Viking "Neptune" - Day 15! Sadly, this is the last day of my trip with this wonderful ship. In anticipation of all the important things I needed to do to close out the itinerary (and leave the ship before 0930), I was up at 0530. For the first time, the dry skin I've been thinking I had was VERY noticeable. I tried to use the lotion the crew provided to fix the issue but I'm not sure I'll be very successful... Before really getting started with my day, I did some reading, Duolingo exercises and puzzles. Beyond that, I did a final cleanup and check of my room. Outside, it was sunny and cool (temps in the 40s). Looking out on balcony, I thought I saw a seal (Google said they actually do live in the Stockholm harbor). While I had some free time, I made a reservation for my trip towards Finland and the Baltics. The Viking “Neptune” was docked within 100 yards of the Viking Line (Ferry) “Cinderella” and this tiny detail seemed like it would get my backpacking trip rolling. I would really have preferred to get a ride to Tallinn or Riga but the nearby ship seemed like it was my best bet. Kind of a "bird in hand" scenario - no sense trying to get public transportation across the entire city... While making these arrangements, I also purchased some food vouchers (€22 worth of food for €20 at dinner & €20 worth of food for €18 at a breakfast buffet) for use onboard. There were times listed for these meals (reserved seating?) and I was not entirely satisfied with the choices I had. Oh well - a problem for later in the day... At 0755, I left my cabin for the last time and went to breakfast in the World Cafe - I sat with Rich & Barb and we made plans for a possible meet up in Riga (they are traveling there by airplane). (Note: I tried to meet up with them but Rich never answered his phone when I texted him a few days later). At 0900, I finished eating and did some last minute walking on the decks of Viking "Neptune" - what bittersweet moments… I’ve had a wonderful cruise and the weather was great at all the amazing ports. Still, it's time for something new! At 0915, I left ship for the last time and retrieved my bags from the staff on the pier. Next, I walked from Viking "Neptune" (docked at Stadsgarden) to the nearby Vikingterminalen (Ferry Terminal). I found an easy way to lock up my bags (lockers) there. With my bags stowed safely and the ferry departure scheduled for much later in the day, I had time to explore some new parts of the Swedish Capital. I first walked east down to "water taxi" landing that I found (Masthamnen) and waited for a boat to arrive (1000). When the boat (Emelie II) arrived, I ended up buying a "day pass" and very much enjoyed my "tour" along the far eastern shoreline of the harbor. At 1005, I disembarked from the small boat at Grona Lund (amusement park) on Djurgarden Island (where the Vasa Museum is located) and walked to the nearby ABBA Museum. This was actually the main reason I'd made the journey in this direction and I was not disappointed in what I found. It took a bit of effort to buy my ticket online (a requirement) but I was soon inside the iconic venue (1015). While I’m not a huge fan of the band's music, I’ll admit it is catchy and memorable. Plus, the added perspective of “local kids get famous” was more interesting than I’d expected. Most of the other people there were dancing and singing to the tunes that played in every room. There was even a phone that purportedly could ring - the sign said the call might be from one of the band members! Another big highlight was the engineering behind "Abba Voyage" (a 3D recreation of the band so that they could put on virtual concerts). OK - it was a fun time... I spent roughly an hour in the museum (done at 1110) and then walked south on the island (following Djurgårdsvägen). After passing Cirkus, I found a bridge that would take me on to Beckholmen Island. During this time, I observed a huge number of birds that greatly added to my eBird totals for Sweden. After a short delay on the little island, I headed back towards the north. On the way across Djurgarden Island, I stopped at Hotel Hasselbacken for a short break. There were so many flowers in their gardens! Across the street, I spied a bronze statue, which I later learned (from Google) was "The Archer" (Bågskytten), created in 1919 by the renowned Swedish sculptor Carl Milles. Whilte continuing northeast, I visited Lusthusportens Park, which was located across the road from the Vasa Museum and had nice waterfront views of the Djurgardsbrunnsviken (channel between the island and the mainland). Before departing that area (more good birding!), I encountered the Eldhs Wennerberg-staty, a fancy gate (for the King's Garden) and a pretty bridge with lots of Norse Gods on the railings. I crossed off of Djurgarden Island and on to the mainland, where I started walking on a tree covered avenue called the Strandvägskajen. Lots of people kept asking me for directions - perhaps they believed I was Swedish? This phenomenon got me to thinking: was it just my imagination or did it seem like many of the women had some features (in their faces and, especially, on their necks) reminiscent of my mom and her sisters? Before long, I arrived in the area at the head of the small harbor, Nybrokajen (was it also known as Nynaskalaset?). I noticed several water taxis and found a sign for the Emelie II. So, this was the place where I needed to return eventually... I wasn't ready to stop exploring, though, and ended up crossing to Berzelii Park, where I found a Raoul Wallenberg monument and, almost immediately behind it, the synagogue for the Jewish Community of Stockholm. Still not ready to get on the water taxi, I walked back to the east and checked out the National Museum (didn't go inside) and Grand Hotel, where Nobel Prize Winners (not Peace Prize) stay during the week of the celebrations of their achievements. Apparently, the ceremony for their awards presentation was also once conducted there but the event has since moved to Stockholm City Hall. I explored the lobby area of the Grand Hotel (1240) and, acting like I knew where I was going, went further into the building. Suddenly, I found myself standing in front of the Viking Cruises table! I had heard there was a connection to our cruise somewhere nearby but hadn't expected to find the desk. From a nice lady there, I got a small city map and learned about the extensions that other passengers were doing - it all sounded interesting. Next, I started walking towards Kastellholmen (Castle Island), which I'd seen during an earlier ferry transit. I