One of my Viking sketching targets was 20 minutes, as the train flies, from Copenhagen. This is the fjord-side city of Roskilde.

Roskilde boasts a cathedral where all the royals are buried, but I was here to see the famous Viking Ships of Roskilde.

It was easy to make my way west on Denmark’s very frequent and efficient metro and rail system. Everyone, if you are not already on a bike, rides the trains in Denmark.

After a 20 minute train ride, I alighted at Roskilde Station and proceeded to walk north from the station to the Vikingeskibene. After about 20 minutes I came to the edge of the fjord and the Viking Ship Museum. The museum would open in 30 minutes so I sketched the Sea Stallion of Glendalough, a reconstruction of the long ship Skuldelev 2.

What’s amazing about the long ship before me is that is not just a show piece but a real sailing ship. In 2007, the Sea Stallion sailed from Roskilde to Ireland (where the original was built).

The harbor area around the museum is full of Viking ships, built with the ancient building techniques of the Viking age.

At ten, the museum opened and I was the first one in. The exhibit hall is impressive because it features parts of five Viking ships.

Why parts? Well these ships were deliberately sunk about 1,000 years ago to block a navigable channel that led to Roskilde. The ships were discovered in 1962. The most intact ship is about 75% complete.

The pieces are supported by a metal frame to give you the size and shape of the boats.

I sketched the ships from the top of the staircase, the perspective was challenging but you don’t always get to select your angles to sketch from.

I then walked around all the ships noting the various sizes, including the impressive size of the King’s longship. I gave up trying to sketch the ships and returned outdoors to the bench where I sat before the museum opened. Now this was a perspective I could handle (featured sketch).

I think I produced my favorite sketch of my Scandinavian adventures. This was a fun perspective the draw and a sketch within a sketch self portrait to boot!