Stockholm Sweden

Welcome Stockholm, Sweden capitol city of the country. This was a city that we wished we had more time in. Stockholm has a population of about 1 million in the municipality and twice that in the surrounding area. It's home to 22% of the country's population. There are numerous islands and water ways making up the city.

Alexandra in front of the Swedish Parliment.













One of the many bridges in the area around Old Town and the Stockholm Palace.

Alexandra making a new friend.

Jakob's Church, around the corner from the opera house.












Old Town, Gamla Stan. The tower on the church Riddarholmen.

Walking the streets of the Old Town of Stockholm on my birthday.

A street in Old Town.

The windows of the second yellow building on the left all had mirors on the open windows. The view out of the windows looked down the street toward the water which was behind us.

Baltic Cruise

We spent the end of June and first part of July on a cruise around the Baltic Sea and over to Norway. The cruise started in Copenhagen, Denmark and had stops in the following ports: Warnemünde, Germany; Stockholm, Sweden; Helsinki, Finland; 2 days in St. Petersburg, Russia; Tallinn, Estonia; Aarhus, Denmark; Oslo, Norway and back to Copenhagen.

First port

Warnemünde, Germany

27 June 2011

Stockholm, Sweden
29 June 2011

Helsinki, Finland
30 June 2011

This ship was one of many we saw coming into the port. The ships are based in Tallin, Estonia

which is a short overnight passage across the Baltic Sea from Helsinki. 50 miles across the Baltic Sea.

We spent two days in port in St. Petersburg, Russia.
2 July 2011

Tallinn, Estonia
3 July 2011












Aarhus, Denmark
5 July 2011

Just before leaving the port of Aarhus, Denmark.

In port in Oslo, Norway. This was the best docking location of the cruise, when we woke up in the morning right outside was the castle.

6 July 2011









This was right across the street from our docking location.

The opera house in Oslo.

On the roof of the opera house in Oslo.

Heading south out of Oslo through the fjord, the last day before returning to Copenhagen, Sweden. This island, South Kaholmen, was a military training area and had Oscarsborg Fortress as an active installation until 2003. The fortress is best known for its sinking on 9 April 1940 of the German heavy cruiser Blücher. Cadets fired artillery at the first German ships attempting to make their way toward Oslo. One of the German ships was hit and eventually sunk. This delayed the Germans landing in Oslo for some time.