Stockholm Sweden

Stockholm - Happy Anniversary!!

Our ship bypassed the port at Stockholm. At the time we were supposed to dock, we were quite a bit north of where we were supposed to be. They said later that the winds were too strong to dock at a berth. They took us south again to a tender terminal.  The water was pretty rough going from the ship to the dock but later when we returned it was smooth. We used the life boats as tenders.

Stockholm is the capital of and the largest city in Sweden.  It is often referred to as the Venice of the North because the city is spread across 14 islands. Stockholm is a pretty city.

The weather was overcast and cool, but it didn't rain. Our excursion was changed because we weren't in port as long as we should have been & because they had to tack on the extra commute from the other terminal (45-60 minutes each way). We did not get to go to Sigtuna, a town about 45 minutes north of Stockholm.

What we saw was interesting. They gave us City Hall instead of Sigtuna. Doesn't sound like much, but WOW! We were in the hall where the Nobel Peace Prize banquet is held, then walked up the stairs to where the NPP dance is held.

The downstairs & stairway is a beautiful hall with patchwork marble in blues & greens. The stairway is a grand one that matches the flooring of the "Blue Hall" where the banquet is held.








"The Golden Chamber", where the dance is held, is amazing. All the walls are glass mosaic tiles. Most of them have a thin layer of gold leaf sandwiched between 2 layers of glass. 

We walked around the old part of town. There was a small town square with colorful buildings. Some of the buildings have a cafe in the bottom floor, but they extend their seating out into the square, just like we've seen & enjoyed in many other places. In Stockholm, these cafes have colorful blankets that they provide for customers to wrap in while they enjoy a snack or meal. 

Swedish Royal Guard outside the Royal Palace.

We visited the Vasa Museum, built and named for The Vasa, a Swedish warship built in 1626-1628.  It sank on it's maiden voyage. 

The fate of the ship was set when the King started to dictate design instructions to the master ship builder.  Things like adding additional cannon, adding a second gun deck and changing the dimensions of the ship after construction had started.










All of these things led to the ship being unstable under the best of conditions.  The final straw was when the ship heeled over due to a strong wind and the gun port doors were open allowing water to flood in causing the ship to sink.

The cannon were salvaged in the 1700s and then the ship was forgotten for about 200 years until it was rediscovered in 1961.  A preservation effort was started and the ship now sits in a museum for all to see it's grandeur.











It is the most decorative ship I have ever seen.  It has intricate carvings from one end to the other with the stern of the ship being a true work of art.

After we returned to our ship, we went up on deck and watched the tendering operation.  We also got to see some beautiful sailboats coming and going out of the port. The skies finally started clearing up.

In the evening we enjoyed a steak dinner on the back balcony looking out over the sea and watching ships come and go.

Karen, our cruise planner, was sweet enough to purchase an anniversary package for us. There were rose petals on our bed arranged as a heart, a bottle of sparkling wine, and a dozen chocolate dipped strawberries. It was quite a surprise.

TJ & EA in Stockholm Sweden