Aperture: Scotts Sweden Blog

Today was a very event filled day. Jessica and I started our day off early and set out for Djurgården. Djurgården is one of the larger islands that make up Stockholm and is considered a quick retreat for local weekend travelers. While in Djurgården we visited the Vasa Museum (Vasa Museet), and Skansen.

The Vasa Museum was a quick stop for us that ended up being one of the highlights of the day. The Vasa is a ship that the Swedish king Gustavus built in 1625. The ship was supposed to be the mightiest war ship ever build. Upon completion of the ship many of Sweden's citizens came out to see the maiden voyage of this huge ship. But a few minutes after setting sail the ship flipped over and sank in Stockholm's harbor. This happened because the keel / hull was not deep enough for the height of the ship. In 1961 the ship was salvaged in one piece and brought to the museum where it would be restored. This museum was extremely fascinating and full of information. The Vasa is listed as one of the seven wonders of Sweden. Also, this ship is huge! The pictures will not do the size justice.

After a very educational visit to the Vasa Museum we went to Skansen. Skansen is a sort of park that has settlements that represent traditional Swedish lifestyle and culture. Skansen also has a Nordic zoo! We spent most of our time at Skansen in the zoo area. This zoo was way more natural then most zoo's we have been to in the US. We were able to interact with the animals inside their habitats and the animals habitats are developed to offer a suitable environment for each animal.

After leaving Skansen we set off for the Nobel Museum for another try. This time we were able to visit and found the museum quick educational and inspiring. We learned a bit about Alfred Nobel, the different Nobel prizes, and the selection process. We also were able to watch / listen to the interviews with past Nobel prize winners. This was my favorite part considering that some of the Nobel winners are the most inspiring people in history (*opinion inserted).

We left the Nobel Museum a little after dusk and walked around the city for a while. There is so much to see in Stockholm that one could not take it all in over a week more or less 3 days. After walking for a while we stopped back at Chutney for a relaxing dinner. We could not find the absinthe bar and that is good because we were so beat!

Tomorrow we are heading out of Stockholm at 6:00 am and heading to Gotland. Gotland is an Island off the southeast coast of Sweden in the Baltic Sea. We are crashing early tonight considering we have a very early flight to Gotland in the morning.

Note: I am actually a day behind in my blog. One night this week I will add 2 entries and bring the journal up to date.

Here are a few pics from today:

The Vasa Bow
The Vasa Port Side
The Vasa Port Side Stern
The Vasa Starboard Side Deck
Djurgården
Skansen
Skansen Graves in Church yard
Skansen Stables at Zoo
Reindeer. They do exist!
Grey Owl. We are inside the bird cage.
A Lynx
A Wolf and left over bones
Dome Shaped Library
This is an Ice Cream Truck. In February

Date: 2008.02.20

-Scott