By:Marcia Abramson
It seems to me that Stockholm has just about everything that a tourist might want to see. On my recent cruise to Sweden, I decided to take the Renaissance Shore Excursion for a tour of the highlights of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. The city is situated on 14 islands and lakes between the Baltic Sea and Lake Malaren with a plethora of canals, waterway and at least 53 bridges. My first stop was on the island of Djurgarden where I saw the Vasa Museum named for the 300-year-old battleship which sank mysteriously before it actually set sail. It has been restored piece-by-piece and represents a true picture of 17th century naval life.
My next stop was to one of the highest points of the metropolis for a view of the city. I did see the medieval Old Town with gabled houses, weathered cobbled streets and unbelievably narrow alleyways. In fact, one was only three feet wide. Then walking through this picturesque area, I came upon the oldest church in Stockholm, the Storkyrkan, seven centuries old. Services as well as royal weddings are held in this ecclesiastic masterpiece. Just outside the Old Town is the imposing Royal Palace with the requisite guard in regal attire in his sentry box. The Palace has royal apartments which are open to the public when there are no state visits or audiences. I was able to peruse the gift shop for souvenirs and also got to see the changing of the guard with all the pomp and ceremony befitting this gala ceremony. It takes place on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays year-round at mid-day, but daily during the summer months.
Another place not to miss is the City Hall called the Stadshuset. The interior gilded or Golden Hall is the venue for the Nobel Prize winners' ball and the Blue Hall is where the Nobel dinner is held. Stockholm was the birthplace of the noted inventor Alfred Nobel. He invented dynamite and held 355 patents for his many scientific inventions. He amassed great wealth with companies in more than 20 countries and established his foundation to foster social and peace related issues in addition to further literary talent. It was pointed out to me that the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Economy, Physiology or Medicine and Literature are awarded in Sweden, whereas the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway. Interestingly, the prizes are awarded in both countries because when Alfred Nobel created his will and established the independent Nobel Foundation, Norway and Sweden were united and one nation. This union only lasted for five years after his will was filed, but the two countries maintained their rights to award the prizes independently.
Before heading back to the Renaissance ship, I walked toward the waterfront in the commercial part of the city to see the major synagogue in Stockholm, built in 1870. The temple is considered one of the most interesting buildings in the city with an exotic oriental facade. There is also a new monument dedicated to honor the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Raoul Wallenberg, the humanitarian rescuer of the persecuted Jews, will also have a memorial monument erected close to the harbor in this locale.
The next morning my spectacular Renaissance Cruise was over, but I was left with thrilling memories of incredible destinations and thought about them on my non-stop Delta flight to New York. I am looking forward to joining the Renaissance 8 repeater passengers for possibly a Far East sojourn from Singapore to Thailand, to the exciting new destination of Hanoi, Vietnam, ending in what used to be a shopper's paradise, Hong Kong, sometime this winter for 15 days. There are also now adventures, to be considered for travelers sailing to the exotic ports of Bali, Pago Pago, American Samoa, the Philippines, Malaysia, French Guiana, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Australia and New Zealand. I suggest heading to your nearest travel agent for more details on these value loaded trips. Within the past week I received a new magazine in the mail, (as many of you have), called Impressions, about the plans of Manfred Ursprunger, Renaissance Cruises' newly appointed president and chief executive officer for some new innovative program. His background includes high ranking positions with Costa Cruises, Cunard Cruise Line, Norwegian American Cruises and Celebrity Cruises. His plans include a Theme Cruise program with some distinguished guest lecturers such as Tom Wicker, Myron Kandel, Scott Carpenter, and Marlin Fitzwater. If you don't have a travel agent you can find one by visiting on line, www.Renaissancecruises.com and click on the "Find a Travel Agent" button on the home page.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
E-mail: mascribe@aol.com
