October, 2021 - Skimming into Sweden

After visiting portions of five countries in 9 days, our intrepid travelers found themselves gliding through Swedish waters, on the very beautiful approach into Stockholm. From the open water of the Baltic Sea, a ship must negotiate a very long channel between dozens of islands on the approach to the capital. From beyond Kapellskar, Sweden to the pier in Stockholm, a ship travels a distance of over a hundred kilometers. It is a very fetching route which reminded Gym of the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Swartz Bay in British Columbia. All along the Swedish passage there are beautiful waterfront properties but unlike the Canadian ferry route, there are also a number of historic fortifications and some very old estate properties. Gym and his fair bride were ending this cruise with a very memorable stretch of sailing.

It should be pointed out that the MS Marina did visit Karlskrona, Sweden not long after leaving Copenhagen and we will review that stop in this post. However, since we hung around Stockholm for several nights after we disembarked the ship, the bulk of this post will be about that great city.

The cruise started in the kingdom of Denmark and it ended in the kingdom of Sweden. These monarchies are the 7th and 8th oldest monarchies in the world. Both monarchies are over a thousand years old, dating back to the Tenth century. Just like his counterpart in Denmark  (Queen Margrethe), King Gustav of Sweden is ceremonial head of state and his duties are mainly representative in nature but he enjoys strong public support. In terms of area, Sweden is 10 times larger than Denmark but they compare more favorably in terms of population, with Denmark at about 6 million Danes and Sweden at 10 million Swedes. These countries are good friends today but have fought 11 wars with each other since the early 16th Century. All this background is important when you consider what our undaunted travelers saw in these two countries.

Karlskrona 

The M/S Marina left Copenhagen on August 29, 2021 and before going on to visit the Baltic States and Finland, it stopped in the Swedish port city of Karlskrona, on September 1, 2021. Karlskrona has a population of about 65,000 and is actually closer to Copenhagen than it is to Stockholm. It was founded in 1680, as a better place to park the Swedish Navy because it was ice free in winter and ships tended to get stuck in Stockholm. The Swedish Navy could keep a closer eye on Denmark from Karlskrona. The Swedish Navy has been there ever since and today the headquarters of the Swedish Coastguard also resides there.

This is a very much baroque-style city. Baroque is the architectural style of the 17th and 18th centuries and is known for its ornate detail. Gym and his lovely wife would participate in a walking tour of the city and visit many of the baroque buildings that have survived for over 400 years. The city is laid out in a large grid-pattern which makes it easy to find your way around but it is hilly and you are hiking on cobblestones most of the time. We visited the area around the modern naval base, some baroque churches and unfortunately, found a fantastic candy store on the day. The fallout from the expedition into the candy  store undid some of the exercise benefit we had been getting to at that point in the day. The highlight of this tour though was a visit to the Swedish Naval Museum which Mrs. Gym even found fascinating. It was one of the best museums we have ever visited.

Gym continued to observe the blonde and blue-eyed Scandinavians for signs of discontent. The locals seemed generally calm, laid back and friendly.  

Stockholm

Stockholm was the terminus of the 9-day Baltic cruise and the Marina tied up there on September 7th. However, the passengers did not have to disembark right away. They got to stay onboard and enjoy the big floating hotel for another day and night. On that last day, they could finish packing and either polish off the liquor in the room or do an optional half-day tour organized by Oceania. Since the boss had all of the packing under control, she decided to sign up for one of the short tours that was offered. A "Highlights of Stockholm" tour, coupled with a visit to the Vasa Museum, was chosen as the excursion for the day. The unopened liquor was rolled up in Gym's pants and successfully made it home.

The story of the Swedish warship Vasa is fascinating. It was launched in 1628 and after sailing a few hundred meters into the harbor, it floundered. It had disembarked with great fanfare, and after firing a salute, it tipped over and sank, having served the Swedish Navy for less than an hour. The Swedish king who was off warring with Lithuania-Poland at the time, must have been quite shocked when he heard the news. He had dumped a lot of cash into the Vasa. It was intended to be the flagship of the fleet. It turns out that the ship was top-heavy. Who was to blame? Well, maybe it was the king's well-meaning entourage. The king's inner circle spared no expense in decorating the Vasa for their sovereign. Essentially, there was not enough ballast to make up for the elaborate upper decks that were 'built-for-a-king'. It may have also  had something to do with placement of some of the heaviest guns on the upper deck, instead of leaving them on the lower deck. In any event, it must have been quite a scandal at a time when Sweden was just beginning to become a major power in the Baltic Sea.

As incredible as was the story of the short life of the Vasa, the salvaging of the ship from the bottom of the harbor and the ship's restoration are amazing too. The ship was raised almost completely intact in 1961. It had lain there on the bottom of the harbor for 333 years. Then in the 1950s after locating the wreck, they got together and formed the Vasa Board to plan and execute the resurrection of this iconic vessel. Just like in a Clive Cussler novel, the raising involved some hairy stuff. It was very dangerous work for divers that tunneled under the hull of the ship so they were able to run cables through and around the wreck. The ship was slowly floated by securing these lines to two pontoon-barges that were lined up parallel to the Vasa. They then raised the massive hulk, a meter at a time, by filling each barge with water and then pumping the water out and tightening the lines. Once they could float it between the barges, they were actually able to move it over to shore and rest it on cement caissons to give it a base where they could restore it. Then, over the next 2 decades they got to work putting the puzzle back together and drying out the wood. Part of the drying process involved spraying the wreck with ethylene glycol (antifreeze) for 17 years, to dry out the oak and the other hard woods. Then in 1990, after piecing it all together and building an elaborate shell around it, the Vasa Museum was opened to the public. It is the most popular attraction in Sweden and was thoroughly enjoyed by Gym and his dear companion.

