From prizes to princes

An earlier start today to make sure that we get the most of our visit to Gamla Stan.
Gamla stan, the Old Town, until 1980 was officially known as Staden mellan broarna (The Town between the Bridges), is the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Gamla stan consists primarily of the island Stadsholmen.


It is a short ferry ride across the inner harbour  in the sunshine this morning, passing four large cruise ships enroute.  There is a slight breeze and the possibility of a shower, so Donna has packed the umbrellas - just in case.Gamla Stan is one of the larger islands in the archipelago that is Stockholm.  It has an area of about 0.26 square kms.  And while we didn't cover all of it,we gave it a pretty damn good shot.  Walked just under 5 kms today so you can imagine how my feet are tonight!  Still I am really pleased with how I lasted and thankful that Donna lent me her arm numerous times on the blasted cobblestones.  There were every possible type of them somewhere on the island - including those little rounded ones that they set on their edges - they are the most painful!
On our way to find the Cathedral (which turned out not to be the church we thought it was) we came across the intricate bronze statue to St George and the Dragon. This dragon was slain in return for the City converting to christianity!  Turns out, this is not the only statue to St George and the dragon, and most certainly one one of hundreds of statues on this elaborate little island.The first major building we entered today is the Nobel Prize Museum. Set in an imposing building facing one of the main squares where the City fountain is set, the interior is dark, although not at all cool!  This centre focuses on the story of how the Prize came about - as the legacy left in the will of Alfred Nobel who had made his fortune in the discovery and development of dynamite. 
Without any direct descendants (although he had large extended family) he decided to distribute his fortune to the recognition of those who excelled in a number of scientific and other fields:

• Physics
• Chemistry
• Physiology or Medicine
• Literature
• Peace

In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden’s central bank) established The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. Th Royal Apartments (historic) are more accessible with lift access allowing easy access to the main areas (although there were still steps up from each foyer).  There are two things that strike us Once we had had our fill of the opulence, we retraced our steps to the courtyard just as the Changing of the Guard was taking place. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. We have unobstructed views, unlike the crowds who have just entered the Parade Square and are being marshalled by soldiers! The Guard have some of the best polished helmets we have ever seen!Out through the Parade Square and behind the Palace, we find the Storkyrkan - Stockholm Cathedral, St. Jacob's Church and St. Clara Church.  This medieval church, built from 1279, this cathedral, has been a Lutheran place of worship since 1527.  
By now it is now close to 5 pm and time for us to turn towards the ferry back to Skeppsholmen.  My feet HATE the cobblestones and the uneven roads and pavements, the hills up and down, have taken their toll.  I am really feeling our jaunt today, but thrilled that we were able to traverse most of Gamla Stan.
We return to the Hotel Skeppsholmen somewhat subdued, but happy with the day.
Night all - time to rest the tootsies!

There are not too many people getting off the ferry, although there were plenty on board - so I guess the museums we did over the last couple of days are still drawing the late summer / early autumn crowds.

Gamla Stan has a really interesting skyline with cupolas, towers, spires and the stair-stepped roof-lines reminiscent of those in Brugges and the slightly rounded ones found across many of the other European cities.

Between 1901 and 2018, the prizes have been awarded a total of 590 times.  And there is information on each and every one.  One of the more interesting ways they are presented is on a ceiling mounted tracked system that features each of the laureates on a separate hanging banner.  Other ways they are presented are in decade visual blocks where one can read in detail of the recipient.  And some are featured in special displays.  There is a major display on the works and times of Martin Luther King.  We spent about 2 hours working through the discoveries and works of some of the amazing people who have and are currently influencing our knowledge of our world.

Following our enlightening, we ventured back into the afternoon sun - it is hard to believe that summer is done and locally, everyone is commenting on how later summer is lasting.  After wandering through backstreets, peering down alleyways and into doorways and courtyards, we end up on one of the straight lines that cross the island - Osterlangg, looking for a light lunch.  
The small restaurant Cultur was easy to enter (steps here are everywhere) and in fact, compared to here on Skeppsholmen, very affordable.

Donna had Cod with crab sauce and baby potatoes and I had Chicken with Tarragon, mashed potatoes and white beans.  Washed down with a glass of Italian Pinot it was delicious and very satisfying, providing the energy needed this afternoon.

So we next headed to the other end of Gamla Stan and The Royal Palaces. 

With more than 600 rooms, much of it open to the public, we could have spent a full day in this one complex. However, time is short and there is still so much to see.  Donna climbed the many steps to take some photos in the large Chapel - basically one large hall that hosts major ceremonies.

Straight away we are struck by - the amazing chandeliers in all the rooms, and the plethora of clocks -some rooms with more than one - and all keeping perfect time.  Turns out the Palace has its own clock-maker to ensure that these historic pieces all run true!
There are gifts from popes and princes, priceless tapestries and furniture and elaborate furnishings in the king's rooms.  The Council Chamber still hosts meetings of the Swedish Cabinet three to four times a year with the King sitting as Chairman.
And Karl XI's gallery, modelled on the castle Versailles mirror gallery has a series of chandeliers running its length!

