Woke up in time to enjoy the view as we wound our way past the multitude of small islands that dot the narrow channel that takes you into Stockholm. Met our cruise buddy partners, minus Denise, for a leisurely breakfast before disembarking at 10:20 am. No hurry this morning as we didn't dock until 10:00.

  

This was a much-anticipated port of call as LeVerne was on a mission to source a discontinued Swedish-manufactured thermocouple for a discombobulated heater of some type he owns that hadn't been functional for some time. I think he even has the old one with him. Good luck with that one.

Disembarking, we experienced our first real glitch of the cruise. Our shuttle, which we had prebooked, was nowhere to be seen. As none of the Celebrity staff seemed to have a good handle on when it was supposed to arrive, we decided to make the thirty minute walk on our own into town. When I asked if we were going to be getting a refund for half our shuttle fare, I was told, "No, because you can wait until it shows up!" So much for Celebrity's flawless customer service to this point.

Actually, the walk wasn't bad as it was pretty straightforward and gave us some nice views of the harbor along the way. Our first destination was the Sankt Nikolai kyrka (Saint Nicolaus Church), most commonly known as Storkyrkan (The Great Church). Built in 1279, this is the oldest church in Gamla Stan, or the old town in central Stockholm.

      
      

The Storkyrkan is situated next to the Royal Palace, which was our second destination. Arriving a bit early for the changing of the guard, we did some browsing through the Royal Gift Shop on site then settled in for the event. First came a horse drawn carriage occupied by some unidentified dignitary types. After the horses, carriage, occupants and all disappeared through an entrance into the palace itself, the soon-to-be-replaced guard appeared from within. After a few minutes of sorting themselves out, along came the marching band.

      
      

Once everyone was in place the new guard, who were naval conscripts from a base in northern Sweden, marched into the square. Then there was lots of ceremony, marching around and military music going on as the guard change unfolded. To wind it up, the band launched into a couple of Tom Jones hits (Delilah and It's Not Unusual). Not quite sure how an entertainer from Wales ties into the Swedish royal family, but there it was. Regardless, the band did a great job and the whole event was quite impressive.

    
  

From the palace we made our way through the narrow streets of old town to the Riddarholm Church which is Stockholm's only remaining medieval abbey. Built in the late 1200s for the Franciscans, the church is the last resting-place for the Swedish monarchy and aristocracy. The Riddarholm also houses the Armorial Glory of the Seraphim Knightly Order (whatever that is).

Our next destination was across a bridge that would take us into the core of downtown. From the bridge we had a great view of the Stadhuset (town hall). This is where the Nobel Prize banquet is held each year. Once across the bridge we walked by Central Train Station and popped in for a photo-op.

      
    

Just down from the rail station was our final destination, the Absolut Ice Bar in the Nordik Sea Hotel. Arriving at the hotel at 2:30 pm, we were told it was going to be a half-hour wait to get in. Meanwhile, who should show up but Denise, who till now had been off on her own tour. However, when a tour group (from our ship) departed the bar a few minutes after we began our wait, we got the nod.

So in we all went, outfitted in insulated capes and mittens supplied by the bar. Ordering our vodka-based drinks served in a glass made of ice, we sat on benches covered with caribou hides and enjoyed the experience. I ordered the Wolf's Paw, supposedly Sweden's national drink that consists of Swedish vodka and lingonberry juice.

  

All of the interior components of the Ice Bar, including the glasses, are made of pure, clear ice from the Torne River in northern Sweden. That's the floor, benches, tables and the bar itself. After a half hour or so enjoying our libations at a constant -5°C temperature, it was time to move on.

    

We had to meet our return shuttle bus in front of the Opera House, so off we all went. Arriving at our designated spot, we met Bruce who had been on his own tour. I want to mention here that today was the day Swedish students celebrate their graduation. They do this by riding through all the downtown streets in the back of large open truck boxes, playing wild music, dancing, carousing, partying and just generally celebrating their graduation. All in all, quite a spectacle.

    

We finally boarded the shuttle at 4 o'clock and rode back to the ship, as we wanted a little rest and relaxation before our departure from Stockholm at 5:00. Back in our cabin, we put our feet up out on the balcony and enjoyed the view during our departure until it was time to join our cruise buddies for our evening meal.

      

After a casual dinner in the Grand Restaurant, we retired back to our stateroom and kicked back for a couple of hours until bedtime.

    
    

Beautiful sunset tonight.