The Stockholm Archipelago

 Saturday, June 4, 2022

The Stockholm Archipelago

 One more example of the Finnish language before starting this day’s blog.  This was found by a fellow traveler in a men’s room in Finland, on a package of paper towels: 

That last word in the black lettering is remarkable, no?  Translation by Google:  “Wash the cadets with soap and water and dry with a disposable towel.”  I hope you’ve washed your cadets today.

We’ve traveled overnight towards Stockholm, Sweden, and on Saturday morning after breakfast, we had a remarkable lecture by the historian traveling with us on the boats of the Baltic Sea.  He was full of information, and it was quite interesting.  In the late morning we picked up a pilot and began the intricate maneuvering through the many islands of the Stockholm Archipelago.  The area is reminiscent of the Thousand Islands, with loads of small islets, many of which have vacation homes on them: 

We had lunch, and then went up on deck as we approached Stockholm.  The weather is gorgeous, with brilliant sunshine and temperatures in the high 60s.  Stockholm is right on the water, built on multiple islands, and the approach to our dock was beautiful: 

Stockholm also is a major destination for cruise ships and ferries:

After docking, the crew put out the Zodiacs, and we went for a cruise along the inlets and channels in and around Stockholm: 

We passed an incredible amusement park with at least four roller coasters (twisting, upside down, etc.) and towers which spun people and dropped them and on and on.  The screaming was very loud: 


After about an hour we came to a quiet spot where one of the ship’s Zodiacs was waiting for us to offer us some champagne.  It was yummy and hit the spot!: 


We passed a lightship which the staff think is decommissioned: 

It’s a remarkable time to be in Stockholm, as two things have converged.  First, it’s the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Swedish Navy.  Second, since the application of Sweden and Finland to join NATO, there has been a rapid escalation of joint military exercises, made abundantly clear by the NYTimes in this article:

 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/04/us/politics/uss-kearsarge-stockholm.html?smid=em-share

There are many warships from a number of countries here to help celebrate the naval anniversary: 

The arrival of the USS Kearsage has been a major event.  The ship is tied up in the middle of Stockholm harbor, and is an imposing presence: 

We have heard a number of comments from Finns and Swedes about the prior neutral political stance they had taken and the current applications to join NATO, all of them very positive.  The presence of the Kearsage was accompanied by celebrations as well as huge water sprays from fire-fighting ships.  It seems that the perceived threat of Russia is very real and the alliance with NATO and the USA is welcome.

Tomorrow, touring Stockholm.

Comments

  1. Ralph P. LockeJune 5, 2022 at 2:28 PM

    My cadets definitely need some help!
    Amazing that you're there just when the Swedish and Finnish foreign alliances and armed forces are in the news!
    Water sprays is a cool (literally!) way to celebrate--and very visible from a distance.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rwa442June 5, 2022 at 8:53 PM

    The finish word for wash you hands counts as a "run on word"! So since Stockholm is built all near and on the water it would be interesting to know their thoughts and plans about sea level raising.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Victor PoleshuckJune 5, 2022 at 9:56 PM

      We haven't heard a word about sea level rise! I'll have to ask.

      Delete

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