This is the lunch we ate at The Vasa Museum on Saturday. A brie sandwich with grilled vegetables, cream of mushroom soup with croutons, and ratatouille over lentils.
This is a particularly pretty example of the museum food in Europe… but honestly, most of it isn’t so far off from this example. Even in kid-centered places like zoos and aquariums, there is a selection of quality food, not just hamburgers and fries. I love it.
Anyway, so the ship was pretty cool too.
The Vasa sunk after sailing for just 30 minutes, likely because it was just a wee bit too narrow and top-heavy. Apparently, they actually tested the stability prior to sailing by having 30 men run back and forth across the deck. They stopped the test after just three runs because the admiral was afraid the ship would capsize. However, the king was eager to put the ship out to sea.
So, they did.
It sank.
Kings.
The brackish water of Stockholm harbor is inhospitable to shipworm, so the wreck remained well preserved until it was successfully brought to the surface in 1961. Now the ship and many of its recovered contents are on display at the museum, which also has related exhibits, such as one about life onboard similar ships and another about what we can learn about the 1600s based on the recovered bones of those who perished on the ship. Fascinating stuff.