Late May through early June is a great time to visit Stockholm. If your timing is right, you’ll get to witness the Swedish rite of passage known as Studenten.

In fact, a tour guide here in Sweden’s capital told me that Studenten is one of the highlights on her tours on the rare occasions when she is lucky enough to expose cruise passengers to it.

I’ve seen Studenten several times, and it is pure joy. The event marks graduation from gymnasium (similar to high school in other societies) when Swedish students celebrate, with relentless enthusiasm, the final day of their final year of secondary education.

No doubt this is one of Sweden’s most bizarre and fun-filled traditions. Students wear white, sailor-style caps, a holdover from the 19th century, when students at Uppsala University donned hats that were already popular in Denmark and Germany.

Graduates start the day with a champagne breakfast, singing a traditional song that ends with “Hell, we are so good!”

The students then spend time with their teachers, and around 2 p.m., the students rush out of school to meet their families, who welcome them with flowers and presents.

The family also has prepared a poster featuring an amusing picture of the child from his/her youth. The student carries the poster and waves it during a parade.

Next, the students board something like a parade float. Groups of students actually rent or hire their own floats, flat-bed trucks and the like, or have someone drive them in a car. They are chauffeured around the city while they drink champagne and dance to loud music from a boombox, celebrating just how good they are!

Need a reason to cruise to or from Stockholm? I’ll give you ten good reasons.

1. Stockholm is immensely beautiful. The city is built on 14 islands that appear to be floating on water.
2. If 14 islands should prove to be insufficient, not to worry: At Stockholm’s doorstep are 30,000 islands in the archipelago.
3. Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town, is one of the world’s best preserved Medieval cities. Enjoy strolling the Old Town’s narrow alleys and cobble-stone streets, taking time to stop in cozy cafes, shops and world-class restaurants.
4. Stockholm is a walkable and bikeable city. The Swedish capital is compact and easy to get around. You can see and do a lot in a short amount of time. Be sure to take time to bicycle through the former royal deer park known as Djurgarden. Some of the scenes in Djurgarden fool you into thinking you’re in the Swedish countryside.
5. You can fika in Stockholm. Fika is where catching up with friends meets with coffee and cakes. But Fika is about much more than caffeine and carbohydrates. It’s a Swedish social institution, where friends sit down and chat about life and current events over snacks like kanelbulle, the Swedish version of a cinnamon bun, and a cappuccino. You will want to fika in one of Stockholm’s many cozy cafes.
6. Stockholm has dropped from 23rd most expensive city to live in to 31st. By comparison, Copenhagen ranks 7th, Oslo, sixth. Stockholm offers the best value among the Scandinavian capitals.
7. Stockholm is a city of culture. It has the world’s highest concentration of museums and an abundance of attractions, sites and galleries. There’s something for everyone: for families, for singles, young and old, gay or straight.
8. With one third of its land area covered in parks, and one third in water, Stockholm is a green city. Stockholm is Europe’s first Green Capital.
9. Getting to Stockholm from destinations worldwide is easy thanks to numerous flights daily from all over the world, including some low-cost carriers. Getting around once in Stockholm is easy and efficient.
10. Stockholm is the capital of Scandinavia. The city is a Nordic hub in business and in culture. Today, instead of Stockholmers going abroad for a fix of glamor and sophistication, visitors are coming to Stockholm for a taste of the international high life. Why not join them before or after your next cruise to or from the Swedish capital?

Ah, but to be Norwegian, particularly on Norway’s National Day, which took place yesterday under sunny skies in Oslo. It’s hard to imagine any ceremony that could make a citizen more proud of his or her country. The whole city turned out. At least it seemed that way. Men, women and children wore national costumes as they paraded down Karl Johans Gate (Oslo’s main street) waving Norway’s flag and shouting in appreciation of their nation, “Hipp Hurra!”

I was one of the few fortunate enough to obtain special seats in front of the Royal Palace to watch as parade participants marched up Karl Johans Gate to the Royal Palace, where they were received by the Royal Family standing on the front balcony, waving to the crowd.

