Northern Baltics

If you're following along, a few years ago I went from Morocco to Russia. During that trip I fell in love with Tallinn and Copenhagen. As luck would have it I found a sailing which will take me back to those spots plus give me a chance to experience the smaller cities within Norway. This will also be the first visit to Germany. So, without more delay, let's start this journey.

Day 1	Fly from San Diego through NY into Stockholm
Day 2	Arrive into Stockholm
Day 3	Stockholm
Day 4	Board the ship
Day 5	at sea
Day 6	Kiel, Germany
Day 7	at sea
Day 8	Bergen, Norway
Day 9	Nordfjordeid, Norway
Day 10	Olden, Norway
Day 11	Stavanger, Norway
Day 12	at sea
Day 13	Kiel, Germany
Day 14	Copenhagen, Denmark
Day 15	at sea
Day 16	Tallinn, Estonia
Day 17	Helsinki, Finland
Day 18	Deboard ship, exploring Stockholm
Day 19	Fly from Stockholm
Day20	Home

Day 0 - Departure

 6:30am flights are not my favorite. Knowing there were a few large trips on the books for the next year I splurged and picked up an American Express card which gives me free access to the airport lounges. Silly as it may sound for some, having space to comfortably sit and grab a quick bite to eat alters the entire flying experience.

Very empty airport at 5am

Delta club decorated nicely for the 4th

Who knew when there's fog you can't takeoff. Here's the view for my 50 minute delay while we wait for fog to lift

At least I had a row to myself

A hot, muggy, thunderstormy 4th in NYC

JFK was the first airport to have space where you could be technically outside and enjoy the tarmac. Sadly, due to thunderstorms it's closed today

Walking into the plane was this billboard. So true!

Bulkhead premium economy seat for me (and yes I always bring my pillow for long flights)

We have a doggo joining us on this 8hr flight

Dinner menu

Ok, time for bed. The sun is still high so it never fully sets

Day 1 - Arriving in Stockholm

After another weather delay we're finally in Stockholm.

8.5 hours later and we're almost here

So lush

Never knew water was environmentally friendly

 

Customs here were no joke. Every person had to show documentation where they were going, how long and a return flight booked. If you didn't have the three you weren't getting in. Someone arrived and didn't have internet service to pull things up to show the agent. Lesson learned - print everything for your trip!

For being an international airport it's actually quite small

No need for a taxi, take the train

Just keep looking for the yellow signs...

And you are eventually in the station

114 mph - total commute time is 19 min

Welcome to the main downtown train station

Maybe the prettiest McD's (outside outside of Paris)

And welcome to my hotel. A block from the station and adjacent to the church

The room won't be ready for a few hours to let's go explore, starting with that church

The Church of Saint Clare. Not bad for something built in 1572

 

 

The town has a few of these pedestrian corridors. Makes it great to window shop without fear of cars

So much architectural detail in the most generic of buildings

 

And so we reach the Royal Palace. Home to the royal family since the 13th century. It was torn down or burned down a few times but this building has existed as-is since 1770. While it was to be the home to the royal family after being rebuilt in 1770 the family never came back, choosing instead their new home (we'll visit there at the end of the trip)

Look a little like something like Versailles? It's not by chance

When rebuild the designer copied some of the French rococo design elements

Coming to the palace by horse and carriage? Pull up into the reviving hall and be welcomed by the king

 

Before we go into the royal home first we stop and check out their 500 year celebration exhibit

Not bad for being made from paper

Styles of the day (though not of paper)

Who didn't have a basic tapestry hanging over their bed

From 1626 - the detail in mind blowing

1690 - made of tortoiseshell, ebony and ivory

Did I mention they "borrowed" ideas from Versailles?

Costumes from an opera in 1786

Imagine doing all the applique by hand

When the world is at your disposal you make a chandler to remind you it's yours

"New" piece - from 1890s

Relief on ebony

Stairs to the bedrooms

1700s idea of central heat in a room

What the palace looked like before the fire of 1700's

Post-rebuild, current palace

Literally copied from the hall of mirrors in Versailles

Why have real plants that can wilt and die

Instead, get gold-plated, wilted leaves

The Swedes are a twisted group. They have no problem highlighting their past with colorful stories

The Riddarholmen church. While mostly original from 1290s the black spire was put on it in 1830s after a fire burned the original wood one

Bathrooms here take smartphone payments. It's a no-cash country

The original "old city". More on this in the next post

The square also is home for the Nobel museum

So many open parks

TFI Friday's in the center of this beautiful park

Room is finally ready. I must say, the view is not terrible.

11pm. After walking 8.2 miles today I'm calling it quits. A quick view of the 'sunset' over all of Stockholm. This time of year it never gets dark and the sun will be fully up at 2:30am