Stockholm, Sweden
Flynn Marr 18 May 2026
The morning after we left Tallinn I got up early to catch the sunrise and this is the scene that greeted me from the stern of the Lido Deck: the sunrise coming up over Russia. Beautiful photographs seldom just happen. They are the result of the photographer putting himself in the right place at the right time and then just having patience.
Here is Susan boarding one of the ship’s tenders to go ashore at Nynashamn. Remember, when someone has a camera pointed at you, don’t blink!
Before we get into our day in Stockholm we have to discuss rain because today it rained! It rained on and off all day and sometimes it was a downpour.
On vacation there is always a chance of rain. But that is no reason to stop taking pictures. It just means that you have to change your routine.
I always carry a rain guard for my camera. Always, along with a few clean lint free cloths. The cover I use is called Storm Jacket and it is a dedicated raincoat for a camera. However, there are all kinds of cheaper alternatives and they are usually carried by a local
camera shop and, of course, there is always Amazon.
Cameras don’t like water. Even those that are sold as “Water Resistant” don’t like water. Do everything you can to keep your equipment dry. And keep your lens dry. Water droplets on the glass of your filter (you do have a filter on your lens of course) will cloud your image and destroy contrast.
Stockholm cannot accomodate ships the size of the Eurodam and Nynashamn is not a deep water harbour so we had to go ashore in the ship’s tenders. In this picture in the distance you can see the Eurodam at anchor.
That said, it is possible to get really nice images in the rain as we shall see. These images will require more post processing as the camera sensor will give you fairly flat low saturation files but they can be resurrected to be moody, interesting and damp. And they are a part of your vacation and worthy of good photography. So, with that out of the way, lets get on with our trip.
If you look at Stockholm on Google Earth you will see a city built on several islands in the midst of thousands of islands. It is a long way from the open sea and getting to the city is almost impossible with a large ship. For this reason the Eurodam could not dock in the city.
South of Stockholm by several miles is the small harbour of Nynashamn. This small community does not have the facilities to dock a large ship but there is good moorage offshore and a small dock that the ship’s tenders can use. So we took the ship’s life boats, or tenders, ashore where tour buses were waiting to take us into Stockholm.
There were tours available but we didn’t book any of them and chose to wander around on our own. I had been to Stockholm in 1981 and had some idea of where things were. We were let off the bus near the Royal Palace and Parliament Buildings which was perfect.
Susan is standing in front of the Swedish Parliament Buildings which are a short bridge away from the Royal Palace. She is wearing one of the capes she bought in Helsinki.
Here she is standing on the back side of the Parliament Buildings. We are in the center of the city but notice the water. The city is built on several islands.
Another point about vacation photography is to make sure to have you or your travel mates in your pictures. Look at the pictures above. Susan is standing by the Parliament Buildings but she adds interest to the pictures. You want to remeber that you were there and not that the buildings were there. If you are simply going to take pictures of streets and buildings you might as well just buy post cards. Then you don’t have to carry a stupid camera with you!
Look for fun pictures that your friends at home will enjoy. Make use of props that are everywhere. These hats were being sold in this store and Susan tried one on. Perfect!
The original old town was built on Stadsholmen Island and is called Gamla Stan, literally “old town” in Swedish. Today it is a treasury of old buildings and interesting shops and hotels. It is here that you find the Royal Palace and the Parliament Buildings. There is so much to do and see there and around the adjacent harbour that we spent all of our time there.
The narrow streets and old buildings were a delight and offered no end of beautiful images. The cloudy day prevented harsh shadows allowing the details of the architecture to shine through. We walked through the Gamla Stan and across to the other side of the water to the Grand Hotel and the National Museum.
It began to rain really hard in the afternoon and we were forced to seek shelter in stores and at one point we stopped in a small restaurant, the Cafe Nova, where we had lunch while we escaped the rain. We sat there for quite a while watching others get soaked in the street.
A cloudy rainy day gives you good lighting for portraits Don’t be afraid of the rain. There are still great pictures in the rain.
The “Old Town” in Stockholm is a treasure chest full of incredible images if you go looking for them. Even in the rain they are there!
Den Gyldene Freden is one of Stockholm’s most well known restaurants. Opened in this location in 1722 it has operated here little changed ever since.
The Stortorget is a public square as old as Stockholm itself. It can be traqced back to the beginnings of the city when it was a central market and meeting place.
One of the shops Susan found was the Pragerdesign Jewelry store that was attended by a large jovial man who spoke excellent English. He looked like what you would expect a Viking to resemble. He said that all of the items in the store were designed and created by his wife and that he was tending the store for her.
While we were there, when the rain came down heavily, people crowded into the store to seek shelter.
Susan chose a couple of pieces that appealed to her and wanted to purchase them. Then came the haggling of the price which Susan seems to love doing. At those times I tend to turn my back and pretend I don’t know her. When all was done everyone seemed happy with the result.
And then we were back out onto the street and the rain. But by this time we were getting pretty soaked.
Susan looking at jewellery in the Pragerdesign store.
This is the Cafe Nova where we stopped for lunch. I am sitting outside but we ate at a table on the small patio behind me. It was a charming spot.
While sitting having lunch under the awning at Cafe Nova the rain began to really come down. This is the view out on the street. Looks wet doesn’t it?!
By the time we were thinking about our bus back to the ship we were drenched. We had to find some rain protection so in a small convenience store we found really cheap rain ponchos. They were not much more that garbage bags with holes for our heads and hands. But they were cute and they had an appropriate message on the back. Since this trip in 2012 we have dragged these same ponchos in our luggage on several trips but I don’t think we ever used them again. However, they hve an honoured place in our luggage now when we travel.
Susan modelling out new rain panchos that we finally bought in Stockholm
The rain continued to worsen as we made our way back to the pick-up loction for our bus. Yes, we were wet but it had been fun. My one regret is that we did not have more time here.
There was so much in Stockholm to see and explore. And then there were the islands that surround the city that were full of attractions. It would have been fun.
Our trip back to Nynashamn was uneventful but we were uncomfortably wet. The ship’s tender was waiting for us at the dock and as soon as we left the bus we were on the water on our way back to the Eurodam. The day had been warm enough but when we got to the ship the air conditioning was unfortable. It felt good to get our wet clothes off and get into a hot shower.
When we got back to Nynashamn the Eurodam’s tender was waiting for us.
Susan waiving to me through the rain streaked and fogged tender window.
A ship’s tender delivering passengers back to the ship after our day in Stockholm. This picture is taken from our own tender and it is shot through the rain streaked window which explains the lack of contrast and foggy areas which are caused by water drops on the outside of the window. However, this picture is better than no picture!
Look at the picture above of Susan through the fogged window of the tender. At first it seems like a poor picture but actually it does convey how wet and humid the day was. It is actually an excellent picture conveying the day we had. Don’t stop taking pictures becasue of the rain. Some days the rain is just another part of the vacation.
Stockholm was our last stop on our cruise. Now it was back to Amsterdam and the beginning of our Grand Tour. Stockholm was fun in spite of the rain. It was just as I remebered it. I just wish we had more time to explore, like, a week or more. It is such a beautiful city.
The Eurodam would now take two days to take us back to Amsterdam. Two ship days. We are going to treat this as a single day and discuss two topics we have not touched on: shopping onboard the Eurodam and the food. People will always ask you about how the food was. But that is for next time.
As was our custom, on this and other cruises, we went for dinner and then to the Ocean Bar to dance. It’s nice: music, dancing, and people bringing you pina coladas.
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