The voyage back to Copenhagen was bittersweet. Debbie and I had seen quite a bit in six days, therefore the 7th day of our cruise was spent in relaxation and recovery mode... and enjoying the archipelago or little islands that trailed Sweden's coastline.
I found this one island rustic and charming. It reminded me greatly of the Millennium series I had finished reading prior to the trip. The Millennium series was also known as "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" series by Stieg Larsson, which became best-sellers after his death. The series is an action-packed read based on a fictional magazine of the same name that is the connection for lead characters Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist, who unravel a mystery on a small island in Sweden that was similar to the ones I was seeing.
The cruise back was uneventful. The majority of the time was spent at what Deb and I affectionately dubbed our "reading corner."
Debbie took over one side with her huge novel in hand, and I took over the other side with my trusty Kindle.
And meanwhile, the sunset over the Baltic Sea shifted in varying shades of pastels...
Until evening harkened the skies black.
By morning, the "Costa Deliciosa" pulled into port, and we were greeted with a sign that claimed our return back to Copenhagen.
We quickly debarked and hailed a cab, so we could make our mid-morning flights back to reality. Before Deb and I separated and caught our respective flights home, we looked at the statues of these two wistful girls seamingly dreaming of future destinations, and declared they were symbols of our young selves who finally got their wish of seeing the world come true. I know those "girls" will always hold a symbolic spot for us in Copenhagen. It was a trip of a lifetime, and one that I was grateful to share with my oldest and dearest friend. And so until our next big adventure, "Laverne", keep your suitcase packed and ever ready to go.
