it was in April I think of 1975 that I first visited both Oslo and Stockholm.

Th e visit thrilled me in many ways, esp. because I come from South India where sno w and ice are unknown. Also because the density of population in the Scandinavia n countries (except perhaps Denmark) is very little compared to the hustle and b ustle of Chennai -then Madras- or Bombay -now Mumbai I spent a lot of time in all the different ship related museums and life style related museums in both Norway and Sweden.. In fact this visit to the Fram and t he Kon Ti Ki put the idea into my mind to attempt a similar journey from Muziris to the Red Sea ports and back - repeating what was commonplace in the first ceb nturies BCE - CE the ships travelling purely depending on the Monsoon winds to c ross the Arabian Sea. Of course that dream was shattered but the purpose was ful filled when under the captaincy of Said Al Jabri Oman sent the Jewel of Muscat t o Muziris's close neighbour Cochin (Kochi) in Kerala, India. Both the Viking and the Vasa museums could inspire men to undertake dangerous but history making vo yages even in our own times.-Prof. George Menachery www.indianchristianity.com