Although similar to Copenhagen, Rotterdam, and Helsinki (high prices, canals and wharfs penetrating into city streets, clean), we thought Stockholm was the nicest of the northern cities we visited. It has an atmosphere of greater antiquity (Rotterdam was bombed out of existence in WW II, Helsinki was founded in 1820, and Copenhagen also has a relatively short history as a major capitol), with tiny winding cobblestoned streets in the Old Town. Like the other cities, almost 100% of the city residents are apartment dwellers and religious mass transit users. We got on a Hop-On-Hop-Off ferry in the harbor, which hit all the high points, then visited the oldest open air museum in Europe, said to be the inspiration for all other open air museums. The place itself was a bit of a disappointment, since the displays and buildings were almost all late 19th and early 20th Century, and many of the building and displays were not yet open this early in the season. They were actually contemporary displays when they were created around the turn of the century, and were assembled in Stockholm to give the city folks an idea of the country life. Anita had found 200 Swedish Kroner in St. Petersburg, which we used to buy postcards, stamps, pastries, coffee, and beer. The departure from Stockholm took us through an archipelago of several hundred islands, many of which had vacation homes at all levels of luxury and charm. Next, a full day and a half of sailing to Kiel, Germany, our last stop before debarkation in Copenhagen.
