Seven favourite things

It took 352 years but, eventually, after a lot of false starts, the Swedish warship Resande Man (Travelling Man) was finally found at the bottom of the Baltic. She sank in November 1660 after being battered by both sea and storm. There was also the matter of the lack of an experienced pilot to consider. Whatever the fault, it was a tragedy for the people on the ship.

I learned all about the Resande Man at the Museum of Wrecks (Vrak) in Stockholm today.

One of the most emotional displays had the words of survivor, Andreas Bjugg (1631-1679), read by an actor over footage of the wreck on the sea bed. Having heard his description of events, I do not have a lot of sympathy for either Captain Hans Månsson or the leader of the mission, Ambassador Count Christoph Carl von Schlippenbach (1624-1660), regardless of his splendid name. Both of them indulged in too much faffing and wringing of hands rather than taking decisive action. Bjugg told them what they should do, but they didn’t do it.

That’s just one of the stories at Vrak. There also the lost WWII German submarine, the radio conversations between the RoRo ferry MS Estonia, which sank in 1994, and other ships that came to her rescue as well as the scuttled ships involved in a naval blockade of Gdańsk in 1627. All of the stories are poignant and well told.

But it’s not just about wrecks, there’s also an exhibit showing how marine archaeologists work which includes a chance to don a VR headset and dive on a wreck to take photographs. Great fun indeed.

Vrak was only one highlight of today. There was the incredibly fast trip into Stockholm by the 177 bus and the T-Bana from Brommaplan, then, finally, a tram to Djurgården.

Having had my fill of sunken wrecks, I went next door to visit the Spritmuseum where I found out everything about Swedish drinking. I also wandered through the Absolut Art Collection which started back in 1985 when Andy Warhol painted the distinctive and memorable bottle.

There were quite a few funny pieces in the collection, but, sadly, as I reported back in December 2020, Absolut, the icon of Swedish vodka, is now owned by French company, Pernod Ricard. The Absolut Art Collection, on the other hand, is in the possession of the museum, so at least that remains Swedish.

While there were a lot of depictions, I think my favourite was the version of Luncheon on the Grass by Manet. I can add it to the Picasso version we saw in Paris back in 2018.

But the museum is so much more than the Absolut Art Collection. There’s also an incredibly extensive exhibition on beer as well as a lot of Swedish drinking songs in the caravan. And a bar quiz which asked questions regarding various alcoholic references from popular culture. I almost excelled in it, getting only one question wrong.

There was also a room where you could experience a hangover but, being impervious to them, I didn’t get it.

By the time I’d finished, I was more than ready to partake of the Tasting Tray, a selection of four Swedish spirits. As I approached the barman, eyes a glinting, he apologised saying the bar was closed for a private function. Crestfallen and thirsty, I hastened out the door.

My trip back to Ekerö was to be by ferry and, because there are only a few a day, it meant a long wait. And so, given I had to buy a couple of mugs with handles, I wandered the length of Drottninggatan, the big pedestrianised shopping street near Åhléns.

It was lightly raining which, for a short walk wouldn’t get you very wet however, when you are wandering around aimlessly, you can get soaked. Which I did. It didn’t help that it was also quite chilly. These are my excuses for the glass of rum I needed when I finally ended up at O’Leary’s near Stockholm Central station.

By the time I left for the ferry, I was thoroughly warmed through and happy. Though not as happy as I was when I boarded the ferry. Not only was it warm and comfortable, it was also one of the older ferries. It was all wood inside with the feeling of heritage about it. I don’t know if it really was, or if I was just feeling delirious from the cold and wet.

I was on the ferry for a whole, glorious hour. I enjoyed it very much. When I walked in the door at the house, Mirinda said how joyous I looked. I felt it too.

And, for those that don’t know me, the Seven Favourite Things were buses, a train, trams, something maritime, an alcohol museum, a pub, and a ferry. Now that all made for an excellent Gaz Day in Stockholm.

By the way, I managed to buy a couple of mugs with handles at Clas Ohlson, the shop that rarely lets me down.