Day 26, May 11, Monday, Stockholm, Sweden

Up early again to catch the tender over to meet up with our Alla Tour guide. (actually got to move our clock BACK an hour, so we’re now just 7 hours ahead)   Got a little peeved with Alla today….tickets and “instructions” are clear about the pier meeting time and they stress that they will wait 15 minutes and then you will have to catch up to the tour at your own expense wherever the next stop is.  Well, 98% of us all were on various buses and they us kept waiting on tender boats to come over with people.  If 98% of us could get up and get on a tender and be in place by 7:40, so could the rest.  There were several a little put out with  the waiting.  We finally got underway at 8:35 and I ate my words…..never to get back on a big bus.  We got shuffled here and there and had to get off the van and into a smaller big bus (get the difference?)  There were only 26 people and it was very roomy, huge windows, so I didn’t gripe too much.  Not like others we’ve been on. 

Got to Stockholm about an hour later and took a grand tour around the city.  It’s so much prettier than Helsinki, IMHO.  Lots of older buildings (lots of history here).  There’s a section called Old Town, near the Royal Palace, which is beautiful with really narrow, cobblestoned streets…buildings dating back to the 1500’s. 

Driving around the Harbor, it was noted that many people actually live year-round on boats docked in the harbor.  Even in wintertime when it’s frozen over, they stay on their boats.

Stockholm is also the birth place of Abba, the singing sensation, and there is a museum here dedicated to them.

We did a stop at the Vasa Museum which was great.  On August 10, 1628, Vasa set sail on her maiden voyage and sank in Stockholm Harbor immediately.  It is said that the King insisted that the ship sail even though the builder said it wasn’t ready.  The King wanted it in Poland where he was fighting his cousin in a war…typical politician.

The cannon windows (whatever they are called) were opened at sailing and the boat tipped and the water came in through the cannon openings.  Then it sank in 20 minutes in 30 feet of water.  No one was ever blamed for the embarassment because it was the King who had insisted on launching it before it was ready.  Over 1000 oak trees were used in the building of these ships….to the point of finally having to regulate the cutting of the trees.  Only hand tools were available to use to build the ships.

In 1961, the wreck was salvaged after 333 years under the sea.  The reconstructed viking ship is 98% original and is beautiful with huge wood carvings all over it.  The bodies of the crew and passengers were almost all recovered and are placed under glass in the museum with details of their diet, health of their teeth, bones, etc..with names.  They even recreated their images from the skulls.  It detailed how much money was found with them, what items they carried and the location of their deaths.  It really made it real.  We spent over an hour there and enjoyed it a lot.

Then we had free time in Old Town.  Ronnie and I got a small cup of ice cream each, a non-cold coke without ice in a glass for 176 Kroners.  Well, we had no Kroners, so we put it on the credit card…it was $21.  Oh, well.   We walked a bit, but then sat and waited on the bus to come back.  It was a crazy madhouse all over town.  Three big ships are in (yes, Celebrity is still stalking us) town and there are hundreds of buses everywhere. 

Got back to ship around 4ish, ate a bite, and got our feet up now.  We are so tired….I am very glad that we don’t have another tour tomorrow!!!  Just packing.

Stockholm facts and pics:

 

Panaram

The Vasa

tools used for making the Vasa

Recreated Gustav

Gustav facts

Stockholm

Old Town-ice cream shop on left

Boats for living

Stockholm is the largest city in Scandinavia, with about 1.8 million residents in the metropolitan area -- about one-fifth of Sweden's total population. The city, founded in 1252, comprises 14 islands, and is a popular port of call and turnaround port on Northern Europe cruises.

Stockholm's premier tourist attraction is Gamla Stan (literally, Old Town), one of the largest neighborhoods of 16th-century buildings in Europe. Block after block of these four- and five-story structures are painted in vivid colors typical of Mediterranean villages and occasionally feature wrought-iron signs symbolizing ancient craftworkers' guilds or faces of religious figures. Cobblestone streets and arms-width alleys criss-cross Gamla Stan. There, you'll also find the 18th-century Royal Palace atop the crown of the hill upon which Gamla Stan is located. (Sweden is a constitutional monarchy and has a one-house parliament).