe1fr. - Regardez les dernières vidéos d'actu.

Handball ref who dropped his pants sent home from World Championships

The men's handball World Championship is currently taking place in Sweden with 24 countries battling it out to lift the title held by France.

The tournament is due to run until the end of January, but for one man it has all ended rather abruptly - and it wasn't one of the players.

France's Olympic gold-winning men's handball team, Beijing, 2008 (from Wikipedia, author Jmex60)

As The Local, an English-language online news site based in Sweden, reported, one of the referees for the tournament has been banned after he exposed himself to staff at the hotel in which he was staying in Göteborg, a city on the western coast of the country.

He was apparently arrested last Thursday evening after hotel cleaners alleged he had exposed himself in front of them.

Police detained him overnight for questioning, says The Local, on "suspicion of sexual molestation", but no charges were brought and he was released the following morning.

When the sport's governing body, the International Handball Federation (IHF), got wind of what had happened it immediately took action.

It issued a statement on its website saying that it had suspended the man from the tournament and had asked local authorities for more details on the incident before it would decide what further measures to take.

Neither the name nor the nationality of the man who apparently felt the need to dangle his privates in public has been released, according to Agence France Presse,

But TV4 news website nyhetskanalen.se reported that he had been spotted on Friday travelling to the Danish capital Copenhagen to take a flight back home.

The 2011 men's handball World Championship is the 22nd time the tournament has been held since 1938.

France are the current Olympic, World and European champions.

Another geography lesson - French style

After a geographical faux pas less than a fortnight ago when it mixed up Wallonia and Flanders during a prime time news broadcast during a report on Belgium, France's main private television channel TF1 has "gone one better".

This time around though it moved the map, so-to-speak, of Scandinavia by placing a whole country - Sweden - a little further to the East - in place of neighbouring Finland to be exact.

It happened during a report on Sunday evening on the French government's planned pension reforms as the channel was making a comparison with other European countries and in particular retirement ages around the continent.

After citing an example from Germany (correctly placed on the map) the report switched to Sweden.

But rather than showing the country of just over nine million where it should be on the map, the report highlighted neighbouring Finland instead, before continuing its two-minute-and-14 second-journey in Italy.

screen shot of TF1's Sweden-Finland map

An error which Jean-Marc Pillas, the médiateur de la rédaction de TF1 or the person responsible for handling viewers complaints, admitted was more than embarrassing.

"I am just as appalled as you are by this gross error of computer graphics," he wrote in response to a comment on the channel's site.

"All steps are being taken to ensure that these geographic blunders don't happen again."

This being the age of the Internet all broadcasts are of course retransmitted in all their glory - warts 'n' all - shortly after going out live.

So if you want to see for yourselves what French viewers were treated to you can watch the clip. At one minute and six seconds you'll briefly see a misplaced Sweden



The irony of this latest mistake coming so quickly on the heels of the Wallonia-Flanders muddle was not lost on readers of the Belgian daily Le Soir, many of whom questioned whether TF1 journalists actually checked information before allowing it to be broadcast.

And one slightly less-than-generous comment suggested that perhaps "the French had become the Americans of Europe" in their lack of geographical knowledge.

Last time around it was left to stand-in anchor Harry Roselmack to apologise for the previous evening's "serious mistake".

Eyes will likely be peeled and ears well-tuned to see how regular host Laurence Ferrari responds to the latest confusion during Monday evening's broadcast.

Stockholm shines - even in the rain

Stockholm's long summer days with warm and pleasant temperatures certainly provided more than a welcome break from the heatwave that hit much of continental Europe this year.

There are, of course, those short winter days, where the average temperature in the Swedish capital in January and February is a bracing -1 degree Celsius. But no need to dwell on that for the moment.

Right now Sweden holds the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union.

So you might be expecting it to put on something of an effort to promote the fact especially in the capital, but instead it seems to be keeping rather a low profile (in Stockholm at least) with barely a sign that it's currently "in charge" of the 27-nation bloc.

But maybe that's just a case of forward thinking and not wanting to be too closely associated with being the country that was at the helm should the Lisbon treaty shortly be dealt its final blow: the Irish will vote for the second time next month on whether to accept or reject the treaty.


Mind you, the EU probably isn't uppermost in most visitors' minds to the city.

So when you touch down at the rather dated Arlanda airport, what can you expect?

