Day 4 - Stockholm

Hi Everyone, Sailor here.  I'm missing my Dorothy but here's the dispatch from Stockholm.

The sky couldn’t be bluer and the temperature couldn’t be better.  I am adding an additional charge to everyone’s shipboard account for this spectacular weather I brought with me from Florida.

We opted not to do one of the ship’s tours and instead had a look around the “Old Town” of Stockholm ourselves.  Stockholm is a city of islands (I didn’t know that even though I read all three “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” books).  One of the best ways to get around is by the “Hop On - Hop Off”  tourist boat – which took me to the Vasa Museum.

WOW!!

The Vasa was a warship launched by King Gustav the somethingth.  It took over two years to build, has more than 700 carvings on board … and sailed for all of about 20 minutes after it was launched.  The ship simply was too tall and too narrow and there wasn’t enough ballast.  A close to shore disaster - it sat on the bottom of the harbor for 333 years, largely forgotten, and was lifted in 1961 when the technology to bring it up had been developed.   I think it’s the largest  preservation project of its kind in the world.  Not going to swear by that statement, but that’s what they said in the museum.

Seeing the ship was one of those “OMG, hit-you-in-the-gut, take your breath away moments.  There’s no photo or documentary that can capture the feeling that you get when you walk up to it in person.  This photo is of the stern (back) of the ship – taken with my phone camera since the AA batteries I bought for my regular camera at the dollar store turn out to be worth less than what I paid for them.  Glad I had the phone along in my pocket as a back-up.

It might be genetic, but I do have a fascination with boats, ships and certainly shipwrecks.  I think everyone is fascinated by a shipwreck, as long as they’re not on it.  The low temperatures of the Baltic and the lack of oxygen in the water (due to pollution) helped preserve the ship as well as (gasp) the bodies of those who went down with it.  There were  bits of fabric and leather remaining after all this time, archaeologists were even able to examine the brain of one of the sailors who perished with the ship.  Yeah, that’s kind of gross to think about,  don’t want to dwell on it – what a fountain of knowledge this shipwreck contains.  

Scientists have been able to reconstruct personal profiles of a number of the skeletons discovered and they have a fascinating exhibition which takes you through a reconstruction from the skull to what the individual actually looked like.  They can tell if someone was well-fed or malnourished, what their status in life probably was – they bring a level of personalization to the exhibit that I’ve never seen  before.   You get a feeling for the poor souls who perished on board.  I’m not going to ruin all the surprise for those who do get to go visit, but I will say that this is another MUST see for anyone’s list.

Who was responsible for the shipwreck?  Well the King had a hand in the design, as did the naval architect – but they were both out of the country when the Vasa sank, and the shipbuilder had died.  There has never been an outcome to the inquest.

The Coastal Scenery

I’ve determined that God has created more beauty than man has the vocabulary to describe.  Right at the moment I’m grateful that  I took typing in high school because to look away from these thousands of isles and islets and inlets and harbors and straights and picture perfect postcard idyllic scenery , and, and … well I just can’t do it.   

Lovely homes with families having dinner outside in the long evening’s sunlight; even the little dog playing in the yard.    Stairways winding down the sides of the hills to docks with small boats tied alongside.  Remote cabins and elaborate Victorian homes… everything in harmony with the pine forests and rocky shoreline.  Tiny little unexpected islets that pop up off the shore.   I couldn’t make this up.   

It’s almost as if you’re looking at a flawless diorama entitled “June Along the Swedish Coast”.   I feel  guilty if I glance away.  I think I’m trying drink my fill (and then some) so I can store it up to draw on in the future.  I find myself talking to complete strangers just to hear myself say how pretty it is out loud – like I need somebody to confirm that I’m really seeing this.  

 

If you are sailing along here you can’t go inside and miss a single moment.  You want to buy a little bitty island or claim a small lighthouse for your own.   It’s mesmerizing, charming, magical.  I wish I had Ernie Hemingway here to help me put it to words, I’m not capable of adequately describing what I’m seeing. 

I just realized that I’m actually trying to open my eyes wider to suck in all the view I can.  It’s 8:30 PM and watching the shadow of the ship slip past the pine trees and houses and bulkheads of the shore I’m sort of glad the light is finally starting to wane.  I need to process this, but for now, while there is still light and we continue our process back toward the Baltic Sea, I just have to look.  I just have to look and look and look some more. It will be light for another two hours or more, I’m captivated – literally, I’m held captive by this view, I’m going to be a happy prisoner of the Swedish shoreline for a few more hours.

I had high expectations for this voyage, and they have been exceeded. 

I hope Sailor has plenty of fresh water and is getting lots of hugs.