It houses the other statue of St George slaying the Dragon that we have seen today.  This one, carved in timber in 1489 is amazing in its detail.

Tomorrow we check out and will take the train to Gothenburg on the other side of Sweden.  At least this way we will get to see more of the countryside.

What lies beneath

Today's post actually begins last night.  Donna, wanting to walk off dinner, took the camera for a stroll and came back with some lovely night shots.  Over a small bridge just below us on the isle of Skeppsholem is an old bridge that joins a smaller islet on which Kastellholmen is found. In the soft light of night, this beautiful building shines.  The castle was planned as part of Stockholm's defense and had two predecessors:

• One used in the 1660s when the Navy just moved to the islets; and 

• one from 1746, blown up through an accident in its ammunition factory in 1845. 

The three-tongue war flag has been hoisted at Kastellholmen since the 1660s and perhaps even earlier. At the end of the 1660s a small octagonal castle with flagpole was built on the roof. From here, passing ships were greeted with flag and cannon salutes. The castle later came to be used as a powder cellar, storage room and ammunition factory, but the flagging from its roof continued.The Swedish word 'skepp' translates as 'ship'.  Another beautiful photo is of a rigged ship - the af Chapman.  There are lots of such boats moored around here, and not many modern launches.  Turns out that this one is now a youth hostel and restaurants.The ship was constructed by the Whitehaven Shipbuilding Company, located in the English county of Cumberland, and launched in February or March of 1888. Her original owners the same name in County Meath, Ireland. Her maiden voyage was from Maryport, Cumberland, to Portland, Oregon, and she subsequently made voyages between Europe, Australia and the west coast of North America.  Funny where you find links with home.

But enough of last night.We begin our day juggling accommodation bookings, flights, and train bookings to make sure that we are back in Amsterdam in time to fly home on the 13th.  Hard to believe that we are planning the end of this adventure!

Today we are headed back to another island on the archipelago that is Stockholm - the

island of Djurgården.  This is the same island that we visited yesterday, but today we walk right along the waterfront to the Vasamuseum.
The Vasa Museum has been constructed to house the largest salvaged item in the world - a 17th century warship that capsized and sank in Stockholm 1628.  After 333 years on the sea bed the mighty warship was salvaged and the voyage could continue. Today, Vasa is the world's best preserved 17th century ship.  

In the spring of 1626, under the watchful and impatient eye of  the King the construction of the Vasa is underway and completed in the summer of 1628. The cellar held the naval arsenal and Vasa was moored below the palace when she took her cannon onboard.  Battles were being waged in northern Europe in the summer of 1628.

It was mid-afternoon when at last it was time. After many delays, frustrations with the supply of guns, and a change of captain, the newly fitted out Vasa was anchored below the castle, with its cannon finally on board and the crew manning their stations. The quay was packed with people and the water teemed with small craft carrying people who wanted to watch the mighty war machine slip its moorings and sail from Stockholm.  What started with church services and a festive atmosphere ended in a watery grave. It was the 10th of August 1628, when Vasa, the most powerful warship in the Baltic, foundered in Stockholm harbour before the eyes of a large audience, scant minutes after setting sail for the first time and travelling only about 1,300 metres.

The day after the sinking, an inquest into the disaster was begun. 

Ultimately, no one was blamed and the reason given was poor design (which had been approved by the King!)  Perhaps the most interesting part of the inquest from a technical point of view is an appendix at the end, recording the opinions of a group of professional experts, captains and shipwrights. Without the benefit of calculus or modern naval engineering theory, they correctly identified the forces at work and the cause of the instability. As one of them put it, the ship did not have enough "belly" to carry the high and heavy upperworks.

The ship lay on her side, somewhat forgotten despite searches for the ship over the centuries, at the entrance to Stockholm harbour.  In the early 1950's when the City was looking at constructing a new bridge, research highlighted that what was thought to be rubble from a 1920's blasting turned out to be ballast from the Vasa.  
The seabed home of the Vasa was confirmed on 4 September 1956 (and today is 4 September 63 years later!).  It took another 5 years to plan and prepare for the raising and on Monday, 24 April 1961, thousands of people crowded the shores around Kastellholmsviken, much as they had lined the shore almost 333 years earlier, and the Vasa was brought back into the light.

This is an amazing story both in the building, salvaging and documenting of the stories.  The ship that spans seven storeys high, sank in 3 minutes meaning that the minutae of everyday life aboard such a vessel survived also.  Much of the museum is dedicated to this.  
There is a film that explains the story of the salvaging and lots of detailed exhibits.  What an interesting afternoon!

We finally leave after 5 pm.  The weather is chilly now with an afternoon breeze and we walk the 750m around to the ferry stop to head back to Skeppsholmen.  We have an early light dinner of sliders, salami and cheese, and ready for a bigger day tomorrow on Gamla Stan - the Old City.