Stockholm Part Sex

Måndag 3/23/15

Today we met our school's president, Becky Bergman and her husband Tom, along with Tom Young, who works at the college, and his wife Meredith. We began the day at the Vasa Museum. The Vasa was a ship commissioned by Gustavus Adolphus II (who our college is named after) to fight a war with Poland. The war ship was too tall and narrow and the gun ports were too low so when the boat tilted due to wind it sank in the bay on its maiden voyage in 1628. 30 men drowned and the boat remained on the bottom of the bay until the 1960s. It was a tragedy but fortunate for us because now we have this well preserved treasure.

I found it interesting that the men on board were all expected to sleep on the deck, not even in hammocks. Because of the lack of oxygen under the water and the nature of the wreck objects like cloth and even hair were preserved.

VASA

The Vasa has been restored and is 90% original.

The gun ports had lion faces to represent Gustavus Adolphus the lion of the North.

A portrait of Gustavus Adolphus II. He personally identified with the Roman Emperor Augustus, adopted heir of Caesar. This is interesting because the Roman empire had long ago fallen from prominence but its legacy and inspiration lived on, even up North. 

The Roman influence is scene all over the Vasa's decorations. Here is a statue of Hercules with Cerberus, guardian of the underworld. He symbolized virtue and the path less taken, a perfect symbol of a hero king. European monarchs at this time also favored Roman and Greek gods and goddess. The sense of divinity tied in well with the idea of royalty and nobility. 

 The intricately decorated front of the ship. It was originally richly painted. 

 Me, Kenzie and Hannah in a recreation of the gun deck

*explains the name Vasa

SKANSEN

After lunch we went to Skansen, which was originally part of Nordiska. Now it is a separate site. It is a type of zoo with an aquarium and old buildings that make up cultural villages. There is one exhibit where you can walk through a faux jungle among the monkeys. They are NOT in cages but free around you. I was nervous but Hannah convinced me to enter. We were barely in and a monkey jumped down behind us so we looked back. When Hannah looked forward a monkey had jumped down right in front of her so she screamed. Then I screamed and we both ran out! That was a little too adventurous for me. 

snakes….

 Hannah and her alligator friend.

poisonous frogs

playful baboons

 Hannah petting a ginger cow

We watched the otters being fed. Otters hold hands when they sleep in the water so they don't float away from each other so our group has this quirky thing where we say "otter me" and that means hold my hand briefly to show that we love each other. So we were so excited to see the otters. 

Moose! I spent two months up north and never saw a moose. Others in the group saw up to 10. Finally, in a zoo in Stockholm I saw three moose. 

 The boar piglets were so cute! They ran around in little herds.