Post by Grubb.
Still on the Djurgården island, we couldn’t resist the Vasa Museum. This an immense maritime museum built around an almost fully intact 17th century 64- gun warship that sank in 1628 and was salvaged in 1961. The Vasa gives you an idea why Sweden was so great a power during the Thirty-Years War.
I was prepared for the usual hulking gunship, and the Vasa doesn’t disappoint in that regard, but I didn’t expect the vessel to be a floating sculpture museum. First there were the carved wooden figures on the stern.
Than the carved wooden warriors on the hull.
Then, towards the bow, a carved depiction of a captive Polish soldier bent beneath a wooden brace.
And finally, the lion on the ship’s prow.
And if you look closely you can see the breezy on-deck john.
Also badly designed, having sunk on its maiden voyage out in the harbor, and essentially bankrupting the state. End of Sweden being a major player.
Looking at the hull of the ship I’m surprised it didn’t sink from excessive ornamentation. Gustavus Adophus didn’t die until 1632, so Sweden was still in the majors, although Vasa going down in 1628 didn’t bode well for the future.