Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen

While the termperature was rising in Italy, the Stoic One, me and our friends Marjorie and Doug, headed north to the Scandinavian countries. We had never been up there before, so it was fun to explore. They are all cities surrounded by water which, to me, adds to their attractiveness.

Helsinski has a population of over a half a million, but it didn't seem that large to us. It is referred to as the Daughter of the Baltic and is located on a peninsula in the Baltic Sea and includes 315 islands. They share a 1200 kilometer border with Russia, and Mr. Putin makes them very nervous.
 It is ranked as one of the 5 best cities for technology, and has a reputation for top notch design.

I loved the bright, primary colors of these side walk cafe tables.

The weather was warm and the people were happy to be out and about.  We were in the land of the midnight sun, that was not as weird as you might expect. It was lovely to be out at 10:00pm in the twilight. All hotel rooms come with black out drapes, so sleeping was not an issue. It is a very walkable city, which we love.

After three days, we took a train from Helsinki to Stockholm. It is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited. With a population of 915,000 people, it is a bit larger than Helsinki.  It is a city that is easy to explore and easy to love. It is spread across 14 islands and is connected by 57 bridges.

The architecture in Stockholm is very stolid. If Rome is a feminine city, Stockholm is a beautiful masculine city.

We took an overnight ferry from Stockholm to Copenhagen. The cabins were quite spacious.

Copenhagen was very crowded with cruise ships. It was difficult to walk down the streets without bumping into people. I wish we had more time there. Perhaps we will return one day.

Here is the Little Mermaid that everyone loves. She is quite small.
She was donated to the city by Carl Jacobsen, a brewer. The inspiration for the statue was from Hans Christian Adersen's fairy tale. Unbelieveable the amount of tourists who have come to see her.

If Italy is a country of "Extroverted Feelers", like me, the Scandinavian countries are Introverted Thinkers, like the Stoic One. I must say these countries are very efficient, and I am sure that all of their trains run on time!