Return to Stockholm. Sunrise in the archipelago.

Before the sun actually rises here you have a long period of soft light. In these first photos the sun has not yet risen but is illuminating the morning sky. Overnight the weather cleared to reveal a picture-postcard day for sailing through the Stockholm archipelago.

The skies had cleared and the result was a very chilly morning. It was around the freezing point but on the deck of the ship the wind made it feel much colder.

I grabbed these shots and headed in pretty quickly.

From the stern of the ship.

Deck 12 had an open-air deck for taking in the view.

This is a view of Ladugardsgardet which is a large national park right in heart of Stockholm.

There are very few tall buildings in Stockholm and the highest structures tend to be the church spires. The ships' captains use these spires for navigation. They know that when two particular spires line up that they need to turn. Whenever anyone puts up a new building in Stockholm that interferes with these landmarks the captains make a big fuss.

Finally the sun peeks above the islands.

Above deck 12 is the "Stardust Lounge" which has a great panoramic view but has a very Las Vegas decor of cut glass and mirrors backed by a disco beat.

Just below the ship's funnels is the spa complex with about a half dozen small pools at various temperatures.

A final view of the ship's wake as we approach Stockholm.