Taking the Ferry to Djurgården and the Vasa Museum

One morning, we boarded a ferry at the southeast end of Gamla Stan for a visit to the island of Djurgården. On the way, we were treated to a postcard view of the Viking Venus, as well as the waterfront of Gamla Stan.

Viking Venus from the Ferry

Looking Back at Gamla Stan

Our main destination was the Vasa Museum, everyone’s favorite museum in Stockholm. The Vasa is a warship that sank within the first 40 minutes of her maiden voyage in 1628. The ship, which was rediscovered in 1956 and raised in 1961, is the best-preserved ship of its era in the world.

The detail on the ship is amazing, particularly the intricate sculptures, which were a tribute to the king, and the lion on the prow. What an impressive sight!

First View of Vasa as You Walk in the Main Entrance

Intricate Sculptures Were Originally Painted in Bright Colors

The Lion on the Prow

An Impressive Ship

After leaving the museum, we admired the beautiful tulips that were planted everywhere. We crossed the bridge to the main part of Stockholm and walked along the elegant Strandvägen before making our way back to Gamla Stan. On the way, we stopped at Svenskt Tenn for a fast and thorough tutorial in Swedish interior design. I love Swedish design, and it was fun to see some of my favorite pieces in person.

I Loved All the Tulips

The Waterfront along the Elegant Strandvägen 

Tim Trying to Capture His Best Shot

One last thing on our agenda was a COVID-19 test as required by Viking. Luckily, there was a test center in Gamla Stan, and booking and getting the test results couldn’t have been easier. Even better – our results were negative!

Before going to bed that night, we looked out our window for another view of the Viking Venus. We’ll be boarding the ship in the morning,

Viking Venus from Our Hotel Window

Wandering Around Gamla Stan

Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s historic island old town, was right outside our door, and Tim and I spent at least part of every day exploring the narrow, cobblestone streets. We stopped to see the Royal Palace, viewing the statue of King Gustav III on the way.  

One of the Streets in Gamla Stan

A Narrow Street in Gamla Stan

The Royal Palace

Statue of King Gustav III with the National Museum in the Background

Enjoying a Rehearsal at the Stockholm Cathedral

We also visited the Storkyrkan, Stockholm’s cathedral. As we toured the cathedral, we happened to catch a rehearsal for an upcoming concert.

I especially enjoyed just wandering around the area, even looking into a few of the shops. During these wanderings, we fully embraced Stockholm’s fika culture. What is fika? It’s much more than just a coffee break. To fika is to take a respite from the daily grind and relax with a cup of coffee and a sweet treat. It’s also the time to visit with friends and catch up on the latest gossip. How civilized!

One day we also visited the Nobel Museum, located in the former stock exchange building, and one of Tim’s “must-see” sites. We joined a very informative tour and learned about the history of the Nobel Prize, as well as some of its recipients.

Nobel Museum

Hotel Reisen, Stockholm

I may have been exhausted when Tim and I arrived at the Hotel Reisen, but I was still able to appreciate our fabulous Stockholm Suite. The room was lovely, and the bathroom was immense. The views were equally impressive, especially the view of the Viking Venus when our ship docked nearby.

We decided to eat dinner at the hotel restaurant the first night, and it was a fabulous meal.

We also happened upon a Viking tour desk, since many of the passengers on a pre-cruise extension were staying at our hotel, and we were able to get a bit of information there. 

The staff at the Hotel Reisen could not have been nicer or more helpful throughout our stay. I don’t think I could have picked a hotel that I would have enjoyed more. The hotel had a ton of character, it wasn’t too large, and its location in Gamla Stan, the Old Town, was perfect.

Hotel Reisen - Our Suite and Views from Our Windows (Viking Venus - Top Right)

Anxious Moments on Our Way to Stockholm

Don’t worry! The anxious moments were on the ground, not in the air! But I’ll get to those later. 

Tim and I left Loveland shortly after lunch yesterday, headed to Denver International Airport. Tim dropped me off with the luggage while he went to park the car. 

One of the first things I realized when I went to check in is that there are no special benefits on the ground for premium economy passengers. We could not get in line with the business class folks, nor could we use the airport lounge. Oh well, at least our seats on the plane would be better than those in economy. 

As we boarded the plane, I almost drooled as I walked past the lie-flat business class seats. Our seats were fine, certainly larger and more private than regular economy. Trying to sleep, however, was not much better for me. Although Tim can sleep anywhere, I simply cannot sleep sitting up. 

