12.9.18 Day 13 Stockholm - changing of the Guard et al

I had a good nights sleep, did wake early, listened to some ABC radio, read a while, dozed a little. Then got up and went for a walk around our neighbourhood of Tegnérlunden (pr. Tay-gler-loon-den) before meeting the others for breakfast at 8.30.

High school in our street.

Statue in the park opposite our hotel

Our hotel.

Then we walked down the street and had a good look along the way to a useless Tourist info. then onto Hop on/hop off bus - took a little bit to find the right one to match our Stockholm Pass. It’s pretty cool and windy, but no rain, even so the roof was on the bus which made viewing the amazing rooflines and rooftops difficult.

We liked these bollards - Lions

Some old gateway

Central Station clock

Inside the Station.
Some shots from Hop on Hop off. Pretty crooked as it was quick snaps as we went past.

Green wall of plants

The bus stopped for 15 minutes so we bailed and began our walk towards the castle for changing of the guards.

Through some gardens, all beautifully tended.

A church.

Getting the low down on paternity leave from these two dads.

A guard in front/side of castle. Had to growl at someone who got too close

Guard on duty

Suzie with guard.

Our morning plan was to get to the Changing of the Guards at the Royal Palace which all my research said happens only on Wednesday and Saturday at this time of year. We made it and I managed to wangle a good spot off to the side.

Two different groups of soldiers and a full band too.

They marched right past my spot, leaning on one of the lions.

Out they went

The other group who were taking over guard duty.

Flag carriers leaving the square

Rolling up the flags

The band playing a tune or three

The CofG was amazing and I fluked a prime spot despite the crowds.

After a break for coffee along one of the waterways, we caught our hop on hop off boat across the way to the Island of Djurgarden to visit the Vasa Museum and then ABBA Museum. Our plans were foiled, the Vasa Museum was amazing and didn’t leave us enough time to do ABBA justice, so that will

be tomorrow.

Parked right beside the Palace this truck with some paint job.

Thought Keith might enjoy this.

Selfie with the guard before we left. New guard after changing.

A door.

On our Hop on Hop Off boat.

Now a museum

The Vasa Museum houses the warship Vasa. This is a massive ship built in three years in the 1620’s. On the 10 August 1628 this massive and ornate warship set sail on her maiden voyage and sank 20 minutes later in Stockholm Harbour. Basically she was too high without enough ballast. In the breeze she listed to the side, righted herself and was hit by another gust, which was enough to allow water to gush in through the cannon holes, which were all open displaying the might of the Vasa. She took on too much water and sank. Many on board were able to get away with about 50 lives lost.

We’ve arrived.

The Vasa warship 1660’s.

Pic of the to scale model - shows the colours she once wore.

The really amazing part is that 333 years later the wreck was salvaged in 1961. The reconstructed vessel, 98% original, is splendidly adorned with hundreds of carved sculptures. She is displayed in the dry dock that was part of the original salvage process. The Museum is 6 levels high which enabled us to see all of her.

The massive nature of the Vasa is hard to describe. To think she survived 333 years is the mud which preserved the wood, sails, clothing of some victims and many other artefacts is hard to fathom. THEN she was found and THEN the long and tedious process of salvage and restoration has been ongoing ever since.

The Museum itself was stunning. We watched a movie which explained much and then a short guided tour before wandering through the whole six levels.

The model in full sail (real Vasa behind)

The carvings and paint colours were brilliant. They actually took many years to analyse the carvings to ascertain which colours and what was used to create the colours, before undertaking the task of painting the model.

Some life size reproductions of some of the carved details. Warrior with dog

The dog at his feet

The Royal sheaf with Cupids

The real Vasa

It was so big, couldn’t capture the whole vessel from anywhere.

The rigging recreated with many of the wooden blocks and bits and pieces from harbour floor.

A cannon hole with cover. These were open when she sailed and filled with water.

Well worth the time and still hard to believe that she lay in the mud for longer than Australia has been colonised!!!!

The valuables bronze cannons were salvaged in the 17th century using a diving bell. In itself and amazing feat. However they have been lost. So if anyone has one, the museum would like to know.

The salvage took years and used old technology with divers in big old diving suits digging tunnels under her which took two years. Steel cables were then threaded through the tunnels and attached to two pontoons which eventually slowly lifted the hull up to the surface. There is much much much more to the salvage and the restoration of the whole

Jigsaw. The steel nails holding her together had rusted so there were bits and pieces all over the harbour floor which have been painstakingly put together. Its worth a read of the Wikipedia site https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasa_(ship)

By the time we were finished our boat home was no longer running. We purchased daily transport card and came home by tram and metro train. We shared a nice Swedish meal of potato pancake and Swedish meatballs at a little place around the corner.