Well a warm welcome to begin with (even if the outside temperature isn't exactly playing ball and it's raining) and for English-speakers the delight that you'll pretty much be understood wherever you go.

Should you decide to plump for a taxi rather than public transport to make the 40 kilometre trip to the city centre, don't be surprised to be riding in a hybrid car.

Perhaps Swedes took to heart a finding back in 2007 that the country had "the highest level of pollution-emitting cars in Western Europe." Something to do, according to the New York Times, with their "love affair with big, comfortable cars."

Whatever the case, Stockholm at least certainly seems to have cleaned up its act, with a recent report from the Austrian-based Central European Institute of Technology (CEIT), heaping praise on the fleet of "eco-taxis" which "make up 35 per cent of those" serving the airport.

When you hit the city itself, perhaps the most striking thing is the architecture - a perfect and surprisingly colourful blend of traditional and modern, with of course a healthy dollop of respect for the environment thrown in.

Royal palace

As over 30 per cent of the Stockholm is made up of waterways and the city is built on 14 islands, what better way to take a look at it than from a boat - and that's especially true when the heavens open in an effort to dampen your spirits.

Fear not though, from the shelter of one of the many companies offering boat tours, you'll be able to take in the sights and history of the city.

Probably the most informative and comprehensive is the two-hour "Under the bridges of Stockholm" that picks you up from either Stromkajen or Nybrokajen and takes you (not surprisingly perhaps) under 15 bridges and through two locks.

Or maybe you fancy the "Historical canal" or "Royal canal" tours - no prizes for guessing what they specialise in - which maybe try to pack a little less in to the time allotted.

Whichever one you choose, a boat trip is as essential for visitors to Stockholm as it would be say for those going to the "real" Venice in Italy.

While rain probably isn't the ideal accompaniment to a short break, when the sun puts in an appearance, the real beauty of the city shines through. Well let's face it, "good" weather always helps doesn't it?

Taking care not to get caught up in a passing horsebound royal military parade



(this is a country with a monarch after all) and avoiding being almost mown down by the olde worlde Djurgården tram,



now's the chance to flex those leg muscles, and don some sensible footwear as you head off to see the Old Town.

On the way though, you should try to drop in at Saluhall market, housed in a late 19th century red brick building and a veritable feast for the eyes and tantaliser for the tastebuds.

Try to get there just before the lunch hour rush begins as that'll give you the chance to wander around gaping at the fresh produce on sale (including the most gruesome-looking monkfish - is there any other sort?) before grabbing a seat and tucking in to some traditional Swedish fare.

Don't be surprised if you share your table with complete strangers as places are at a premium.

Once again though the Swedes show just how hospitable and friendly they are by helping you with any questions you might have about those unpronounceable dishes on the menu and they don't mind answering politely when you point to their plates and ask, "What is that?"

A good tip is to arrive hungry and leave stuffed, ready to pound the pavements (or take the metro) as you head off finally to the Old Town or Gamla Stan.

It's a maze of medieval streets, where you'll find (amongst other things) the city's cathedral, the Royal Palace, the Nobel Museum and innumerable souvenir shops in which you can of course pick up that Pippi Longstocking doll you've been "requested" to take home.

Pippi Longstocking, the fictional heroine of Astrid Lindgren's books for children

A weekend certainly isn't enough to do Stockholm anywhere near the justice it warrants.

But it serves as just a taster to an experience well worth repeating regardless of the weather - and perhaps not a moment too soon.

Stockholm Old Town - photos

Old town shoppers

Stora Gråmunkegränd

Royal palace

Nygatan

Some sign that Sweden holds the six-month rotating presidency of the EU

Gåsgränd

Shopping in Stockholm - some photos

Even the rain and gloomy weather doesn't detract from the architectural beauty of the "Venice of the North". And when the sun shines, the place comes alive.

Feast your eyes at the Saluhall market in Stockholm

Arrive hungry, wander around and gawp at the fresh produce and then find somewhere to eat at Saluhall market

Stockholm waterways snapshots

As over 30 per cent of Stockholm is made up of waterways, what better way to get a take a look at it than from a boat - especially when it's raining.

Begin your journey at Stromkajen...

...or Nybrokajen

Under the bridges of Stockholm

Even the rain can't spoil the splendour of the Royal Palace

Passing through a lock

Old and new side by side

AF Chapman floating youth hostel