Stockholm, Sweden - Tuesday

06-30: Stockholm, Sweden. Stuart was up early because he had a 6a presentation in the Explorer’s Lounge. It was a commentary while passing through the archipelago as we headed into Stockholm. I did make it up before he was done so we went to breakfast in the dining room for the first time. Waffles for Stuart and French toast for me. Around 10:30a we headed out to meet Kurt and Camila. They live in Visby and came into Stockholm to meet us. It was a full day! First, we headed to the ABBA Museum. We spent a fun couple of hours there. They were such a great group. I was surprised how each of them had ongoing careers after the group broke up. This museum and others are on the island Djurgarden. On this same island we also drove to the Royal Gardens for lunch. Well, it was supposed to be lunch but it was really Fika. This refers to friends gathering for a beverage and sweet with conversation. After that we walked around the gardens for a time. Then back on the road on this same island with an ice cream stop. For dinner it was back on the mainland and heading to a restaurant that has been here since the 1600’s. We met their son Jesper and his girlfriend Cecila there. We had a marvelous dinner. It was Swedish Meatball, mashed potatoes, pickled cucumber, and a lingonberry sauce. It was just amazing! Next, we were scheduled for a ghost walk. We began the tour with steep stairs with no rail and a lot of them! I barely made it up there. Stuart opted us out of the rest of the tour and met them afterwards. I was sorry to sit it out, but I just couldn’t do it. After we met up with the group Kurt and Camilla took us back to the ship. It was a delightful day with a lot of wonderful memories made.

Tallin, Estonia - Monday

06-29: Tallin, Estonia. We have both been to Tallin in the past, and experienced the old town area. So, today it was taking the ship shuttle into the newer area of town and walking around a little bit. We saw a cute burger joint with locals, so we had lunch there. Stuart felt it was the best burger so far on this trip. It was juicy, hot, and delicious. We dropped into a thrift shop of sorts in search of old coins, but it was all clothing so we walked on. Time to head back to the ship as Stuart has a presentation. We had a quick dinner in the World Café because we want to go to the show. Tonight was a farewell toast with the captain as the beginning of the show with a toast and acknowledgment to some of the hard-working staff. Andre, the cruise director, took us on a musical journey through his life in the entertainment field. We ended the night in Torshavn.

Sea Day

06-28: Sea Day! We had a leisurely morning and took lunch in the Dining Room. Stuart worked on a few things this afternoon and I did some album work. His presentation was at 3:15p today. Upon entering I finally met Kathy, we have a mutual friend (Helen) and she is from Fresno. We chatted for a while. A few card games and going to Alan’s presentation took up the rest of the afternoon. We had a nice dinner with Resident Historian Erin Barr, her mother Sue, Alan Carlton, and the two of us. Erin and Sue will be getting off in Stockholm but Alan will continue on like we are until our Bergen disembarkation. It was really too late to go to the show since we had a late dinner. A few more card games tonight and off to bed. 

Gadansk, Poland - Saturday

06-27: Gdansk, Poland. This is the 99th country I have been to! A trip into town was the plan, the ship provides a free shuttle. They have heat warnings so we don’t plan to do too much. I was hoping to find perogies to taste. That is a sort of dumpling, small, and filled with various things. The charming outdoor café didn’t have them. We didn’t really want to walk further, so we opted for pizza. It was good and we had a couple of cold beverages to go with it. I had my first alcohol free sparkling wine, it wasn’t bad. We were thinking about taking the historical car tour in town, but no one was around to rent from. We will plan that next time since we make all the same ports stops on our way back. We were spent after waiting in the blistering sun for the shuttle, with very limited AC. The first stop was a big cold beverage on our return to the ship. We played one game of Phase 10 then it was to the cabin for a rest for me, and computer work for Stuart. A couple changes have been made to his presentations and he needs to adjust to that. After showers it was time for dinner. There was a Perogi station tonight on the Aquavit Terrace. There were 4 types of filling. One was a bit better than the others because the dough was not as thick. It was fun to try them. The Aquavit Terrace on Viking Ocean Cruises is a signature indoor/outdoor space located on Deck 7, directly aft of the World Café. It offers the most al fresco dining at sea, acting as an extension of the buffet where you can enjoy meals with panoramic ocean views. Tonight was a Beatles Tribute done by the cast. The music was great. Tonight we turn our clock forward an hour, making us 10 hours ahead of home time. Tomorrow is our 1st and only sea day on this 1st of 2 cruises.