2024 Viking Homelands - Day #18 - Mariehamn, Åland Islands, Finnland

Aland Islands by Bike

A Scenic Exploration on Two Wheels

Meet your guide, don your helmet and after a short safety briefing, set off on two wheels. Your ride will take you through the city of Mariehamn to the surrounding countryside past green meadows and lovely seaside residences. You will ride over several bridges, offering stunning views of the surroundings, and cross over to the isle of Järsöarea, known for its picturesque, red-painted farmhouses. Here, you will pause to enjoy a delicious homemade pancake with strawberry jam. Back on your bicycle, follow your guide for the leisurely ride back to your awaiting ship.

I got up at 6:15 am and wandered up to the Explorers' Lounge for coffee. It was interesting to watch the ship dock in the tiny harbor and port. After sailing into the harbor, they spun the ship in a circle to dock it. Much to her chagrin, I let Sharon sleep until 7:00 am before I woke her up.

We had a quick breakfast in the World Cafe. We met our excursion in the Star Theater at 8:15 am.

The first day on the ship, we switched our excursion from Mariehamn on Foot to a biking excursion. Meeting the group at 8:30 am, we got our bikes. We rode through town with a couple of stops to talk about buildings and statues. We did a longer stop at the Martime Quarter, but it was early and most of the shops were closed.

From there, we rode out of town and across several islands. It was very picturesque. We made a stop and walked down towards the water. Turning around, we rode back along the same route and stopped for a Swedish Pancake at Pensionat Solhem. We are back to the ship after 12:30 pm.

I really enjoyed the ride. We covered about 14 miles in two and a half hours of moving time.

We had a nice late lunch at the World Cafe sitting on the back of the boat in the sun.

After lunch, we met with the travel advisor. Given the incentitives that they were giving to book on the boat, we made a decision to sign up for a Mekong Delta Cruise with a pre-tour in Bangkok and post-tour in Hanoi and Ha Long Bay in early 2026.

We spent some time in the infinity pool and hot tub on the back of the ship.

We went to the Port Talk for Stockholm.

While Sharon was getting cleaned up, I dove back down into the Nordic Spa. I did the pool and the sauna. I really think that the sauna helped knock down my head cold.

We went to the Explorers' Lounge for a cocktail. It was interesting to watch the ship sail away from Mariehamn through a series of small islands. It seemed like the channel was very narrow. There were a lot of other small boats around. I am going to write more about smaller boats in general in a post trip blog entry.

We had a late dinner at Manfredi's. The reservation was for a six person common table, but they seated by ourselves. We split Insalata Caprese [buffalo mozzarella, vine ripened tomatoes, basil, extra virgin olive oil] and Spaghetti alla Carbonara o all'Arrabbiata [fresh spaghetti with choice of: guanciale, egg & Parmigiano Reggiano sauce or garlic, parsley & spicy tomato sauce]. I had Traditional Bistecca alla Fiorentina [herb marinated grilled bone-in rib eye] as an entree, while Sharon had Branzino alla Mediterranean [seared sea bass; cherry tomatoes, potatoes, black olives, anchovies & parsley].

We gained an hour back, shifting from Helsinki to Stockholm time. Effectively, we crashed at 9:30 pm rather than 10:30 pm.