Well this is our final port of call for this cruise. Wow the time has simply flown by and we have just 2 days in Stockholm before we begin the long trek home to Australia.

We started today with a bus tour through the streets of Stockholm with our guide David who provided many facts and figures about Stockholm. The city was founded 800 years ago and the King is the head of state - today is his birthday - he is 72.

Some fun facts about Stockholm and Sweden;

· Sweden is made up of 24,000 islands and 96,000 lakes

· Sweden has not participated in any war for almost two centuries, including both world wars

· Sweden is the third largest country in the European Union in area, yet it has the second lowest population density

· Over 50% of Sweden is covered in forests. 1/3 of Stockholm is "green".

· Sweden legalized gay sex in 1944, and in 1972, it was the first country in the world to allow for a legal change of gender identity

· Stockholm has been called the "Venice of the North" because it is a city built around water with 14 islands and 57 bridges

· Ikea was founded in Sweden in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad.

· Other famous Swedish companies include Volvo, Electolux and H&M (hello Hobart!)

· ABBA are the most famous musicians from Sweden

· The official Twitter account of @Sweden is given to a random citizen every week to manage.

· The first email from one head of state to another was sent from Sweden to the USA (Clinton) in 1994.

· All children have access to free education. high school students are paid $187 per month to attend school

· Everyone in the country has access to free health care and elder care

· Parental leave is 480 days on full pay - applies to both mothers and fathers

· All companies are legally required to offer their workers free massages while at work

Stockholm City Hall (Stadshuset) is one of the most famous silhouettes in Stockholm with its 106 metre spire featuring the golden Three Crowns ( Swedish coat of arms). The City Hall was built from eight million bricks. The building is most famous globally for its decadent Golden Hall, where acclaimed Nobel Prize Award ceremony guests get to dine each winter surrounded by 18 million gold mosaic tiles.

Royal Opera House. Kungliga Operan has been the Swedish national venue for opera and ballet since January 18, 1773. The foundation for the opera in Sweden was laid by King Gustav III, a playwright and patron of the arts. In 1792 the Opera House was the site of the assassination of King Gustav III, who was shot point blank during a masquerade ball. This event was the inspiration for Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera.

Gamla Stan - Stockholm'sOld Town, is one of the largest and best preserved medieval city centres in Europe, and it is like stepping back in time. This is where Stockholm was founded in 1252. We spent about 3 hours walking the narrow winding cobblestone streets, with their buildings in so many different shades of gold and red that give Gamla Stan its unique character. Even now cellar vaults and frescoes from the Middle Ages can be found behind the visible facades. Before entering the old town we passed the Riksdagshuset (Swedish Parliament) building dating from 1897 and Mynttorget (Coin Square) where the neoclassical columned facade of the Royal Mint from 1790 can be seen.

There are several beautiful churches and museums in Gamla Stan, including Sweden's national cathedral The Storkyrkan (Great Church) which was built in 1306 at the site of a small chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas. It is the site of royal ceremonies such as coronations, weddings and christenings. The wedding of crown princess Victoria in 2010 took place here. Tyska Kyrkan (German Church) is the most impressive reminder of the often dominating influence of Germans in medieval Stockholm. The spire of the church marks the highest point in Gamla Stan. The German Church was originally built in the fourteenth century as a guild house for the German merchants of the Hansa. During the sixteenth century the guild house was converted into a church dedicated to St. Gertrude.

In the middle of Gamla Stan is Stortorget (Great Square), the oldest square in Stockholm. Ever since the early Middle Ages, this square has been a central meeting place and was the site of the Stockholm Blood Bath of 1520 when Christian II of Denmark beheaded 80 Swedish noblemen and displayed a pyramid of their heads in the square. Here you can also see the Borsen (old Swedish Stock Exchange) dating from 1776. Stortorget is the central point from which runs Köpmangatan, the oldest street in Stockholm, which was mentioned as early as the fourteenth century. Mårten Trotzigs gränd (Mårten Trotzigs alley) is the narrowest alley in Gamla Stan, only 90 centimetres wide at its narrowest point. This alley runs off Prastagan which is the street named after the priests who used to live there.

Riddarholmen (Island of the Knights) is a small islet that forms part of Gamla Stan and houses a number of private palaces dating back to the 17th century) and the Riddarholmen Church with its imposing cast iron spire. The church is a royal burial church, and was built as a Franciscan monastery for the so-called Grey Brother monks in the 13th century. The Riddarholm Church is the final resting place of the Swedish kings and Stockholm's only preserved medieval monastery church. With the one exception of Queen Christina, all succeeding rulers of Sweden from Gustav II Adolf (d. 1632) to Gustaf V (d. 1950) are buried in the Riddarholmen Church. Kings from the middle ages are also buried here such as Magnus Ladulås and Karl Knutson Bonde (d. 1470).

Royal Palace - One of the largest palaces in Europe, the Royal Palace is the official residence of His Majesty the King of Sweden, with over 600 rooms.The Palace was largely built during the eighteenth century in the Italian Baroque style, on the spot where the "Tre Kronor" castle burned down in 1697. The Royal Palace also contains the Armoury, with royal costumes and armour, as well as coronation carriages and magnificent coaches from the Royal Stable. If your timing is right be sure not to miss the daily changing of the guard at 12:15pm (Sundays and holidays an hour later).

Vasa Museum - This museum is the resting place of the 17th century warship Vasa and is regarded as a unique treasure. More than 95 percent of the ship is original, and it is decorated with hundreds of carved sculptures. The 69 meter-long warship Vasa sank on its maiden voyage in the middle of Stockholm in 1628 and was salvaged 333 years later in 1961. For nearly half a century the ship has been slowly, deliberately and painstakingly restored to a state approaching its original glory. While the giant ship alone is fascinating to look at, the museum also provides informative exhibitions about the lives of its passengers, the ship's rescue operation and how it's been so well preserved. You can easily spend several hours here. Open from 10am - 5pm daily. Entry is 130 SEK.

We found it great to just walk everywhere as the central area is relatively compact. For example, the walk from Central Station to the island of Djurgården (where the Vasa Museum is located) took approximately 50 minutes. Walking enables you to view the amazing architecture and green parks along the way. From the posh apartments along Strandvagskajen to the blossom trees in Kungsstradgarden . Type "walking in Stockholm" into Google and it will bring up heaps of walking tours; self guided tours and suggested itineraries.