To get to Djurgarden, we took a ferry from
the mainland (photo to the left). The island is
a popular spot for tourists and locals alike, and it is host to
numerous
museums. Upon exiting the ship and heading toward the main street, the
first museum we came across is probably the most famous of the lot, the
ABBA museum, shown in the photo to the right. After Tracy and Morag
posed for a photo in the cutouts of ABBA we headed in the direction of
the Vasa Museum, passing both the Museum of Spirits and the Viking
Museum on the way. As difficult as it was to
pass up a shrine devoted to alcohol consumption and a
museum devoted to men who wore horns on their helmets, we 
pressed
on,
cognizant 
of our limited time
and determined to make the most of our
visit to the maritime museum. The Museum of Spirits is shown in
the photo to the left, while the exterior of the Viking museum is shown
in the photo to the right.
The Vasa
was built to be the mightiest warship in the Baltic. It
featured two decks of cannons, at the insistence of King Gustav Adolf,
and the extra weight high up in the sterncastle made it very unstable,
something that was confirmed in dockside trials before the ship's
inaugural voyage. The ship took on its cannons at a mooring just below
the Tre Kronor Castle. (illustration to the left) As it passed the
castle
under a light breeze, the
cannon ports were opened to fire a salute and they remained open as
the
ship passed into more open water, with stiffer breezes. Despite
hoisting only 4 of its 10 sails the breeze proved too much, as the Vasa
initially listed to port and then righted itself, only to be buffeted
to port again. This time the opened gun ports were submerged and water
began to pour into the ship. The Vasa
sank quickly, just 1300 meters
from where it was launched. It is estimated that 30 people lost their
lives, a relatively light mortality rate, as the boat was close to shore
and survivors could be quickly
rescued. The Vasa slipped
beneath the water and remained there for 332
years.
The story of the Vasa Museum really began in
1956
when Anders Franzen and Per
Edvin Falting located the wreckage of the Vasa. Five years later the
ship was retrieved from the water to great international fanfare, and
the painstaking work of preserving the ship began, an effort that
would take over seventeen years. In 1981 a competition for the design
of museum to house the ship was undertaken, and the commission went to
Swedish architects Goren Mannson and Marianne Dahlback. The Vasa was
transferred from its previous location in the Vasa shipyard to the
museum, which was
inaugurated by King Karl Gustav XVI on June 15, 1990. The museum is much
more than simply the tale of a fated ship and a king's hubris. It is a
comprehensive look at the world that gave birth to the Vasa. Naturally,
all aspects of the ship's life are presented--its' creation, demise,
and restoration. But the permanent exhibits go beyond this tale to
paint a picture of the political and social situation of Sweden and its
role in 17th century Europe, with a focus on the daily life of
commoners and, in particular, women. All told, the museum paints a
comprehensive portrait of Sweden at during this time period.
The contents of the Vasa museum may be seen by taking the
virtual tour below.
There
is also a version of this tour
designed specifically
for VR headsets such as Google Cardboard, and it works with both iPhone
and Android devices. It may be access by scanning on the QR code to the
left. If you are viewing this on a mobile phone, you may access the VR
tour by following this
link.
For iOS devices: scan QR code with your device's camera app, tap on the prompt to open Safari. Select "Allow Device Motion" and the next prompt, "Allow Access to Motion Orientation." Turn the device to landscape mode and a split screen will appear. When the screen turns white, swipe up for fullscreen mode, and place in headset. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]
For Android devices: Open the camera app and use the built-in scanner to scan the QR code above. Confirm that you want to open the website, and wait for it to load--it should load in stereo view. Select the fullscreen ("X" option) from the menu at the bottom. Turn the device to landscape mode and you are ready to go. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]
Following our trip to the Vasa
Museum, we
passed the Nordic Museum (photo to the left) on our way to lunch
overlooking the river that separates Djurgarden from the mainland.
While at lunch Tracy left two nearby tables of Indonesian women
gobsmacked by conversing with them in Bahasa, their native tongue. A
view of our vantage point on the river is shown in the photo to the
right. The Nordic Museum is visible behind the
restaurant. Our thanks to guide and superhost
Morag for taking us on this excursion.