Day 5 – Thursday 4th
September – 2014 - Stockholm
Awake at
07.00, as we were passing the many islands which protect the city of Stockholm.
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| Britannia Restaurant |
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| Britannia Deck 3 |
At 08.00 in
the Britannia Restaurant on deck 2 and enjoyed a full breakfast of egg benedict
which sets you up for a day ashore.
We were
alongside our berth at 09.00 with a fine view of the city and its harbour on a
warm, sunny day. Stockholm is the largest
city and capital of Sweden.
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| Stockholm Harbour |
It is the
site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the official
residence of the Swedish monarch.
Stockholm is located on Sweden’s east coast, where Lake Malaren meets
the Baltic Sea. The central part of the
city consists of fourteen islands, all part of the archipelago.
The shuttle
bus at 10.00 took us on a short trip into the city centre and dropped us off
near the Opera House.
A walk
around this very busy harbour, with ferries going back and forth around the
many islands, we made for one of the main thoroughfares, Strandvagen which took
us over the bridge onto Djurgarden Island.
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| 'Vasa' Museum |
On the
island are many attractions including the Tivoli amusement park, ABBA and other
museum, we made for the ‘Vasa’ museum, with the world’s only surviving 17th
century ship.
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| 'Vasa' Model |
The ‘Vasa’
is a tragic story, as told in the museum book on her maiden voyage on the 10th
August 1628. ”When the ship left the
shelter of Tegelviken, a stronger wind entered the sails and she immediately
began to heel over hard to the lee side; she righted herself slightly again
until she approached Beckholmen, where she heeled right over and water gushed
in through the gun ports until she slowly went to the bottom under sails, pennants
and all. Struck by a powerful gust of
wind, Vasa sank after a voyage of 1.300 metres”.
She lay on
the harbour bottom in 32 metres of water until raised 333 years later in 1961,
and housed in a temporary building. In
1988 she was taken to this present museum which was built around here; in this
building is a truly magnificent, preserved piece of nautical history.
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| Vasa |
I was struck
by the wonderful carvings which adorned the ship, the artistry was something to
behold. The story of the ‘Vasa’ and its many artefacts are very well presented,
as a sailor, I can well understand the lack of stability in such a top heavy
vessel, but it is sad to hear in those days, it was a hit and miss affair, as
far as ship’s stability calculations were concerned.
I came away
from the museum with mixed feelings; I do not think, we have as many craftsmen
today to build such a thing of beauty, and for those who built her, the loss
they must have felt and those watching, as she disappeared below the water in
Stockholm harbour.
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| Queen Victoria |
On one of
the frequent ferries from the island back to the mainland, and the old town,
the original heart of Stockholm; with this fine view of QV on her berth.
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| St. George & the Dragon |
The old town
consists of many fine buildings around narrow cobbled streets; I was surprised
to find this fine statute of St. George (patron saint of England) and the
Dragon.
There were
lots of visitors in this area and another innovation by the German cruise ship ‘AidaMar’
anchored in the harbour, some of their guests were riding around on ship’s
bicycles.
After taking
a rest in one of the sunlit squares watching the world go by, enjoying a
drink. A further short walk brings you
to the Royal residence at the palace. I
enjoyed watching the guards, who on sentry duty in their pillar-boxes would
march to and fro with shouldered arms and fixed bayonets.
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| Parliament House |
Alongside
the palace is a more imposing building which is the House of Parliament with
its wonderfully kept front gardens, and little further on the Opera House and
park leading to the more commercial side of the city with its many shops and
businesses.
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| Opera House & Park |
In the park
there was a small outdoor café and before boarding the bus, we sat in the shade
with a refreshing beer, at six pounds a pint, it had to be good.
I was very
impressed with this fine, clean city and the fine weather certainly brought
forth its charm and magnificence.
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| Close Navigation |
At 17.30 we
left our berth, I was very impressed as the ship turned in her own length,
while manoeuvring in the narrow channel.
Out through the archipelago past many beautiful islands, on which are
built many summer homes intermixed with small villages.
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| Convoy |
There were five large ships making our way out through
the islands, three cruise ships and two ferries. It is sixty miles out before you again reach
the open sea.
Pre-dinner drinks in the Princess Grill before dinner
of fish cake, Dover sole, followed by ice cream. Our table wine waiter, informed his Russian
wife had found out, the island of Kotlin, and Kronstadt was the main port for Leningrad in
the 1930’s, I was homing in on my Grandfather’s burial site.
For a change from visiting the theatre after dinner, we
went to the chartroom, another one of the bars on the ship where some members
from the ballroom orchestra were playing jazz.
They played mostly modern jazz,
for someone who prefers traditional jazz, it finished off very nicely,
the long, enjoyable and informative day.
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