SCandinavian Cruises - 2026
Sunday 24 May'26 - Visby (Sweden) [the 25th is further down this page]
Docked at 0800 in Visby. It is the 2nd largest city in Sweden, located on the largest island within the Swedish archipelago. A beautiful clear blue sky with hardly any breeze and a predicted 19'c awaits us. A small group walking tour of the city is on the agenda, starting at 1015. After a short walk from the pier and onto a shuttle bus, we were dropped of near the university. A nice walk through the local park bought us to the old city walls. It was here that our guide Nick (a pom who had married a Swedish lady some years back) explained the history of Visby (Veezbee).
Basically, the island it is on is Gotland and in centuries past, apart from the normal scandinavian/baltic issues of the Danes, Germans, Russians and Norwegians fighting with the locals, its real history is from the Viking era. The city walls were actually the original dock area. Then we walked through the area that was the fisherman's houses (no more fishing due to the Baltic Sea being so polluted nowadays) before reaching the Botanic Gardens. Now in one of the photos you'll notice heaps of rose bushes. This was due to the fact that the fishermen would dry their daily catches in their little back gardens and the roses were planted to negate the odour...
Onto the gardens and the 1st thing on entering the gardens was an old church that is slowly being taken over by a vine. The gardens are beautiful and filled with trees from around the world. Unfortunately, whilst we were able to see the end of the daffodils, the roses and many of the trees were yet to bloom. Nick kept saying, if only you were going to be here next week! Now, with regards to the church ruins, there were in fact at one stage in the city's history, literally 100 churches. This was due to the fact that the Vikings wanted to peacefully live in the city but the townsfolk of the time, primarily Germanic, saw them as heathens due to the fact they worshipped many gods. To appease the townsfolk, they built them churches to prove their worthiness. So that meant there are now ruined churches scattered everywhere throughout the town. The most picturesque still operating is the Sankta Maria Domkyrka.
Then back through the streets before catching the shuttle back to the boat and a hamburger lunch at The Mast Grill. Some R&R before heading to The Cosmopolitan for dinner, a night cap in The Martini Bar, where we were once again entertained by the violinist, before a well deserved sleep.
Monday 25 May'26 - Sea Day
A later breakfast before a 1015 meeting for Continuing Cruisers where we were again provided with info on what our options are on the Friday when this cruise ends and the next one begins. We're thinking of going for a walk in Southampton this time around. The photo's are Raw on 5, the Japanese restaurant (pay extra) and some more of the artworks on the ship...
After a longer than usual afternoon siesta, it was dinner in The Cosmopolitan where we met a lovely lady from Maleny in Qld, a place I hadn't heard of but Di knew due to her time on the Sunshine Coast, who is best friend's of one of the senior crew members and cruises occasionally to catch up. We had actually ran into him a few days earlier. As we were later than usual heading to the Martini Bar, we were treated to the nightly "bar flaring" by the staff. Most enjoyable. The first video is Di's cocktail being produced, the 2nd is the one they presented her with after the "show". Chatted to a nice couple in their early 80's from "south Canada" before off to bed...
