Stockholm, Sweden 1991

So I did this quick Euro rail trip in my backpacking days. It was the middle of winter. I should have been heading to the southern parts of Europe but I have been one to go against the flow some times. I did not mind the cold too much as I had worked been working in snow resorts. I remember it was pretty expensive in this part of the world so I did not hang around long.

It is funny how I can barely remember much but one thing about Stockholm has never felt me.

It was not this old 13th century Church of Saint Clare in central Stockholm or the bronze statue of a smoking poet out the front.

It was this Vasa museum. I guess there must have been a write up in the lonely planet travel guide or some sort of advertising at the youth hostel or backpackers I was staying but thankfully I decided to visit. I would have walked and been glad to get out of the cold then I am sure I saw this Viking ship above. I think there was a sign saying not to take photos because of the climate control and aging timbers. So a bought a couple of post cards because I was just so impressed. I had never seen anything like this, growing up on the other side of the world in Australia. The internet and Viking shows on Netflix were just not invented yet. So a real life Viking ship then in the next room a full on galleon ship. It was like stepping back in time a real life history lesson. I was lucky to have seen a 1:72 plastic scale model as a young boy growing up now I was standing in front of this full sized, one of a kind, original that had been sitting at the bottom of the local harbour for 300 odd years. I am so glad they were able to recover and preserve it. It was defiantly a privilege to to see and probably one of the top 10 things I have ever seen.

I am glad I took a photo of a post card photo board I made out of all the post cards I sent home to my parents during my travels but have also attached a few better quality photos from unsplashed.