Our last blog was from Vaxholm and we are back there today following a week of family cruising in the archipelago with our son and daughter in law and our 2 granddaughters.

We met them in Stockholm, where we stayed in the Vasahamn for a couple of nights, which gave us the opportunity for a quick zip round the city and the Vasa museum before meeting them at the Central train station on Tuesday afternoon. Walking in the city was quite confusing, even though we had a map, and not aided by heavy rain on the Tuesday, but the museum was a delight and it was really interesting to find out about the way the ship had been preserved after it was raised and the ongoing efforts to ensure its deterioration is minimised.

We saw this on the way into Stockholm and could only conclude it was yet another sculpture

Vasahamn marina is next to the Swedish equivalent of Alton Towers

  Construction work with a sense of humour

The Vasa restored but 95% original

It had an incredible carved stern, which was originally brightly coloured but 350 years in the mud had faded the colours!

The hall had several levels you could view from

They were even able to piece together the bones of the victims. 31 people died but a lot more survived. A lot of research has been done to discover information about lifestyle and diet from the bones

The Swedish equivalent of Buckingham Palace

Complete with guard (but he didn’t keep as still as ours do)

Views around Stockholm (before the heavy rain)

I was intrigued by this flat spire

At the station trying to get a taxi for 6

and back to the boat for tea and cookies

first night in the foc’sle together