Stockholm
We arrived quite late today and so an afternoon ship tour was the best way to see Stockholm. It was a wet and quite cool day so we had to content ourselves with the views form the coach.
Our guide again gave good commentary, and we learnt that Stockholm is built on fourteen islands, connected by bridges with many ferries and boats to get to all parts of the city. The water is exceptionally clean and one can swim
anywhere even in the center of the city. Stockholm is a financial center and most people work in some kind of a service industry. There is very little heavy industry here and so the city is virtually pollution free and very clean.
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A highlight of our tour was a visit to the Vasa Museum. We travelled to the island of Djurgarden to see the worlds oldest restored warship, the Vasa. She only had a short career as she capsized
just after she began her maiden voyage in 1628 and some 333 years later was salvaged and brought to the surface. The building that houses the ship is huge and obviously purpose built. It is quite dark to ensure
that the restoration work is not harmed by more deterioration. It was very large and the figures carved on the hull and on the back were very lifelike and imposing. The Museum also has a great history collection
of the times and many artefacts as well. As one could tell it is one of Stockholm's most famous tourist attractions.
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Stockholm has many beautiful and historic buildings and the Old Town, Gamia Stan, is one of the must sees. It is on a small island in the heart of the city and has
the Royal Palace, the Parliament, the House of Nobilities and the world's longest established bank, the Bank of Sweden. What an incredible place to visit -
just didn't have enough time as it was time to return to the Marco Polo for the last time. We packed our bags and then had a
fantastic farewell dinner before saying goodbye to many new friends and staff. We left the ship at 2am the next morning to fly to our
next destination - Kuala Lumpur for a short stay before returning home.
Thanks to the Marco Polo crew and staff for a magical cruise!
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