Caitlin Takes Copenhagen : Bustin' Ice!

Chelsea, Valary, Claire and I went on a Scandinavian adventure this past weekend. First, we took a 5-hour train ride to Stockholm, Sweden and stayed there for one night and one day. Then, we embarked on an overnight cruise that took us to Helsinki, Finland. I can now officially say that I have been to all of Scandinavia!

Stockholm Highlights:

Gamla Stan: Gamla Stan is the Old Town of Stockholm. It is filled with tiny little walking street and intricate buildings. There is a little square called Stortorget that has a row of very unique and colorful old buildings. They are sort of the icon of Stockholm and are pictured on nearly every postcard.
Changing of the Guards: We went to the Royal Palace to watch the changing of the guards because I had read online that it was kind of a big deal. Whatever website I was looking at did not lie; It was definitely quite the production! There was a lot of marching and then a little concert from the royal band and then a presentation of the marines. There was even a master of ceremonies to keep everything in order. The whole thing lasted around 40 minutes!
Gustaf Adolf and 3 Crowns: Being the proud Gusties that we are, Claire, Chelsea and I went a little 3-crown crazy while in Stockholm. The 3 crowns were literally everywhere! We saw them on everything from important government buildings to baby onesies. Chelsea and I bought cheese slicers with the 3-crowns cut out. I figured it will make for some very festive wine and cheese nights at the House of Blues next year :) We took our picture on Gustaf Adolf Torg (street) and climbed his statue. I have to say, we did a good job fulfilling our Gustie duties.
Hills! I thought Stockholm was a beautiful city, especially because of its hills. It was a drastic change of scenery from the flat landscape in Copenhagen. I liked that you could get a good view of the city from pretty much anywhere. Down by the water there was an especially nice view. We found some random stairs that led up to a bridge where we could get an aerial view of the city, which was perfect!

Stortorget

Beautiful Stockholm

Proud Gusties in Gustav Adolf Square

Gustie Tower

Changing of the Guards

Our main man Gustav

Helsinki Highlights:

Cruising in the Baltic: We took a cruise ship from Stockholm to Helsinki. I was surprised how how big the ship was! Chelsea had told me we were taking a "ferry" so the image in my head was not a massive ship. Although the ship was big, our cabin was very cozy... in other words tiny, but we managed. It was beautiful sailing out of Stockholm at sunset. We passed tons of islands with little cabins--very scenic!
Bustin' Ice: In the middle of the night our entire cabin (all 4 square feet of it) started shaking because our ship was cutting through ice. In the morning we saw Helsinki harbor filled with ice chunks, it was actually really pretty.
Friendly People: In general, the people in Helsinki were noticeably friendlier than other places I've been, which was really nice!
The Rock Church (Temppeliaukio Kirkko): The Rock Church is well exactly what it sounds like... a church made out of rock. It was a very interesting building. I was amazed by how warm and inviting it felt on the inside.
Cafe Regatta: The weather took a turn for the worst in the afternoon, but we new there was a chance of snow and did all of the touristy things before it hit. We spent the rest of our time in Helsinki in a one-of-a-kind cafe by the lake. It was a cozy little cafe with quite the eclectic interior. There was everything from old skis and to an ableksiver pan hanging from the ceiling. We had cinnamon rolls and unlimited coffee that only cost 2 euros. Also, every time we brought up our mug for a refill the woman working gave us 5 cents back... we never quite figured out that system.