After visiting the Vasa Museum, our travelers were given a whirlwind tour of the city in a minivan (the area covered by the following plat). Gym who is not usually directionally-challenged, did not find the tour helpful to orient himself. The fact is, the city is built on 14 islands, connected by some 50 bridges and just when you think you figured out the 'grid pattern', the grid shifts (see below). The most daunting area is the old medieval part of the city adjacent to the Palace, with its very narrow streets. You just need to walk around for a few days to get your bearings.  Luckily, Gym and his dear wife planned to make Stockholm their base camp for the next few days to explore the city and get rid of their sea legs.

See how you might get turned around in Stockholm.  Our travelers
explored almost all of the area which is depicted in this illustration. 

On September 8th,  after a nice breakfast in their stateroom, the intrepid travelers strolled down the gangplank, grabbed their luggage and hailed a taxi. They planned on decompressing in a hotel within walking distance of Stockholm Central Station and spending a few days seeing the sights. They chose their accommodation wisely because the Radisson Blu was right next to the station. 

Between September 8th and September 11th, Gym wore out a pair of Sketchers as he and his lovely companion swore off taxis for 3 days and never once ate in the Radisson. Here are some highlights from their multiple expeditions:

1. Stockholm's Old Town is mostly located on the island of Stadsholmen in the middle of the above illustration. Parts of the Old Town are also located on 2 or 3 of the smaller islands around Stadsholmen. The area is characterized by very narrow, winding streets. Some of the streets are not wide enough for cars and it seemed that most were pedestrian only. It was about a 15-minute walk from Stockholm Central Station.  Our travelers visited the area multiple times over all three days of their stay and enjoyed the very medieval feel of the area with its many small shops and restaurants.  Each time they went to Stadsholmen, they walked down Drottninggatan pedestrian mall and crossed the footbridge that takes you behind the Swedish Parliament and the Royal Palace. This was a very scenic route and avoided crossing busy streets where cars were allowed. 

2. Stockholm's parks are a big part of the city. The Swedes are out walking in their parks every day and so were Gym and his fair bride. Each morning Gym would search the internet for a well-recommended brunch place about a mile or so in a new direction.  After a leisurely brunch, there was always a nearby park to explore and burn off some carbs, helped along by the caffeine enjoyed with their meal. 

3. They looked and talked like Americans but hoped that their Team Canada hats might provide a softer visage in Europe. Notwithstanding the appearance of the travelers, the Swedes were always hospitable and some were to go above and beyond to help with detailed directions on how to find our way through the train station or to recommend the best way to get to Hamburg. It was originally planned on taking the train to Germany but the hotel concierge patiently and diligently worked with our heroes to book plane tickets instead. That was clearly not something that was in his job description but he very kindly moved us in the right direction. Kudos to the Radisson staff and every server in every restaurant visited. Gym was often surprised by the ease with which the locals switched into their flawless and unaccented versions of the English language at every turn. 

Including the one-day stop in Karlskrona, our travelers spent just 4 days in Sweden. There are innumerable palaces, churches and museums that were missed.  So little time...

Following is a series of pictorial accounts of the Swedish experience:

KARLSKRONA

The defenders of Karlskrona welcomed the intrepid travelers.

Bastion Aurora, just part of the defensive fortifications protecting the town.

In front of the Admiralty Church is the figure of Rosenbom.  

If you lift his hat, you can insert a coin for the poor.

Admiralty Bell Tower

The Karlskrona Stortorget is the largest town square in Sweden. It is 
located on the highest point of the town and is flanked by numerous baroque
buildings.

Pathway leading to the underground bunkers
below the town.

Fredrik Church from the middle of the square.

Look at all that candy!

The Marin Museum dedicated to the preservation of Sweden's naval history.

Don't touch those Gym!

Carved wooden figureheads from old sailing ships.

The coolest exhibit that surprises the patron, is an exhibit
containing two real Swedish naval submarines.

On the left is the HMS Hajen (Shark) that served from 1905-1922. It had a crew of 8.  It is a rare 

example of a sub from that era. On the right is the HMS Neptun (Neptune) that served 

from 1980-1998. It had a crew of 22.

A view from the rear of the Neptune shows the massive exhibition hall that 

was built to hold the two submarines.

STOCKHOLM

Cruising into Stockholm from the Baltic Sea.

On the first day we toured Stockholm with a guide. Here we view the 

Swedish Parliament building (left) on Helgeandsholmen Island.

Looking back from near the Parliament, this shot is across the bay towards the Grande Hotel.

The Swedish  Royal Palace.

The famed Vasa.

The ship and many of its refurbished curiosities are
displayed inside the Vasa Museum.

A scale model of the ship sitting next to the real
thing.

Stortorget Square in Gamla Stan (old town). 

Changing of the guard at the Palace.

Gym and Mrs. Gym loved this Italian Restaurant 
in the old town. Michelangelos - a real Italian experience!

How narrow were some streets in Old Town?

After a brisk walk in the morning, our hero's
enjoyed a caffeinated beverage with brunch. 
After brunch, they explored one of the many nice green spaces in the city.

Vasaparken

King Karl XIII in Kungstradgarden

Kungstradgarden

Kungstradgarden