Ferry ride from Turku to Stockholm

It was a relief to make the ferry in time.  I think we got there about 7:55am. They had not started loading the cars on to the boat yet.

Leaving Turku.

It was a beautifully sunny day, even if it was cold. PJ loved watching the water go by.

On the top deck of the boat there was lots of room for the kids to run around. I enjoyed the boat trip a lot more than I thought I would. We found out that we could get a cabin during the day for only an extra 15 euros. This made the trip a lot more relaxing. We were able to have a nap to make up for getting up so early in the morning. The boat trip was actually very relaxing all around.

We me a Finnish gypsy woman. The gypsies arrived in Finland about 50 years ago. I asked this lady (who spoke English) how they referred to themselves. They do not refer to themselves as Romani like some others in Europe do, but as Gypsies.

The Finnish and Swedish Gypsies have been shunned by the rest of European Gypsies. This is because they have tried to integrate more into society. They participate in the education system. This may sound very good but they have lost a lot of their culture. They do not speak their language any more.

This lady told us that they are the same as other Finnish people apart from their dress. But in getting to know here it appears that they actually have lower paying jobs in society.

It would be fascinating to do an ethnography on the Finnish Gypsies. They proclaim that they are no different to other Finns, yet they see a need to dress differently. They do not have "child weddings" (a term I despise), but most get married at 18-20 as soon as they are allowed to.

Other Gypsies in Europe see the Finnish and Swedish Gypsies as having sold out and betrayed their culture, and perceive them to be a lot wealthier. The sad thing is- it is my guess that they are not accepted by Finnish society very much either. So in selling out their traditional culture they are left in no man's land between two cultures.

Abigail really wanted me to take a picture of the Viking Line mascot.

There was plenty for the kids to do on the boat, which also made the trip more relaxing.

Half way through the day we stopped at the Åland Islands. Åland is an autonomous region of Finland. They speak only Finnish, and have an officially separate nationality.

This is the Viking Line boat going in the other direction to us.

Now in Swedish waters.

A different kind of ferry, taking traffic from one island to the next through the Swedish archipelago.