Velcome to Wiking Vorld!

Sweden is the mother country of IKEA, Volvo, Electrolux, Trolls, and Pippi Longstocking.

Inga, our local guide for the day, took us to see the beautifully designed City Hall with its 8 million mosaic tile Golden Room (where the annual Nobel Prize presentation banquet takes place after the award presentation ceremony).

We then crossed to the medieval heart of the city to see the Cathedral and the Royal Palace, the king’s official residence since the 18th century.

Next on the itinerary was the Wasa Museum. The Wasa is a 16th Century Galleon built in Stockholm that sank on her maiden voyage, drowning 50 sailors, and destroying the most expensive and largest ship in the Swedish fleet right in front of the King and a huge crowd of spectators amid the fanfare. Would have loved to see their faces and all the finger-pointing after it went down. Top-heavy with big cannons and thickly carved woodwork, it tilted with the first gust of wind in its sails, rolled over, filled with water and sank. Rediscovered 300 years later in the 1960's, it was raised, preserved, partially restored and put on display in its own museum. It’s very impressive.

Spent a couple of hours shopping in the old town. At 5 o’clock, we were sailing aboard the Silja Serenade for an overnight cruise across the Baltic Sea to Finland. The ticket office got everyone’s room assignments all mixed up, e.g. strangers with strangers. What a nightmare! Once the problem was cleared up, we had dinner and drinks. The temperature was warm out and the sea was as smooth as glass. Winding our way through many of the 20,000 tiny islands was as picturesque as a Maine coastline. 

Who should we pass but the Constellation, the Celebrity cruise ship we last sailed on to the Caribbean two years ago? What a co-inky-dink. Compared to that beauty, our ship was a several rungs down the coolness ladder. And to add insult to injury, we all were given ‘Inside’ Cabins. The first and last time that’ll ever happen again. No windows! Claustrophobic! 

Did I mention Drag Queen Miss Divet, was the entertainment headliner? 

PS She/he didn’t look this good in real life.