First some brief background information about Sweden:
Sweden is the third-largest country in the European Union by area with a population of 10.2 million. Germanic peoples have inhabited Sweden since prehistoric times. An independent Swedish state emerged during the early 12th century. In the 17th century, the Swedish Empire was formed which exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries. The last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814. Since then, Sweden has been at peace, maintaining an official policy of neutrality in foreign affairs.
This morning we took a panoramic bus tour of Stockholm. Known as the Venice of Scandinavia, the city consists of 14 islands and 57 bridges that connect to the mainland. We only got a glimpse of the government buildings and museums, but I at leased captured a picture at the ABBA Museum.
Below is one of the guards in front of the Royal Palace.
Here we are on deck with our travel buddies, RJ & Tony, just after we pulled anchor to begin our 34 mile journey through the Stockholm Archipelago.
We had a beautiful day with sunny skies and warm breezes as we sailed 4+ hours through the 24,000 Islands of the Stockholm Archipelago. When we were flying into Stockholm yesterday, the archipelago was different from any landscape I have ever seen from a plane.
Along the way, we passed the Fortress Fredriksborg which was built as a defense against the Russians in 1724. It is now a hotel and restaurant.
Tomorrow morning we explore Helsinki, Finland.
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