I visited Helsinki.

I sailed on the Viking Line through the Swedish Archipelago aross the Baltic Sea. The trip was short, two days and nights. The ship Mariella was like a floating hotel: decks for floors, cabins for rooms. I stood on top as we left Stockholm.

I was the last person to come down from the top of the ship. We were in the archipelago and our speed was up. It was windy. Alice had warned me about passengers falling off the ship and drowning. Suddenly, I was confused and disoriented. I could not find the stairs leading to the deck below. Out of nowhere I heard Agnetha's voice. She was singing The Day Before You Came. It was not my imagination. The sound was coming from the ship's speakers. Hearing Agnetha composed me. I found the stairs and got below to safety. My guardian angel had come to me in my moment of need.

The Archipelago is composed of 24,000 islands. They come in all sizes. Some are tiny. Some are covered with woods. Some have houses.

That night, I talked to a guy from Atlanta and his Canadian girl friend. They were going to Russia. When I went to my cabin, someone was in my bed. I got the hostess to roust him out.

In Helsinki, I walked down Mannerheim Street and Alexandersgatan. I sensed a Russian influence. I entered the Lutheran Cathedral and saw a statue of Martin Luther.

The Finnish Mark is the currency. No passport is needed to travel around Scandinavia.

Back at the terminal, I thought of what I had seen, three world capitals: Stockholm, London and Helsinki.

Wow, I'm jealous!!! So far we're just planning a cruise to the Caribbean this summer, but I'm praying to make it to Germany next year.