The event, marking the day in 1814 when Norway adopted its new Constitution, is celebrated across the nation.

The weather forecast had not been good, but the day turned out to be a beautiful one, with lots of sunshine and brilliant blue skies.

It’s too late to take part in Norway’s National Day celebrations this year but not too early to begin planning to attend the events next year. Cruise ships often dock near the city center, so that you can easily walk into the heart of Oslo. Of course, the city is also a great destination to spend a few days before or after your cruise in Scandinavia and Northern Europe.

View a Flickr slideshow of yesterday’s events in Oslo.

Sweden, in fact, is more than two hours by air from Switzerland. There is no Matterhorn here, the cows don’t wear bells and if you hear yodeling, check your documents. You may have landed two hours south.

Situated in Europe’s northernmost latitudes, Sweden is the third largest country in the European Union in terms of land area. Sweden is the length of California, and it would take you 25 hours to drive from North to South.

With 9 million people, Sweden is also spacious. There’s lots of room for everyone to spread out, and in fact, there are only 52 people per square mile in Sweden.

The country is actually known as the Kingdom of Sweden. There is a king and a Royal Family. Currently, the country is preparing for a Royal wedding that will take place when Sweden’s Princess Victoria marries a man of the people next summer.

The language is, of course, Swedish, although English is widely and happily spoken. If you insist, you might try to learn a few Swedish words. And if you really want to impress someone, say the word for nurse: Sjuksköterska. I’ll give you a moment to untie your tongue before resuming.

For the foreign tongue, however, even saying seven is simply too much of a mouthful. It’s true that most foreigners have no trouble pronouncing the number six, which is “sex.” But the number seven, sju, sounds like little more than exhaling air, impossible for the non-native Swede to pronounce properly. So that I never have to say sju, I make it a point not to accept seven of anything. Seven tomatoes? No, I reply, I’ll take sex instead, which often gets me a curious look.

A city of nearly 2 million in and around the metropolitan area, Stockholm, of course, is the capital of Sweden. The city is situated on Sweden’s east coast, inland, at the juncture of an arm to the Baltic Sea and Lake Malaren.

Because of its location, Stockholm is a major port of call on all Baltic cruise itineraries. The city expects more than 300 cruise ship calls in 2009, making it the fourth largest cruise destination in the Baltic Sea Region. With 39 turnarounds, Stockholm is the Baltic’s second busiest turnaround port.

The currency is the Swedish Krona – 1 krona (SEK) = 100 öre. Though perceived to be expensive, Stockholm is becoming cheaper, dropping from the 23rd most expensive city to live to 31st, according to “Mercers 2008 Cost of Living Survey.”

Copenhagen is 7th; Oslo is 4th. Stockholm is now considerably cheaper for tourists than Oslo or Copenhagen, because of the cost of living index and the exchange rate. Last spring, the Swedish kronor was valued at SEK5.9 to US$1. Today the exchange is around SEK8 to US$1. Suddenly, it’s as if Sweden were having a 25% off everything sale.

Anyway, that’s today’s lesson. Thanks for tuning in!

Then, I try to repeat the numbers to her. Inevitably, however, the digits always include what is for me and many other non-Swedes one of the most difficult numbers to pronounce: seven.

For the foreign tongue, saying seven is simply too much of a mouthful. It’s true that most foreigners have no trouble pronouncing the number six, which is “sex.” But the number seven, sju, sounds like little more than exhaling air, impossible for the non-native Swede to pronounce properly. So that I never have to say sju, I make it a point not to accept seven of anything. Seven tomatoes? No, I’ll take sex instead.

Today, as I loaded my groceries on the conveyor, I joked that we would know doubt have a seven to contend with. When the cashier hit the total button, she burst out laughing: double sevens or sjuttiosju. Take my word for it: Don’t even try to pronounce it unless you’re a Swede.

Room With A View: Scandic Palace Room 301, originally uploaded by Ralph Grizzle.

Room 301 at the legendary Palace Hotel boasts one of Copenhagen’s best views. French doors open onto a balcony overlooking the bustle below and beyond at City Hall Square.

