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maltatoday SUNDAY 22 OCTOBER 2017 39 Travel BEST AREAS TO WIND DOWN AND ENJOY NATURE Stockholm is huge, almost the same size as the island of Malta, and with a population of two million people, it can sometimes feel good to get away for some peace and quiet. For a nice walk, head to the natives' favourite park, Royal Djurgården. Take the bus or tram to the island and enjoy a walk around the large park, which is exercised by the Royal Court of Sweden. It's not unusual to spot members of the royal family tending to their horses or just taking a stroll in this park. Many museums are also located nearby should you feel the need for a wind-down after a tough day of sight seeing, this park is the place to be. In the mood for a swim? The small island Långholmen, con- nected to Södermalm from Hornstull, offers quiet nature, beautiful views of the city and small beaches and bathing spots along the way. If you are visiting Stockholm in the colder seasons, check out the outside Sauna in Hornstull to heat you up before your swim! BEST ADVENTURE ACTIVITY One of the best ways to get to know Stockholm and its many nooks and hidden gems is by get- ting online. Technology is everywhere in Swe- den, and Stockholm is no different. Geocach- ing is a fun and great way to not only let the whole city become an urban treasure-hunt, but something that will surely take you to places you never would've seen otherwise! If you fancy high speed and want to see more of the archipelago of Stockholm County, a RIB-boat ride allows you to see the most of the vast small islands, while feeling like James Bond. If you want to feel like a secret agent but don't fancy water, take a guided Rooftop walk instead. For a whole day of adventure, head to Gröna Lund, Stockholm's amusement park, where you find roller-coasters, arcade games, haunted houses, and pentathlon competitions to chal- lenge your friends. BEST PLACE FOR A NIGHT OUT While Södermalm is crammed with small bars and beer houses for a more quiet approach to the night, Stureplan is where you will find the heart of nightlife in Stockholm. Enjoy the magnificent interior of Berns Salonger or do an all-nighter at East, why not grab your dance shoes and indulge in the music from some of the world's biggest DJs who normally play their sets at Solidaritet or Ambas- sadeur. Note that Stureplan is considered high-end. Flip flop and shorts won't cut it at the indoor bars or restau- rants, no matter the season. If you would rather embrace the Viking history of Stockholm, head to Sjätte Tunnan in The Old City, where a whole array of cocktails and beer as well as actual mead, an alcoholic drink made from fermented honey and water awaits you. BEST PLACE TO STAY Hotel Nordic Light brings Scandinavian archi- tecture, luxurious hotel rooms and the heart of Stockholm City to you and is a perfect choice for a weekend in the city. Make sure to book your experience in the Nordic C's very own Icebar by ICEHOTELS Stockholm while you are there! (Unless you are visiting during winter, as you might already have enough snow and cold outside.) Should you wish to get closer to the natives of the capital, Airbnb or Couch Surfing is a perfect option, where you can find quirky and unique apartments all over the city. Many are well- experienced hosts and are often open, friendly, and would not hesitate to show you their own gems of the town during your visit. Use com- mon sense when booking with private owners to avoid disappointment. In days of old the Northern Bald Ibis (M. Velleran Eremit) occurred across North Africa, Southern Europe and the Middle East. But as humanity spread, so the species declined. With fewer than 500 now left in the wild, the bird is listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red Data Book and only drastic measures will save it from extinction. Some countries have begun captive-breeding projects to eventually replenish the depleted wild stock. One such project is in Northern Italy, where some hand-reared young birds recently escaped and instinctively migrated south. Some got lost, others were shot, and one turned up… at the Ta' Qali training ground! As it often does in such cases, BirdLife mounted an all-night vigil to deter roving hunters from adding this mega trophy to their stuffed-bird collection. Eventually the bird crossed over to Gozo, where BirdLife obtained permission to catch the semi-domestic bird so as to return the youngster to her Italian handlers. A hunter group had the cheek to complain that BirdLife had deprived the public from enjoying it! Text Victor Falzon Photo Aron Tanti 580. NORTHERN BALD IBIS Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 483: Find out more – www.foemalta.org/bee For those not accustomed to the pollinator hospitality industry, a Bee n' Bee or Bee hotel is a space where bees can find much needed shelter that may not be otherwise available due to little safe nesting space left as a result of urban sprawl. These Bee n' Bees can be made very easily and require minimal material – a bit of design and DIY fun can provide a home to bees, especially in times of heavy downpour in Malta, where bee nests need to be sheltered from the rain. The bees will nest in small tubular holes. A block of wood which has been bored into with a driller, or cane/bamboo straws bundled together work as a perfect space for solitary bees. If you are working with wood, you can take one single block of wood and make numerous holes of a diameter between 2 mm and 10 mm to allow bees of various sizes to use the space. The Bee n' Bee can be as small and large as you want it; you may prefer a more small scale, home-run type Bee hotel which can have about 15 holes as accommodation. The holes need to be closed off from one end, so there is only one entrance to a nest. It is also important to ensure that the material is not treated with any chemicals which may be toxic to the bees. To protect the rooms from rain the Bee n' Bee will need a good roof installed which can be in the form of another piece of wood attached to the top of the hotel block. Once the Bee n' Bee is assembled a location can be found for it, ideally half a meter from the ground, but any nice spot where bees can be observed but not disturbed will be a good site for the hotel. Such a Bee n' Bee will compliment an existing garden space, or a bee- friendly area can be created adjacent to the Bee n' Bee to provide food for our guests. It is easy to find plants to grow that bees love, but the following are safe bets for any bee-friendly garden: herbs (sage, lavender, rosemary, thyme), trees (eucalyptus, carob, apples) and garden flowers (daisy, sunflowers, poppies, borage). Once the place is set up, all that is left is to wait until your acclaimed guests arrive, and observe how they slowly move into their new home. Friends of the Earth Malta wants to create havens for bees were we can observe and Bee with Nature. We will be hosting more BeeAware workshops teamed around care for bees and establishing of apiaries, as well as a camp focusing on the creation of bee-friendly areas, so stay on the lookout for updates in the near future. Catering for our Bees The only new 'hotels' we'd love to build