There is something in Sweden called mysigt. It’s a bit like the Danish concept of hygge, in that it pertains to cosiness and comfort and pleasure and so on. When m syigt happens on a Friday, two of the most powerful elements of Swedish cultural life come together to form something irresistible – Fredagsmys . Sixty-four years since breaking away from the British Empire, the tiny island city-state of Singapore can claim to be the world’s most expensive place to live, after a comprehensive survey carried out by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the newspaper group’s forecasting service.

I fell for the places first. Over the next year, whenever I wasn’t required to peel spuds or bone cod, I skipped town and hit the road. I went north to Gdańsk and the Polish Riviera, east to Warsaw and the lakes of Masuria, and south to Wrocław, the mountains and Łódź, the Polish Hollywood. THE NEW BOOK FROM THE MUCH-LOVED AUTHOR OF THE GRAN TOUR, A CHIP SHOP IN POZNAN AND THE MARMALADE DIARIESFood fights, fishing and French cooking - bestselling author Ben Aitken's year of actively pursuing funBen Aitken wasn't getting enough. Food fights, fishing and French cooking – bestselling author Ben Aitken's year of actively pursuing funAlthough the results were mixed, the author’s year of making merry left him feeling undoubtedly … better. Which invites the question: if fun is such a reliable mood-swinger, shouldn’t we be having more of it? On top of its people and places, a country is a constellation of tiny quirks; a galaxy of shifting bits and pieces that, while neither constant nor objective, nonetheless make a solid contribution to a nation’s impression, its aura, its romance. After a year in the country, I was smitten with the place, and I didn’t want that to change

The bus delivered me to Poznań’s old town. I was instantly taken by the colourful building fronts, the elaborate gables, the engrossing main square. Despite the cold, I stood looking in the windows of shops and bars and wondered at their unsubtle inducements to sample such things as wódka wiśniowa (cherry vodka) and legginsy (leggings).

We\u2019ve got everything from Art & Gifts to Yoga

I hadn't read anything by Ben Aitken before and perhaps I'm not the audience but I really felt he was trying too hard to be funny and by the end of the book, I really disliked him. I’ve not played football for 23 years, in which time my muscles and physique and general sporting ability have grown accustomed to televised drama and burritos. I enter the changing room and am hit by the smell of Deep Heat, which prompts a wave of bad nostalgia. Which brings me to the Polish people. I can’t claim to have met them all, but of the several thousand I did meet, I have only positive things to report (with the notable exception of a bartender called Ziggy, who all but throttled me for badmouthing pierogi).

Food fights, fishing and French cooking - bestselling author Ben Aitken's year of actively pursuing fun Although the results were mixed, the author's year of making merry left him feeling undoubtedly … better. Which invites the question: if fun is such a reliable mood-swinger, shouldn't we be having more of it? Next, I head west to the Botanic Gardens (free; nparks.gov.sg), which are 164 years old this year. While the orchid garden is certainly diverting, it’s the rainforest trail that most floats my boat. The 30-minute route loops through a precious remnant of lowland tropical forest, and is a genuinely transportive experience. Which left just Yigit and me. Feeling a tiny bit lost all of a sudden, and a long way from home, I looked to my young friend for direction. “Cheeseburger?” he said. “Yeah, why not?” I replied.Although the results were mixed, the author's year of making merry left him feeling undoubtedly ... better. Which invites the question: if fun is such a reliable mood-swinger, shouldn't we be having more of it? I found that new adventure, for the record. It involved a series of budget coach holidays with people three times my age. But that’s another love story. He’s also one of my favourite authors at the moment. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed his four previous books (Dear Bill Bryson, A Chip Shop in Poznan, The Gran Tour and The Marmalade Diaries) and I’m currently reading his latest excellent tale, which is basically a year of trying to have more fun. There’s absolutely all sorts of activities in the book, one of which is joining a veterans’ football team. I thought that would make an interesting article for you lot, so with Ben’s permission, here’s a little taster.

THE NEW AUDIOBOOK FROM THE MUCH-LOVED AUTHOR OF THE GRAN TOUR, A CHIP SHOP IN POZNAN AND THE MARMALADE DIARIESAh, the durian. Spiky shell, contentious interior, a unique blend of tones and tastes, and utterly impossible to forget. Come to think of it, I couldn’t suggest a better national fruit. Dear County fans, Stopfordians, and anyone else joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Monday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore. Something a little bit different for you today, an extract from Ben Aitken’s new book. Ben was born under Thatcher, grew to 6ft then stopped, and is an Aquarius. (His words.)