April 3–4: trip to Stockholm
For one weekend, we paid a lightning-round visit to Stockholm.
3930
Walking around the harbor, both of the Stockholm ferries (Viking and Silja) visible, the Viking ferry at the Katajanokka port and the Silja, which we would be taking, at the port near Kaivopuisto in the southeastern part of downtown.
3934
Here it is, the Silja Symphony.
3942
The promenade, in the heart of the ship. I hadn't been in a ferry/cruise ship like this in years.
3945
Departing from the harbor, the cathedral prominent on the skyline.
3949
Passing by the Mariella.
3951
There goes Uspenski!
3956
The eastern part of the Katajanokka port; our apartment block is hidden from view but not far beyond the line of houses to the left.
3959
An intimate retreat.
3960
And another.
3966
Some remaining ice.
3969
We crunched right through it.
3970
Suomenlinna, the island fort of Helsinki.
3977
Oblique view out.
3993
Up on deck. It was on this very ferry ride that my camera lens started messing up; some part of the lens motor had slipped or worn or something, and it eventually got the point where I had to pull on the lens while it was trying to move into position in order to avoid a lens error. The vignetting that you see at the corners of this picture and the slight blurriness are from the lens being beyond the correct wide-angle position. Once I had to extend the lens manually, I at least found it possible to put it back to the correct wide-angle position, but it moved out of that position easily. Since I had to work that way from about late April to the end of July, I got used to it. I was thankful that the camera continued working at all.
4002
The duty-free shop, with the Nordic favorite, licorice, right up front here. (Salmiakki, or salty-tasting licorice, is particularly prized. I've gotten more and more used to it the more times I've tried it, but it's still kind of nasty.)
4005
The promenade at the magical daylight/artificial-light equilibrium time (DALET, I will refer to it from now on, if I need to do so). (EDIT July 2013: never mind, I ended up calling it isobrightness everywhere else.)
4026
The newly clear sky the next morning as we arrived in Stockholm.