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Published: August 11th 2006
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Going out through Stockholm
Cruising out from Stockholm there are thousands (yes seriously)of small and large islands like this one. WOW! Sums it all up! From start to finish we have had an absolute ball and couldn't have wished for better weather, better people, better food.
We took the bus from Vasteras to Stockholm then boarded the ship. I was knocked out at how tall the ship was. I think it would be taller than the highest building in Dunedin. Our cabin was small but clean and functional with two bunk beds. After depositing our bags we went deckside to take in the sights as the boat steamed through the archipelego. Again the best word to describe it all is WOW! How the other half live!
It is a very beautiful area and I took over 80 photos just on the trip to Helsinki. In all I took 180 photos...I hate to imagine what is going to happen when I hit Greece. LOL
We had dinner at 8pm and what a dinner it was. Wine and beer were included in the price of the smorgsboard meal. In terms of selection there was almost too much to choose from. Suffice to say the food was brillant, something for all tastes and all people. We ended up talking at lenght
Our cabin
Our cabin on the ship was small but perfectly adequate. We had to of course, have the obligitory wine before heading off to explore the ship. Notice the pack of cards sitting on the table. You will be pleased\relieved to know they were not opened and used. Lol to the mother and daugher at our table and were the last people to be kicked out of the resturant when it closed. Funnily enough the next night we were at the early 6pm sitting and again the same thing happened. This time we were talking to a very interesting guy from Denmark and the staff had to ask us to leave so they could let the next sitting of people in for dinner. Jeff and I are proud of this achievement......... lol
The first night on board Jeff and I hit the dance floor and had a good wee boogie. The second night I hit the dance floor with my new Danish friend. It was a bonus to find out that he actually liked dancing and really got into it. I am suffering today (Friday 11th) though, not as you might think from drinking too much, but from over exerting myself dancing. I had thought I was over my cold\flu bug but appartantly not. I went to the chemist with Linda and it is an interesting experience explaining to the pharmacist what was wrong and having her talk to Linda in Swedish and Linda having to translate it
Helsinki Cathedral
This beautiful building is one of two that dominate the skyline as the ship pulls into port. back to me. Hopefully within 3-4 days I will be coming right.
Now, back to the trip.
When we arrived into Helsinki the first thing I noticed when we walked through the centre of the city was the gorgeous eye candy. Finally! Some cute guys to oggle........
As you can see from the photos we walked to the 3 main tourist attractions, the churches. This took quite some time. Lunch was an ice cream. But what an icecream! A very large waffle cone of heavenly nougat\hazelnut. I am glad we don't have ice cream this good in Dunedin!
We strolled through the market and picked up a couple of cute gifts then it was back onto the ship to purchase some tax free wine before dinner.
Jeff refered to us as Viking Line virgins, and indeed we were. There were signs everywhere on the ship saying you weren't allowed to drink in your cabin, so we felt decidedly naughty sneaking our bottle of wine back to our cabin. We shouldn't have worried, the reason it seems most young people were on the cruise was to drink as much as they could. In their cabin, on
Lutheran Cathedral
The other beautiful building that dominates the skyline. the decks, even in the nightclub. Yet for all that drinking we didn't see any drunken behaviour at all on the ship.
I was amazed at the value for money the trip was. As an example of value, the other day I was in town looking at a very trendy bikini that cost 1695 Krona. The whole trip on the bus and boat from wo to go cost about 1600 Krona. So I would recommend the cruise to anyone as a fantastically cheap holiday. (And to save the comments coming in, no I didn't buy the bikini, I wouldn't inflict that kind of punishment on the good people of Croatia or Greece) LOL
Today we have done some clothes shopping. I only know a few words of Swedish and one of them is REA, which means SALE.......funny how that word has stuck with me........ We picked up some great bargins at a designer type Factory Outlet store that had a sale on!
Tommorow we haven't quite decided what we will do. Jeff and I leave for Stockholm on Monday.
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Nat
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Hell in hell-sin..key :)
Wonderful stuff Dee ! - feels like I am right there with you, right on your back heel. Your boat cruz reflections and pics take me way back to 1995 when I did the same trip - so was it red wine instead of the rocket fuel 100% proof absolute Vodka ? !. Either way, keep havin' a blast g/f ..and keep snappin and scribbin'.