VASA, The Viking Ship Museum

Fancy visiting Vasa (or Wasa), a Swedish warship built in the year 1626-1628. Considered by some as the Viking Ship, the ship foundered and sank after sailing less than 2 km into its maiden voyage on 10 August 1628. Speaking of bad luck? Although most of its valuable bronze cannon were salvaged in the 17th century. It was located again in the late 1950s in a busy shipping lane just outside the Stockholm harbor, and was salvaged with a largely intact hull in 1961. The ship is one of Sweden's most popular tourist attractions and has been seen by over 29 million visitors since 1961. Vasa has since its recovery become a widely recognized symbol of the Swedish "great power period". It is today also a de facto standard in the media and among Swedes for evaluating the historical importance of shipwrecks.

The museum exhibits the whole preserved ship as well as histories and stories of those who have boarded the ship at that time. In addition to that, the museum also includes a section on the archaeology technology of restoring and preserving the ship.

The Inquest of Sinking of Vasa

Vasa was built top-heavy and had insufficient ballast. Despite an obvious lack of stability in port, it was allowed to set sail and foundered only a few minutes after it first encountered a wind stronger than a breeze. The impulsive move to set sail was the result of a combination of factors: Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus, who was abroad on the date of its maiden voyage, was impatient to see it join the Baltic fleet in the Thirty Years' War; at the same time, the king's subordinates lacked the political courage to discuss the ship's structural problems frankly or to have the maiden voyage postponed. An inquiry was organized by the Swedish privy council to find personal responsibility for the disaster, but in the end no one was punished for the fiasco.

Source: Wikipedia 2012

a mock area of how the inside of the ship would be if it have not sunken at that time.

at the back of the ship..

A smaller model of how the ship looked like after the completion

A Walk Along The Langelinie Promenade

The Langelinie Promenade of Copenhagen was where I met the Little Mermaid …. Statue. One of my most favourite place in Copenhagen, this area has for been a popular tourist destination for excursions and strolls in Copenhagen for centuries. During my visit, it was quite a lucky good weather in the chilly February Winter.

Opposite the Amalienborg Royal Palace entrance, you can see this vast frozen river and the Copenhagen Opera House

A walk along the promenade accompanied by great weather..

What a sight, there were ducks swimming and enjoying the cold water??

And here's one 'abandoned' duck..looked sad at that time

There is also a pair of swan making love while other swans were watching.wtf?!

Another Panoramic View of the Langelinie Promenade

close-up frozen 'glacier' of the river :P

Warships stationed at the promenade

Not to forget a submarine as well

A famous sight at the promenade

A 'fisheye' shot of the walkway and frozen river

A Expected I have came Across this famous 'monument' of The Little Mermaid

And that's me as a proof that I'm there :D

The Little Mermaid of Copenhagen, Denmark

The Little Mermaid is a statue of a mermaid in Langelinie Promenade, Copenhagen, Denmark. Based on the fairy tale from the famous Hans Christian Andersen, the statue with a height of 1.25 metres (4 ft) is a Copenhagen icon and a major tourist attraction.

The statue was commissioned in 1909 by Carl Jacobsen, son of the founder of Carlsberg, who had been fascinated by a ballet about the fairytale in Copenhagen's Royal Theatre and asked the prima-ballerina, Ellen Price, to model for the statue. The sculptor Edvard Eriksen created the bronze statue, which was unveiled on 23 August 1913. The statue's head was modelled after Price, but as the ballerina did not agree to model in the nude, the sculptor's wife, Eline Eriksen, was used for the body.

The statue displayed in Copenhagen harbour has always been a copy. The original is still kept by the sculptor's heirs at an undisclosed location. Other undamaged copies of the statue are located in Solvang, California; Kimballton, Iowa; Piatra Neamţ, Romania and a half-sized copy in Calgary, Canada. The grave of Danish-American entertainer Victor Borge, includes a copy as well. The statue is still under copyright, and several copies of the statue have provoked legal threats.

(Source: Wikipedia, 2012)

I do hope that you enjoy this short post while an update of the location of the Little Mermaid will be posted soon...The Langelinie Promenade

Red Nose Hostel of the Old Riga, Latvia

The very first city I have visited at the Eastern Europe is Riga, Latvia. As my own experience goes by, the very first accommodation will leave either a good or bad experience forever. And yes! I really miss this hostel I have stayed during my four day trip in Riga, Latvia. It's the Red Nose Hostel. A newly opened hostel situated in the middle of the UNESCO City of Riga, Latvia, this hostel offers room starting from 10Ls.

The front of the hostel in which you will be able to identify its trademark man with a red nose

The Red Nose Hostel from far

Colorful old clothes hanging atop is just at the front of the hostel's entrance

One of the few bed rooms available in Red Nose Hostel accompanied with beautiful red blankets to keep your nose from getting red :D

Shared toilets are new and very clean. Shower gels are provided in the toilet.

Kitchen is also provided at your own convenience

 My Review of Red Nose Hostel:

Bathroom Amenities: 

Shower gel is provided for free of charge but towels will be provided for a small sum of money. It would be great if towels are provided for free :D

Internet Wifi: Free high speed internet provided which is very convenient.

Location: 

Strategic location in the middle of UNESCO Old City of Riga, convenient for sight-seeing tour of Riga. Free and very reliable tour advice are provided by young and friendly staff.

The rooms are very clean and the whole buildings are perfectly insulated. Very comfortable stay indeed. 

Overall, I would like to give Red Nose Hostel a rating of 4.5/5 and it is highly recommended for anyone who wants an affordable and yet comfortable stay in Riga, Latvia.

Danish Royal Palace: The Amalienborg Palace

The first Northern Europe post will be my trip to Copenhagen, Denmark. During the one day trip to Copenhagen before departing to Riga, Latvia, we had the chance to experience the old and beautiful city of Copenhagen which includes the Danish Royal Palace aka the Amalienborg Palace.

Amalienborg Palace is the winter home of the Danish royal family, and is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It consists of four identical classifying palace façades with rococo interiors around an octagonal courtyard (Amalienborg Slotsplads); in the centre of the square is a monumental equestrian statue of Amalienborg's founder, King Frederick V.

Amalienborg was originally built for four noble families; however, when Christiansborg Palace burnt down on 26 February 1794, the royal family bought the palaces and moved in. Over the years various kings and their families have resided in the four different palaces.

Sources: Wikipedia, 2012

The green colored dome is the Frederick's Church which is not part of the palace

Panoramic Shot of the palace complex which consists of 4 different palaces. Click to enlarge

Christian VII's Palace (Moltke's Palace)

Christian IX's Palace (Schack's Palace)

Christian IX's Palace (Schack's Palace)

Christian VIII's Palace (Levetzau's Palace)

Christian VIII's Palace (Levetzau's Palace)

A Royal Guard on-duty

Next is the Equestrian Statue in the middle of the Palace complex

The equestrian statue was commissioned by Moltke, as Director for the Danish Asiatic Company, and it was made by French sculptor Jacques-Francois-Joseph Saly. Work began in 1753, and the foundation stone was laid in place in 1760 at the 100 year celebration of political absolutism in Denmark. The statue was finally unveiled in 1771, five years after King Frederik V's death in 1766.

Source: Wikipedia, 2012

Statue of Frederick V by Jacques François Joseph Saly.

And last but not least, that's me at the Amalienborg Palace