Panoramic Stockholm

Our first order of business this morning was to spit into a vial. Viking is performing daily PCR tests onboard, so this will be our routine each day. I have no problem with this requirement and am happy that Viking is trying to keep us safe.

Viking includes one tour in every port, and Tim and I had signed up for the Panoramic Stockholm tour. Although most people are not fans of motorcoach tours, and I’m not crazy about them, I do find that an overview tour is helpful for getting a sense of the city or region we are visiting.

We also knew that many of the optional tours went to destinations we had already visited on our own, such as the Vasa Museum, so this tour seemed to work for us.

Out tour covered many parts of Stockholm we had not previously seen, and we were able to check out many of its most famous landmarks. I also appreciated the commentary from our guide and learned more about the history of Stockholm, as well as Swedish life and culture.

Central Station (We Arrived There by Train from the Airport)

We drove through Skeppsholmen island, where we got out for photo ops The views overlooking the water towards Gamla Stan were fabulous. It was also a perfect spot to view the Royal Palace.

Looking Towards Gamla Stan

Perfect Spot for a Photo Op

The Royal Palace

We saw the Moderna Musset’s sculpture park with works by Niki de Saint Phalle, which was delightful. I remember owning a bottle of her perfume when I was younger and loved her whimsical designs even then.

A Peek at the Moderna Musset's Sculpture Park

I was especially glad that we were able to drive through the island of Djurgården, where the Vasa Museum is located. One of the other attractions on the island is Skansen, an open-air museum containing more than 150 historic buildings relocated from areas throughout Sweden. We were able to see a few of those.

Skansen

Historic Buildings in Skansen

Before ending our tour, we drove through downtown Stockholm, admiring the historic buildings that now house pricy shops. I happened to spy Eton. Although spelled differently, it was fun to see my namesake store. Perhaps we should have stopped to buy a shirt for Tim.

Nordiska Kompaniet Department Store

Eton's

We had to be back on board for a 2:00 pm departure, so we didn’t have time to dally in town. We were looking forward to the sail away through the Stockholm archipelago on the Baltic Sea.