used Skeppsholmsbron (bridge with gold crowns) to leave the mainland and soon arrived first at Skeppsholmen (another island). From there, I continued walking south and crossed another bridge that gave me access to the Castle itself. After climbing up a big hill to get a close up for the building and beautiful panorama of the eastern end of the harbor, I spent some time resting and eating a snack on the high, rocky bluff. I stayed on Kastellholmen until 1315 and then started my backtrack to Skeppsholmen. While exploring the latter, I found the Modern Museum and stopped for a snack of Swedish Meatballs & Mariestads Export (beer) at their restaurant (1325). The location also offered free water, bread and cheeses and I tried several kinds. Afterwards, I went inside the main museum building and toured a free section with exhibits. After enjoying a few instances of modern art, I started to think about getting on the water taxi to cross back to the Ferry Terminal. With this in mind, I walked back to Nybrokajen (arrived at 1410) and boarded Emilie II ten minutes later. From the crew, I learned that the other water taxi had broken down and the next sailing from the mainland would have been an hour later. Feeling lucky, since I might actually have missed my ride to Helsinki! We made a stop at the pier for Grona Lund again and then made our way to Masthamnen (arrived at 1435). I guess the captain for the water taxi didn't expect anyone to get off there so I had to be proactive so as not to miss my stop. Fortunately, one of the other crew members helped me. It was great to be back near my bags in time for the ferry departure! While walking back to the Ferry Terminal, I kept thinking how amazing it was that I'd had a chance to visit so many of the 14 islands that make up the City of Stockholm. In addition to the ones I'd already seen the day before, today's informal tour ended up including an island with a “dry-dock”, one with lots of museums (it used to belong to the king), two that used to belong to the Navy (but are now open to the public) and one described as “hip & bohemian” by our guide on an earlier tour. So maybe I made it to 7 or 8 in the course of two days? It was also great to have access to the water taxi as much as I could. Along the way, I encountered countless historic buildings, interesting water craft, a modern art museum memorials and parks. And some more Swedish meatballs & beer! In two days, I really got to experience Stockholm in a way I never imagined! Back to the logistics... I arrived to find huge lines queuing up at the Termina - there were already two ships boarding! I managed to retrieve my bags from the locker and used the electronic kiosk to check into the Viking Line “Cinderella” at 1445. After that, I got in line for boarding and was startled to see how long the process took (it had a full bag scan). I was starting to wonder at the activities going on around me and, eventually, learned that I was in the wrong queue. Thankfully, I got a fast track and made it to the front of the line. However, I then I learned I hadn’t gotten one of the tickets I needed to board. When I went back for the missing one, I couldn’t find it. Fortunately, the ticket agents got me a replacement and then I was able to get through the checkpoint (1505). Even after all of this, it was still a long walk to the Deck 5 entry. Since I was staying on Deck 10, I was glad to find that there was a guy running the elevator. With a bit of patience, I managed to get to my cabin by 1515. For the next few hours, I spent time relaxing in my room, which had a double bed, TV (with a "Jim" channel!) and bathroom/shower. Outside my room, I occasionally heard announcements but they weren’t always bilingual. Maybe they were important? At 1845, I left my room to explore the ship. Almost immediately, I found some good views on the decks above mine. We were still traveling through the archipelago and I was glad to get a close up look at it after having missed the visuals when Viking "Neptune" arrived in Stockholm. The weather was still spectacular and I very much enjoyed this part of the ferry transit. Returning inside the ship, I found restaurants, stores, musical performers, casinos (slots and tables), game areas, etc. on the other decks. The ship’s internet had been bad so I decided to use my mobile phone plan while walking on the upper decks. At 2000, I sat down for my scheduled (pre-paid) meal in the Ala Carte Restaurant (“Seaview”). I actually had a reserved table by the window and was treated to beautiful views of the setting sun just as we exited the archipelago. On the downside, I found out that my food voucher of €22 was almost useless - everything on the menu appeared to exceed this amount. Eventually, I found one pasta plate that seemed like a good choice. Sadly, the restaurant was SO LOUD - there was a huge table of businessmen, having fun, and a crying baby right within earshot. So you can understand why I was in a hurry to finish my meal... When I wanted to leave, though, it took another 15 minutes to get receipt and then I learned they actually charged me for water. One star... Afterwards (2045), I returned to a nicer looking place that I'd passed earlier, Admiral Hornblower’s Pub to see if it was any good. I was immediately impressed by the lack of other passengers in the establishment and the fact that they had a drink special. I ordered a combo of an Aura beer and a Minttu shot (traditional Finnish liqueur). The staff were very nice and I learned a lot about the Viking Line, nationalities of the crew and other suggestions for making my shipboard experience more pleasant. Honestly, I was sad to leave the pub... Back in my cabin (2125), I settled in for the evening. Suddenly, though, I heard an announcement (in English!) that said we were about to arrive in Mariehamn. I hadn't realized we'd be stopping anywhere in the middle of the Baltic Sea and it took some internet searching to figure out that we were approaching the Aland Islands (part of Finland). I went out to watch the ferry docking at 2155 and immediately became intrigued by what I was seeing (terrain, seaside community, etc.). Wish I had time to check out all the interesting things I keep seeing! Back in my room again, I watched movies on my TV and got frustrated with the WiFi. Outside in the hallway, there were some very loud people carrying on until very late. Despite this, I decided to go to bed at 2300. I’m heading back across the Baltic to see how much of Finland and the Baltics I can explore before the clock runs out in this magical adventure!