Acquired by the Scandic chain and re-opened in April 2009, the long-established landmark Palace Hotel, built in 1910, got a complete make-over to its 170 rooms, restaurant, bar and lobby area.

I found Room 301 to be extremely comfortable — and spacious, with a walk-in closet, a large workspace, giant flat-screen television, a sitting area and spacious bathroom. But my favorite feature was the balcony.

With its location at City Hall Square, near Strøget, the shopping street, and opposite the amusement park Tivoli, the Palace Hotel is as central as it gets in the Danish capital.

Room 301 is certainly a room with a view.

Watch a video review of room 301.

Click on any of the thumbnails below to view photos of the Palace Hotel.

I like Scandic’s no-nonsense approach. Corner room 324 at Copenhagen’s Scandic Webers, for example, is light and spacious and comes equipped with everything tourists or business travelers need: coffee and tea maker, ironing board, safe, air-conditioning, a large workspace/desk, flat-panel television and free wireless internet.

Scandic’s hotels share a core philosophy of “being easy,” offering “value for money,” and to be “open-minded, caring and considerate,” in short, the chain says, “showing common sense.”

The Swedish Scandics boasts Swan “ecolabelling” in recognition of the chain’s active environmental work. The chain is striving to bring the same “eco standard” to all of its hotels throughout the Nordic region.

I also appreciate the water bottle, shown here. The Scandic chain used to transport 4 million bottles of water annually to its hotels. That was unsustainable, management felt, which is why the chain now invests in the best water there is — H2O from its own tap.

In guest rooms, you’ll find attractive hand-blown glass water bottles designed by an Olympic swimmer, who has an obvious affection for water. Her handprint wraps around the bottle. Fill the bottle from water dispensers that serve still or sparkling. Your cost: $0.

The 152-room Scandic Webers is only a couple of blocks from Tivoli and Central Station.

Copenhagen’s beloved Little Mermaid, known from the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, will leave the city in 2010. She will travel around the world to be part of World Expo in Shanghai from April to November 2010. The Little Mermaid has never left her spot at Langelinie Pier, where cruise ships dock, since the statue was erected in 1913. While in Shanghai, her place in Copenhagen will be temporarily taken by a sculpture created by a Chinese artist.

To understand Copenhagen and the Danes, you must grasp the concept of “hygge.” The candle-lit, snow-covered, outdoor tables on a snowy night in Copenhagen are one example of hygge.

Although translated as “coziness,” hygge has no exact English equivalent. It is a complete absence of anything annoying, irritating, or emotionally overwhelming, and the presence of and pleasure from comforting, gentle, and soothing things.

Hygge is often associated with family and close friends. Christmas time when loved ones sit close together with candles lit on a cold rainy night is “hygge”, as is grilling a pølse (Danish sausage) on a long summer evening.

These examples, although they do not precisely define “hygge”, can give an English speaker an idea of a deeply valued traditional concept of Danish culture.

Say hello to the Easter tree.

Actually, it’s not a tree at all but a collection of long willowy twigs with yellow feathers attached. This is the traditional Easter decoration here in Sweden. Easter, or Påsk as it is known, has some, er, “different” traditions associated with it.

If you’re cruising to Sweden or just visiting, knowing how the nation celebrates holidays helps you prepare for the Swedish mentality. (It’s also useful to know how Sweden celebrates Christmas, but that’s another story. Quickly, however, on Christmas Eve, the whole nation — I’m not kidding, all Swedes, those stylish, sleek, sophisticated people — sit down at 3 p.m. to watch Kalle Anka, which are — now take a moment to prepare yourself for this — Donald Duck cartoons. The first time I celebrated a Swedish Christmas, I thought I had landed in Bizarro World. Actually, Christmas in Sweden is very lovely, with the focus on family. Plus, it’s fun, if not a bit strange, to watch the Swedes mimic Donald Duck and friends.)

For Easter, the big day is Saturday (the holiday is known as Påskafton), when people get together for a traditional dinner that typically consists of sill (herring), lax (salmon), deviled eggs topped with Kalles caviar, kottbullar (meatballs), Prinskorv (a small Swedish sausage) and, of course, Påskmust, which is like a cola but made with a secret recipe.

