Cruisin' on a Thursday afternoon?

So my plans to stay a night or two in Stockholm have been scuttled by the ferry line. I wasn’t able to make an online reservation for my voyage to Helsinki from Stockholm because I wanted to use my Eurail Pass in order to receive a 50 percent discount. So I made my way from Göteburg today thinking that I would be able to get place for tomorrow night. After checking the other line, Viking, and learning that it was booked for tomorrow and the tickets were 550 Skr I decided to find the Silja Line office. I was given good directions to the street but told to take a left and not a right. So after a 1km walk I figured I went the wrong direction. I doubled back and found the office only a short walk from my detour, ooops! It was good exercise with a 45 pound backpack.

My original plan was to stay a night and leave on the 28th for Helsinki but since all the places were taken I took today’s ferry instead. It left me one hour to get to the port and board the ship. So after my discount the ticket on the Silja Symphony was 206 Skr or about $35 USD. The taxi ride to the port was 289 Skr or $42.50 USD. I would think that I had been price gouged but this is Sweden and not Budapest. However I find the ship to be comfortable and look forward to getting some food and perhaps doing some gambling a little later before heading to the club. Can I get some luck of the Irish tonight? I love blackjack so I am going to give myself a small bank to work with and see if I can recoup some of my costs. No worries if I don’t as long as I have a good time I reckon.

Hopefully I will have access to a computer and internet connection in Helsinki so that I can post my pictures soon. I have now been to nine countries and been in Prague, Budapest, Salzburg, Vienna, Munich, Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Lund, Gothamburg, Stockholm, Paris, and Helsinki. Not a bad little trip before I start work. I can say with certainty that I hope to move to Europe in the next two years and everything I do will aid me in reaching that goal. Once you have felt the pulse of Europe and all of it’s wonder you never let it go…

Tchao fo now!