"The Vasa Museum displays the only almost fully intact 17th-century ship that has ever been salvaged, the 64-gun warship Vasa that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628. The Vasa Museum opened in 1990 and, according to the official website, is the most visited museum in Scandinavia. "
As soon as we entered the museum, there she is, in your face, The Vasa!
As soon as we entered the museum, there she is, in your face, The Vasa!
"Vasa is a Swedish warship built between 1626 and 1628. The ship sank after sailing roughly 1,300 m (1,400 yd) into her maiden voyage on 10 August 1628. She fell into obscurity after most of her valuable bronze cannons were salvaged in the 17th century, until she was located again in the late 1950s in a busy shipping area in Stockholm harbor. The ship was salvaged with a largely intact hull in 1961. She was housed in a temporary museum called Wasavarvet ("The Vasa Shipyard") until 1988 and then moved permanently to the Vasa Museum in the Royal National City Park. The ship has been seen by over 35 million visitors since 1961. Since her recovery, Vasa has become a widely recognized symbol of the Swedish Empire."
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Reproductions of ship's decorations to show their full splendor on that day back in 1628.
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Even Gerri and Barbra are enjoying the ship and the museum - that's Barbra pointing in below photo.
"On 10 August 1628, Captain Söfring Hansson ordered Vasa to depart on her maiden voyage to the naval station at Älvsnabben. The day was calm, and the only wind was a light breeze from the southwest. The ship was warped (hauled by anchor) along the eastern waterfront of the city to the southern side of the harbor, where four sails were set, and the ship made way to the east. The gun ports were open, and the guns were out to fire a salute as the ship left Stockholm.
As Vasa passed under the lee of the bluffs to the south, a gust of wind filled her sails, and she heeled swiftly to port. The sheets were cast off, and the ship slowly righted herself as the gust passed. At Tegelviken, where there is a gap in the bluffs, an even stronger gust again forced the ship onto her port side, this time pushing the open lower gunports under the surface, allowing water to rush in onto the lower gundeck. The water building up on the deck quickly exceeded the ship's minimal righting ability, and water continued to pour in until it ran down into the hold. The ship soon sank to a depth of 32 m (105 ft) only 120 m (390 ft) from shore. Survivors clung to debris or the upper masts, which were still above the surface. Many nearby boats rushed to their aid, but despite these efforts and the short distance to land, 30 people perished with the ship, but with over 350 surviving. Vasa likely sank in full view of a crowd of hundreds, if not thousands, of mostly ordinary Stockholmers who had come to see the ship set sail."
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 |  " 'The problem with the current support structure is that it doesn’t support the ship in enough places. As if that weren't enough, it also supports the wrong places here and there. To address this, the new support structure is completely tailored to the design of the ship, with the cradles positioned where they are needed most,' explains Magnus Olofsson." |
"Studies of the skeletal remains that were found during the excavation of Vasa give us more knowledge of the people who died on board and thereby a deeper understanding of Vasa and her time."
We begin our walking tour of old Stockholm...
Nordic Museum
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Taking a bit of shelter at the Royal Palace during a brief rain shower...
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Original stenciled ceiling decorations in a cafe...
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...the walking tour seems to never end...
 |  A lonely bit of lavender... |
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Beer break!!
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The walking tour of old Stockholm is nearly complete...
 This street follows the old waterfront... |  We don't know these people.......yet? |
Today's touring is complete...we look over redevelopment of some old locks.
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