The same food is served for Christmas, by the way, but with a different cola. Julmust is served during Christmas. Some people swear that they prefer Julmust over Påskmust, but here’s a secret: I believe Julmust and Påskmust are made from the same batch, simply relabeled. Temper your protests please.

And of course, no get-together would be complete without schnapps, beer and traditional songs. Sitting around the table, guests sing familiar favorites before toasting one another (skål). There is a whole tradition around skål that I’ll get to in another post.

One of the strangest parts of the Swedish Easter tradition, however, is the Påskkäring, or the Easter witch.

In Sweden and parts of Finland, the tradition of the witch is said to come from the old belief that witches would fly to a mountain in Germany the Thursday before Easter to cavort with Satan. As the witches returned, Swedes would light fires to scare them away, a practice honored today by the bonfires and fireworks across Sweden in the days leading up to Easter.

This year, a record number of “witches” (nearly 3,000) attended a march in Visby, Sweden. And you thought watching Donald Duck was strange. Children also dress in witch costumes and collect candy, kind of like a mini-Halloween.

Sweden is full of traditions, lovely traditions. One that I enjoy quite a lot is fika. What’s fika? Check out the video below.

Today, another challenge: Who are the people in the photo above? There’s a hint in the headline of this post and in the video below.

In a future post, I’m going to tell you how — and where — to fika. Don’t worry. To fika is perfectly acceptable, even preferred.

I’ll also talk about the Swedish language, which I find to be extremely difficult. It’s true that most foreigners have no trouble pronouncing the number six, which is “sex.”

More difficult to say is the number seven, sju. It sounds like little more than exhaling air, but impossible for the non-native Swede to pronounce properly. So that I never have to say sju, I make it a point not to buy seven of anything. Seven tomatoes? No, I’ll take sex instead.

The castle in the earlier post, by the way, is known both as Kronborg Castle and as Elsinore. The town where the castle is situated also is known as Elsinore. But like the castle the town too has another name, Helsingør. See how quickly things can get confusing over here?

The important thing to know is that the castle was the setting for Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Thus, the castle is known also as “Hamlet’s Castle.”

Built in the 1420s and rebuilt more than 150 years later, it is one of the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. On bike rides along the Swedish coast, I look across the strait known as Öresund to Hamlet’s Castle. Seeing it never fails to enchant me.

The strait, by the way, is less than three miles wide and separates Sweden from Denmark. If you’re cruising the Baltic, you’ll likely pass through the strait, which is one of the world’s busiest waterways. Andreas Eriksson, who is the marketing and information manager at the Port of Helsingborg, tells me that roughly 90,000 ships pass Helsingborg each year.

Fortunately for Andreas and his colleague, Monica Bengtsson, who works for the City of Helsingborg to convince cruise ships to visit her fine city, some of those ships do stop. If you’re on board one of those this summer, you can brag that you know the name of the castle across the strait.

Coming in my next post: a few recommendations for those visiting Helsingborg. And then we move on to Sweden’s beautiful capital, Stockholm, the self-proclaimed Capital of Scandinavia.

By now, you know the name of band in the photo, right? If not, watch the video. Now maybe you can tell me this, what are their names? A hint: Their names form the acronym of the band’s name.

Think about it for for a few minutes while I introduce myself. I’m the guy in the photo. My name is Ralph Grizzle, and I am an American (from Asheville, North Carolina) living part time in Sweden, directly across from the castle, in fact.

I came here to be closer to the “Cruise Capital of Northern Europe.” That would be Copenhagen, Denmark, which will host more than 300 cruise ship calls this summer. Those cruises, of course, will explore Scandinavia and the jeweled destinations along the Baltic Sea.

My job while I’m living abroad is to inspire and inform you about one of the world’s most enchanting — and enriching — cruise destinations, Europe.

I’ll begin by filing reports from Scandinavia, covering Sweden in April; Norway in May; and Denmark in June. After that, I’ll move south to cover other cruise destinations in Europe.

