Our ship in the distance! We traveled to Sweden from the Turku port in Finland.
Waiting in the line to board the ship.
My ticket + passport (because I'm not an EU citizen)
Ann-Christine, me, and Camilla right before the ship started its journey. You can see in the background Turkulinna (which I featured on this blog 2-3 weeks ago).
Appetizers!
Main course.
Deserts...the hazelnut crispy mousse-y balls were to die for.
The awe-inspiring sunset. There are no words to convey its brilliance.
Exploring the ship after our dinner.
At 11 PM, we headed back into our cabin so we could have a long night of sleep before exploring Stockholm. I slept on the top bunk of a cabin meant for four people (but only Camilla, Ann-Christine and I shared the cabin.)
Stockholm.
We first walked to the Scandic hotel, where we had a huge brunch buffet.
In Gamla Stan (Old Town in Swedish).
The narrow streets of Gamla Stan. Thankfully, because we arrived so early, the streets were nearly empty! When we came back at 5 PM, the streets were overflowing with people and various tour groups.
The famous rainbow buildings.
The Royal Cathedral where the Crown Princess of Sweden was married.
The Nobel Museum.
Inside the museum.
Going to this museum was one of the most enlightening experiences I have ever had. How do you gauge whether a museum was worthwhile? When you've become a better and more educated person when you step out.
Swedish Royal Palace! As an architecture, history, and politics fanatic, the Royal Palace was a treasure trove of fascinating wonder.
No pictures were allowed inside the Royal Palace, and while I was disappointed at first, I soon realized that it was a blessing in disguise. By putting down my camera for the first time, I learned to truly appreciate and immerse myself in the essence of the moment. Before, I lived my Finnish experiences through the lens of my iPhone camera; whenever I perceived something to be interesting or beautiful, my immediate reaction was to position my camera, adjust the lighting and snap a careful, non-shaky photo of the scene. However, admiring the Royal Palace without the camera, I noticed intricate, subtle details that I would have never discovered had I been fixated on the quality of the picture. To quote my friend and fellow FUSYE scholar Elizabeth Yost, "Capturing experiences is important, but so is actually living them."
After the Royal Palace, we hopped onto a "Hop On, Hop Off" bus that would take us around Stockholm!
On the Hop On, Hop Off bus.
One of the stops was for the ABBA museum, and my family and I decided that this was a once-in-a-lifetime moment. ABBA had been (and still is) such an iconic band, and has truly left its imprint upon the international music scene. At the time of their emergence, the Swedish left-wing political party tried to suppress its influence.
The ABBA museum! The museum's most prominent feature is its high level of interactivity with visitors. While in the museum, you can sing ABBA songs in a professional recording studio (and keep a recording of it), mix ABBA tracks, dance to "Dancing Queen" on stage with ABBA holograms, take fun quizzes about ABBA trivia, etcetc. Definitely not your average museum.
So much ABBA.
More ABBA.
We re-boarded the "Hop On, Hop Off" bus, which took us around the shopping and business district, where some of the embassies and most expensive real estate are located. Very chic. Stockholm is the epitome of the perfect modern-medieval blend.
While Ann-Christine and Camilla were shopping, Marja, Kari and I sat down in front of the Cultural Center of Sweden and watched a live demonstration initiated by Swedish-Iranians who were outraged by the theocracy in Iran and advocated for democracy.
Swedish Parliament
Lovely.
Stockholm is endlessly beautiful.
Ahh the pictures look great! It looks like you had a great time and it's making me pumped for next week haha!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kimberly!
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