Cruising the Scandinavian Archipelagos to Finland

Once upon a time there was a city in Finland with two names. "Åbo" is the Swedish name for this city on the Finnish coast and "Turku" is the Finnish name. I was told that Åbo means "near the river" or something similar. This city is defined in part by its water – the River Aurajoki and the Baltic Sea.

A journey to Åbo is an utterly amazing experience, especially when your method of transportation is a Viking Line ship. There is much to see in the oldest city in Finland, but the journey is magical as well. The 12-hour route from Stockholm to Åbo is a sensory journey through Stockholm's Archipelago, to Finland's Archipelago, only spending perhaps two hours or so in the open sea.

My cousin Mona Wallinder Vestlund and her husband, Pelle, took me on this spectacular cruise. I had been on cruises before but never on a ship this large. Viking Lines' Amorella towered above the waves. From the tenth observation deck I leaned tentatively over the railing and looked at the far sea below. Those were waves? It looked like a painting of waves. The sailboats resembled toys and it seemed as if I could just pick one up if I wanted.

We passed the islands of Stockholm's Archipelago which had been shaped by wind, water and snow. These islands were vibrant with rough-hewn red cottages and lighthouses of all sizes and shapes, but from Deck 10 these structures looked like the miniature world of Disneyland's "Storybook Land."

It has been written that 90,000 islands lie in the Scandinavian Archipelagos. Some of them are hardly more than smoothed rocks jutting from the sea and others are glazed with restaurants, churches and all the accoutrements of teeming communities.

From my stateroom on Deck 6 the waves lost their unreal appearance. I was supposed to sleep – the bed was comfortable, the seas were calm – but I was compelled to look out my window for most of the night. I watched the apricot and mango-hued "sunset" at 1 a.m. The sky stayed at a twilight state for maybe two hours, then began to be infused with light, then more light, then it was day again. How could I have gone to sleep and missed all of that?

We docked at Åbo in the morning and, after dropping off our luggage at our city centre hotel, Cumulus, we set off to explore. As Finland's oldest city Åbo has many architectural and historically significant sites, but it was also important to me because my great-great grandfather, Oskar Wallinder, was born there. The Wallinders were Swedish citizens, but his father, Lars, had taken the family on a trip to Åbo when his wife delivered.

Åbo was founded in the 1200s and has retained an ancient feel. The River Aurajoki courses through the heart of the city and is host to many ships, some of which are restaurants. At the mouth of the river lies the imposing 800-year-old Åbo Castle with its chipping and rugged stone walls and cobblestone courtyards. Inside, visitors will find a partial Renaissance décor and an eerie dungeon.

An important historical stop on the River Aurajoki is the Qwensel House, the oldest surviving bourgeois house in the city, dating to the year 1700. Its décor is a stunningly preserved example of Rococo and Gustavian. (Gustavian is a Swedish Neo-classic style developed during the reign of Gustav III.) A silk-draped bed in a delicious seafoam green sits aside sparkling chandeliers and multi-pronged Swedish candelabra.

A pharmacy museum, "Apteekki," displaying various herbs and remedies, is also incorporated in this museum. The employees wear period costumes and are well informed.

The red brick cathedral towers over the city, as do other buildings, some of which have onion domes betraying Russian influence. Cobblestone courtyards wind through the Neo-classical town centre. As the bells in some cathedral or church clanged 4 o'clock, it was time to pause for coffee.

The aromatic Swedish coffee and flaky Swedish pastries enhanced our welcome respite. I had a frosted almond-flavored cake called "mazarine" and a decadent chocolate "rum boll" which made the coffee time pass too quickly.

Fortified, we were off for more exploration. As we coursed the shopping area, a handbag, which was a work of art decorated with beads and faux coins in an innovative design, was calling to me. After several Euros fluttered to the counter I felt no regret and came home with a Finnish treasure.

For dinner I recommend the Brasserie Armada located at Eerinkatu 28 in the city centre. The décor is done in sharp modern pieces fashioned of blond wood, probably birch. My dining journey began with one of the best filets of smoked salmon I have ever enjoyed. The smoky aroma reminded me of a visit to a mountain cabin high in the Sierras. Because of the fir-like taste I wondered if the wood of a fir was used to smoke the fish.

The creamy potatoes were permeated with fresh dill and a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar flavored the spinach salad. A fitting finale was the wild blueberry sorbet, which was a flash of cold, like biting into an iceberg. Dinner at Brasserie Armada was a diversion from the ordinary, but then so was the entire Åbo experience.

On our sojourn back to Stockholm it was so beautiful I was compelled to spend time on an outside balcony or sitting at a wide window on Deck 7 with a view straight down to the water. The Amorella, a Finnish registry ship, offers a full schedule of activities and many amenities including saunas and casinos, but I was mostly content to watch the exquisite parade of islands.

An amazing smörgåsbord of Scandinavian and Asian delicacies was found at the Viking Buffet where a wall of windows afforded a sweeping view of the sea. The "Million Euro" view and the marvelous selection of food definitely encouraged lingering.

The mysterious Archipelago passed like a slow movie with vigorous colors, each island a mystery in itself. The water-borne journey through the Archipelago is a sensory explosion infused with splashes of red cottages, sea-scented breezes and the silver glint of the sun on the sea.