The last day in Sweden

The last full day in Sweden I spent doing a little shopping, not as much as I'd planned due to the elbow accident.

We drove to the University and caught the underground train there to Gamla stan and since we'd had a delayed start as Agnes had to check in with the midwife for a routine baby check.   Baby is fine, its little heart beating at 140 beats a minute -  anyway we decided to find somewhere to eat  lunch first.   Agnes found an excellent spot.   A restaurant with al fresco eating, it was called Mosebacke and had fine views over Stockholm.   It also had a hungry thieving jackdaw  and a Baby Saltza session going on which gave the whole atmosphere a relaxed festival air.   Baby Saltza is merely some lovely Latin rhythms and songs sung by a lady playing a drum and mothers, fathers and grandparents all joining in with their babies - sure beat having crying babies while you eat!

We went along to a well known view point overlooking the whole of Stockholm after lunch and then did a little shopping in Gamla stan and had coffee.   We decided that there was still time to visit the Vasa Museum.   Now here I insist you click on the links because the museum is BIG and very, very interesting, quite unlike any other I've visited.   I think this museum would be any little (and big) boy's fantasy museum.

Briefly it tells the story of a war ship, the Vasa, that sank on its maiden voyage in 1610 and was not rescued from its watery grave till 1963.   It has been cleaned up and preserved.   Jan told me that it had been cleaned up with massive amounts of the same kind of chemical prescribed for constipation - I guess it has 'un-gumming' properties.  

I think the parts that thrilled me the most were the exquisite carvings - I imagine they were done to show the wealth of the country owning the warship.   I also found the stories of life on board a warship in those times very interesting indeed - certainly no sign of health and safety regulation.   There is a very good description of the whole story in this link - click here.   You will not find it boring to read and the facts will be more accurate than I can hope to put in on this page.   If you visit Sweden it is the one museum you really should go to visit.

By this time we were hot and tired, it was nearly 19:00 so we caught the bus and train back.

My last evening was spent eating salmon on the balcony and just going over  the delightful visit I had had.   Jan unexpectedly presented me with a lovely book, True North, the grand landscapes of Sweden by Hagman, Hammarströn and Wästberg.   He has the same book in Swedish and I had admired it greatly.   The photos are outstanding and the text is as beautifully poetic as the country deserves.

Thus ended my stay in Sweden.   What a wonderful holiday.   Doug has found a new home and family and I am not so naive to think there won't be the odd hiccup, but that is all it will be.   I could not be happier as a parent knowing he is in such a beautiful place with such an outstanding family.