Because we were late leaving Denver, our arrival in London was also late. I wasn’t too worried about our connection since we had two hours. Unfortunately, the lines seemed to go on forever, especially the security line, and I began to worry that we might not make our next flight. And, of course, the gate for that flight was at the other end of the terminal. 

Tim and I ran to the gate and were so relieved that the gate agent had held the plane for us. We were the last to board, and I tried to ignore the looks we received as we tried to find a place to stash our luggage. 

What caused me just as much stress is that I had discovered a text message from Welcome Pickups cancelling our ride from the airport into Stockholm. Great! I had done very little research on other options for getting into town. I only hoped that someone at the Stockholm airport might be able to point us in the right direction. 

Luckily, that’s exactly what happened. We passed a kiosk for the Arlanda Express, and the friendly staff assured us that this option would the easiest and fastest. We took them at their word, bought tickets, and boarded the waiting train. They were right. Taking the train was easy and fast, and we arrived at Stockholm Central Station in about 18 minutes. 

Arlanda Express (Photo Courtesy of Tripadvisor.com)

Because of our luggage, we opted to take a taxi to the hotel, and we only waited a few minutes for one. The ride was fairly short, but we did see a tiny bit of Stockholm on the way. We arrived at our hotel in one piece and were very happy to settle in.

A Visit with Noreen and Mike

Amidst the packing and last-minute preparations, we had a wonderful diversion. My oldest friend Noreen and her partner Mike were passing through Colorado on their trip west.

We were able to meet them for breakfast and catch up on our lives. I’m bummed that I totally forgot to take a photograph.

During breakfast, Tim made a request of Noreen, “Go with my wife on a trip somewhere later this summer.” She seemed up for the idea.

Later that afternoon, we texted back and forth, and I asked her to think about where we might go. Noreen’s only request was for somewhere cool and not too crowded. She asked if there might be a place I’d like to return to, or a place I’ve wanted to visit but haven’t. We both decided to think about options and talk when I return from the cruise.

Final Documents Received

We received our final documents for our Viking Homelands-British Isles Explorer cruise today. It looks like we’re really going on this adventure! 

Booking Status - Final

Final Itinerary

Tim received his COVID-19 booster today. I had gotten my booster last month. We have now downloaded the VeriFLY app and documented our proof of COVID-19 immunization as required by Viking. We will also need a negative COVID-19 test, but we won’t be able to do that until we are in Stockholm. 

We also had to figure out how we were getting to and from Denver International Airport. After checking prices for shuttles and Uber, I looked into rates for parking the car. I stumbled upon STOW IT, which had a surprisingly reasonable monthly rate. We decided to drive and park and made a reservation. 

I also decided to book a reservation with Welcome Pickups, a car service that will pick us up at the Stockholm airport. Knowing that we would be tired after flying all night and day, it seemed like it would make our lives easier.

The question about money was another issue – not how much everything would cost, but how we’d deal with foreign currency. Although we planned to use credit cards for any incidentals, we would need cash for tips for guides and drivers. The complicating factor is that we would need six different currencies – Swedish Krona, Danish Krone, Norwegian Krone, Polish Zloty, European Union Euro, and United Kingdom Pound. We decided to order a small amount of each from AAA to simplify our lives. We didn’t want to spend time looking for an ATM in each country just for a small amount of cash.

I think we’re just about set to go. Now I have to finish packing!

Lots of Preparations Going On

April was a busy month for us. With our cruise less than a month away, it was time to get serious about last-minute planning.

Viking cruises include one excursion in every port, as well as optional excursions that can be purchased. We had selected most of our excursions last month but continued to make additions and subtractions throughout April. We were able to get many of our picks, but there were a few that were sold out. Hopefully, there will be cancellations that will work to our advantage.

Our Excursions

We also arranged our own all-day excursion for our turnaround day in Bergen, Norway. I booked the Norway in a Nutshell tour that I’d read so much about and am really excited about that one.

I seemed to spend many days this month at the dentist. People always warn about medical expenses once you retire. For us, it’s been dental expenses. Root canals, extractions, implants, crowns – I’ve been through all of them in the past few years. My mouth is costing me a fortune!

I was able to help my favorite neighbor Tracy by staging her condo when she listed it for sale. I guess it worked, as she received a full price, cash offer the first week. We are going to miss Tracy. We took care of each other’s mail while we traveled, and she was always there for us.

Deciding what to pack for the cruise has been a fun adventure. I’ve scoured blogs, Cruise Critic posts, and any other places I could think of to get suggestions. It seems I have a fairly good handle on what we’re going to take, although my checklist seems to get updated on a regular basis.

The Evolving Checklist