I hope that you’ll comment and ask questions as I expose you to the best of Europe, virtually.

Did you guess the name of the castle yet? Here’s a closer look.

Actually, the castle, and the town where it stands, has a couple of names. I’ll give you some time to think about it. If you know the answer, click on the “Comments” link below (the link may display “No Comments” until the first comment is registered).

Until next time, “Välkommen” to Sweden, Ralph Grizzle.

Each day since that time will be progressively longer. It’s quite fascinating to watch. Today, as noted, we gain four seconds sunlight over yesterday; tomorrow, we gain 15 seconds sunlight over today; Christmas Eve gains 25 seconds over tomorrow; and Christmas Day gains 36 seconds over Christmas Eve.

The pattern continues with each day gaining more than the preceding day. New Year’s Day gains 1 minute 46 seconds over New Year’s Eve. In February, we’re gaining 4 to 5 minutes each day; we continue to gain around 5 minutes each day through the first of May, then the pace slows to four minutes per day.

The days, however, are quite long by then. On May 1, sunrise is at 4:49 a.m. and sunset is at 8:43 p.m., giving us 15 hours 53 minutes and 44 seconds of sunlight.

On June 21, the longest day of the year, the sun rises at 3:31 a.m. and sets at 10:09 p.m. The sky never darkens completely, as the length of the day is 18 hours 38 minutes and 26 seconds.

Just thought those of you in Sweden would want to know as you watch the sun set today at around 2:49 p.m.

Winter Solstice
The Winter Solstice occurs when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees. In other words, it is when the North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun. Depending on the Gregorian calendar, the December solstice occurs annually on a day between December 20 and December 23. On this date, all places above a latitude of 66.5 degrees north are now in darkness, while locations below a latitude of 66.5 degrees south receive 24 hours of daylight.

Click Summer Solstice for an explanation.

Getting From Sweden To Denmark The Easy Way, originally uploaded by Ralph Grizzle.

Near the Town Hall in Helsingborg, Sweden. you will find the ferries to Denmark. The larger ferries are operated by Scanlines. They depart from the train station, about two blocks from the Town Hall.

I prefer the smaller ACE link ferries for ease of boarding. The crossing on either ferry is about the same, 20 minutes to Denmark.

You can always see the time of the next departure on ACE link in red letters underneath the clock pictured here. Go inside the terminal near the clock to purchase tickets. See next post for ticket cost – with a bicycle.

Buy Your Ticket, originally uploaded by Ralph Grizzle.

Roundtrip for a passenger from Helsingborg, Sweden, to Helsingor, Denmark, costs SEK 55 on the Acelink ferries. Roundrtrip for the bicycle is SEK 28.

No doubt, Helsingborg is so beautiful, especially for cycling, that you will want to return, so purchase the roudtrip ticket if you think you’re returning.

Credit cards are accepted. You’ll also find a place on your ferry for the bike. See the next post.

Follow The Sign, originally uploaded by Ralph Grizzle.

Where you will find facilities for your bike. Then head outside or to the lounges inside for food and drink.

You Are In Denmark When You See Hamlet’s Castle, originally uploaded by Ralph Grizzle.

Also called Kronborg, the castle and the events that took place there inspired Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The castle is open for guided and self-guided tours daily from the 10:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Entrance fees range fro DK30 to DK85. The latter includes entrance to the Danish Maritime Museum. The Copenhagen Card, which includes admission to the Danish Maritime Museum, reduces the cost of the complete tour (normally DK85) to DK60. I’ll be posting more on the castle later.

Have A Refreshing Beverage, originally uploaded by Ralph Grizzle.

On the ACE link ferry, a Danish beer cost SEK 29

Or Wait Until You’re Off The Ferry, originally uploaded by Ralph Grizzle.

There’s always lots of beer in Denmark, the reputed “world’s” happiest nation.” No wonder!

Entrance To Hamlet’s Castle, originally uploaded by Ralph Grizzle.

The pleasant stroll from the ferry to Kronborg takes about 15 minutes — or only five minutes bike. Tickets can be purchased inside the castle.