Stockholm Stopover

Arriving in Stockholm, our phones took some time to communicate with each other, so it took almost half an hour for us to meet at the Arlanda Airport beekeeping house. The rest went smoothly and soon we had picked up our rental car and were on our way to the city. But... I had imagined the weather conditions for Midsummer differently. And I also wondered if it always has to rain when I arrive in Stockholm. Checked in at the hotel, we set out to find something to eat. The one hour time difference from Finland and the lousy weather did not give us a white summer night, and even worse, it was and still is freezing cold.

However, the people of Stockholm seemed not to be bothered by this at all, they were already celebrating Midsummer almost everywhere in the city. And after a chilly walk through Gamla Stan, we soon returned to our hotel, as we had to get up early the next day - at 5.00 am to be exact - to catch our ferry to Aland. The night was short and comfortable, the parking garage cost CHF 55, almost as much as the hotel and set a new record in the parking garage price category, which will not be easy to beat.

In any case, we were at the port at 5.50am - where according to the booking confirmation, you should be there no later than 6.10am, only to wait for a whole hour until we could finally board the ferry. Anyway, the ship was only moderately occupied, which made the journey even more comfortable. These ferries have a really great standard. And after a hearty breakfast buffet, which we had booked in advance, we lounged in the sofa corner of the 'Pianobar' and enjoyed ourselves.

Oh well, I had actually envisioned enjoying the drive through the beautiful archipelago landscape from the outside deck but... Midsummer is turning more and more into a late autumn, and one of the worst kind. Not even 10 degrees anymore, strong wind and constant rain. That's how it looked when we arrived in Mariehamn on Aland. To be continued.