November 29, 2018

The Vasa Museum

I really did not post all my Sweden pictures. Like not even half of them. So get ready for Sweden and spring! 

And don't worry. If it bothers you that these posts are all so out of order, it bothers me even more. but I MUST POST THEM. Otherwise it didn't really happen. 


Oh the hope and delight of spring!


As we were walking from the metro and bus, Lindsey realized she had lost her metro card. Which is a pain in the neck because you prepay and so she would need to buy it all over again. So we retraced our steps a little and found her card in the grass among some tiny blue flowers. Hooray! 


The Vasa. 

So a few centuries ago, Sweden was at war. The Swedish king decided he needed the battleship to end all battleships. One that would impress and overwhelm the enemy just by looking at it. 


So he commissioned the Vasa. Built to be tall and amazing, it took years to build and decorate. 


These minerals and ground stone were the paints they would have used to paint the Vasa. 


Aren't they gorgeous? 


Cobalt


Some reproductions of the Vasa decorations. 


As it is now, centuries later


As it would have been sailing out of harbor to meet the enemy. 

Impressive! Particularly since they didn't have air sprayers in those days. 


A 1:64 (I think) scale of the ship yards used to build the ship 


Tools of the trade


Smaller model of the Vasa, with full color paint and rigging


Ashley in among the anchors


The area where they work on the constant upkeep needed to keep the ship looking presentable.


The full color model. 


Lion head gun ports


One thing you notice about this ship, it is tall. Really tall. Ridiculously tall. As in, way too far out of the water. 

After loads of money, endless hours of demanding work, the Vasa sailed a grand total of 1.6 km before being blown over by a mild wind and sinking in the Stockholm harbor. No joke. 

Instead of terrifying the enemy, they terrified the families and countrymen watching the amazing ship setting out to take on the enemy. 

Surprisingly, only a few lives were lost of the thousands that were on board. 


For several centuries, the Vasa sat at the bottom of the frigid harbor. Then an intrepid Swede came along in the 1960's who wanted to try raising. First he had to pinpoint the location using centuries old information and the newly invented scuba gear. After pulling up a piece of wood with definite identification, they starting talking about how to raise it. It was an amazing process, but I will not go into it all because I do not remember it all and it is probably best explained by someone who knows what they are talking about. I bet Youtube has a good video about it. 


I love little miniature models. This one was a cross section of the inner workings of the Vasa. 

While people didn't have much time settling into the Vasa and getting jobs done, the museum gives you an idea of what nautical life would have been like. 


A typical Swedish sailor of the age. 


A huge visual of the number of people used to keep a warship of the Vasa's size working smoothly. It was a rather vast number. 


So despite the inglorious history of the Vasa, it is more intact than it could have been if it had not sank into the preserving mud of the Stockholm harbor. 


The artists had several renderings of what their enemies would do upon seeing the Vasa. This guy will clearly cower beneath the benches in the galley in fear. 


The above decks. 

It is hard to actually get good pictures of it, due to the lighting.

Trust me though, it was HUGE and AWESOME. 


And when you come out of the museum, there is Stockholm Harbor. With some of the same buildings that would have been there watching the Vasa sink. 

It is always amazing to me how much history there is in European cities. 

November 27, 2018

Alaska on the fly

Alaska on my cellphone


The neighbor next door to Lindsey had a gorgeous delphinium 


When I was trying to get things done, the kids would entertain themselves. With the camera on my phone. 


We got there in time for roses. 

I adore shrub roses!


Fireweed on our walk


Walking Sprite with Nanette


Hiking to see the tree that isn't really a tree behind Lundells


A fake tree cellphone tower!


Watermelon berries. These are somehow so secretive and mysterious. You can walk right by them and not see the berries if the leaves are turned just the right way. 


A large old teddy bear, whose name I have quite forgot. I do apologize Mr. Bear. 


Hanging out at Lindsey's office. Alex entertained the kids by running around the office outside and then doing yoga poses inside. These kids love Alex.


The dumpster Justin filled from Lindsey's duplex


Visits to Loussac were never complete without stopping to see Kathryn. She gave us a tour of the backside of the library where the fascinating book elevator and automatic sorter is located. 

So cool!

And lucky for us, Lindsey let us borrow her library card, so we quickly maxed it out with all the cool books there. 


This sculpture is of the eye and the nerves behind it. These nerves all connect to something Alaskan--whaling ships, music, kayaks, whales, forget-me-nots, and a dinosaur. Which doesn't seem very Alaskan.


Alaska is the land of small planes. They fly over all the time. 


Within walking distance from Lindsey's condo, there is a park called The Valley of the Moon. Just a regular old kids park. With the coolest name ever. 


Cool climbing thing--like a jungle gym, but with more webbing.


Rose bushes after the rain


Outrageously gorgeous roses


Lily tightrope walking



Trying on silly hats


Cool kid


Somehow, this doesn't even look like Elsie. 


When the forecast was chock full of rainy days, we went to a few consignment stores to see if we could buy rain gear. We saw these rain overalls and Gilbert fell in love with them. Even if they are a few sizes too small. So we bought them for Hoyt.


Hatcher's Pass


Quidditch field outside Loussac for Harry Potter day


Chess Tables


Sketchy characters





Loussac has an awesome children's room!


Complete with a door sized just right for little kids


Lindsey's business partner's wife decorates the front yard with instruments and chandeliers hanging from her trees. Still not sure if this is more cool or weird. 


After meeting talking


Moose's Tooth, the legendary pizza


With gorgeous baskets.  


The girls told me they were bored, which meant they got creative. 


And did puzzles


Some pretty flowers the kids picked out to welcome Aunt Geri to Alaska


Resurrection Bay


Our dinner at Ray's in Seward


Duncan and Aaron came over after meeting one night.

Duncan started a pillow fight with the kids.


Elsie read to Aaron


And everyone was completely happy.


Duncan bench pressing Gilbert


Gilbert read to Duncan. 

Gilbert just told me the other day that Duncan is a buddy. 

Both Aaron and Duncan were favorites with my kids. 


Talking in Lindsey's condo kitchen. Pretty cool lights, huh? 


Gilbert reading to Duncan and Lindsey


Buddies!


Aunt Lindsey and her friends


Aaron and the girls


All of us


A picture from Goodwill--I couldn't decide if I liked it or not. 


Another shot of the eagle in the Palmer Hay Flats


We loved the coastal/Chester Creek trail!


Duckies!



Sitting around while Gilbert took random pictures on my phone.


Lindsey's kitchen viewed from the floor of the living room.
  

I found these stools brand new at Goodwill. I love them! 


Enjoying the library one last time


My crowning achievement of the summer...


Turning this laundry room floor into...


This.


It took a lot of scrubbing. But look how clean it is now!!


This is Lindsey's bathroom. It is delightfully big and RED. 


We decided the wallpaper was an unfortunate choice with the red, so we pulled it off. 


Most of the wallpaper came off nicely. That is all we will say about that. 

Unfortunately, I think I left before I got it all off. A little treat for Lindsey to take care of one of these days! 


I offered to watch kids for a friend who was getting her house ready for putting on the market. When I got there, they were all standing on the porch watching the moose in the yard. 


It was an extremely chill moose cow and calf. 


The windshield of the van had a circular crack. I saw a lot of that circular crack as we drove around Alaska.