Stockholm, Sweden - August 16, 2018

Man oh man! What a beautiful day!!! The weather was absolutely perfect! They city was perfect! We are so blessed.

The cruise line offered a bunch of excursions to Stockholm. We ported in the town of Nynashamn - about an hour's train ride out of Stockholm. Not being boastful, but we know how to get around at least sometimes. We left the ship and walked to the city center of Nynashamn (guided by a helpful blue stripe on the sidewalk). There we found the train station, figured out how to purchase fares to Stockholm and within minutes boarded to train. I'd love to say we saw magnificent scenery along the way but it looked like the back yards seen in virtually any bit of country anywhere in the world even in Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. We even saw deer stands in the fields and meadows. There were a few farms here and there and a few small towns along the way but I get the feeling that the train is pretty much a commuter train for tourists and for locals to commute into work at Stockholm.

Have I mentioned the apple trees? They are everywhere. We saw them Russia; we saw them in Finland and now we see them in Stockholm. They might be crabapples but they might be small green apples. The loaded trees are in back yards; they are in parks. The trees are burdened with them but I've seen no clue that people pick them or gather baskets of them to make apple sauce, apple butter or fruit filling for stolen pastries or pie. Oh If I could only get my hands on them! What a sweet feast we would have!

When our train arrived in the city, we popped out in the center of Stockholm. I do love this city! The buildings are big and grand and there is water everywhere. The city consists of 14 islands all connected with canals and glorious bridges. In the heart of the city is the King's Palace. It has no spires and it has no turrets. Actually for a King's palace, it is fairly boring. It's a big (huge) square block of thing but it is grand!

Amazingly, we found our way there walking first to the river and following it past where we remember boarding a boat for a river tour last year. Actually, Stan is amazing. He has an uncanny sense of direction and city landmarks. On this day he simply looked at the city skyline, saw the outline of City Hall and we walked toward it. I was still trying to match up street signs to maps. Soon we reached the river and suddenly things began to look more and more familiar as we approached the Kings Palace area. It's is truly the heart of the city. At this time the area around the King's Palace was all messed up with tents, scaffolding, stages, and vendors. The Kultural Festival is under way! It's a huge event that includes music and entertainment most of which occurs at night.

This destination is probably the cornerstone of my desire to make this two-cruise trip. When we were here in perhaps April of 2017, I was sick, sick, sick, plus it was cold, cold, cold. I knew the city was wonderful but I just hoped to see it once more, in the green when I might be well enough and warm enough to enjoy it! Yes, it is green here now, but the summer in Scandinavia and in almost all of Europe has been distinctly unusual this year. They have had little rain and the temperatures have been record breaking . . . all the way from Norway to Russia and now to beautiful Scandinavian countries, they weather has been far hotter and drier than usual. Flowers that might have been abundant and even decadent are scarce and must be well-attended to remain fresh and vibrant. The people who traditionally yearn for sunshine and warm temperatures are sweltering. No one has air conditioning. By now though, the locals have all purchased fans or as they say, ventilators. And the season is going a bit longer. At this date, temperatures should be falling off to colder ranges but no, the sun just keeps on shining and the days just keep on remaining warm. People who cater to tourists are enjoying this windfall but everyone is wondering if this is the new norm.

For me, I'm wondering what their winter will be like. Will it be warmer than usual or will winter season too be an extreme?

Ok, as we walked along the river with the King's Palace on our right and the grounds of the Kultural Festival on our left, we passed a hot dog stand. The sausages looked delicious. We bought a couple of the Swedish, pure meat wieners -- the kind that gently crack when you bite into them -- with mustard and onion crisps on a bun. The lady warmed on the grill. We took our lunch to the steps on the canal in front of the palace and had maybe one of the best lunches I have ever enjoyed in all my life. Picture this: we sat on steps leading directly to the water where boats sailed by; across the canal was the Grand Hotel; the air felt just right and I was with Stan Weeks. Perfect.