Winter at the cemetery

Five photos from my latest visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Skogskyrkogården. The Woodland Cemetery at Enskede in Stockholm. It was a very different feeling here this time. The heavy snow had broken hundreds of tree branches, and the entrance that I always use was closed for cars and there were warning signs everywhere. No problem though for me on the bike to get through and here are the proof of that.

Adventsljusstake

Swedish word of the day. Adventsljusstake. Spotted along Nynäsvägen in Handen on Friday afternoon.

Winter Fun

I had to walk the bike a few times yesterday on my ride to Stockholm. Still a lot of snow on the roads and walkways, nearly a week after the snowfall. The big surprise was the number of fallen trees and broken tree branches at the Woodland cemetery. Must have been hundreds. Anyway, here are a few snaps from my ride that took a little longer than usual.

Winter at Välsta

Nedre Välsta. An old farm in Tungelsta. Photograph taken from the path I use when I walk over to the old tree. Looks like the owner is out walking a dog here. I must have walked past this place a thousand times by now. A few Summers ago they opened a café at the farm, and I was a frequent guest together with a few friends. I remember one visit when it was so hot that it was tricky just to sit at the table without breaking a sweat. No such problems during this promenade, a few days ago now.

A weather update

So that did not work. And no, I don't mean the abandoned bicycle at the Krigslida station. Although it is a cool photo. Since we got the snow it has thawed a bit, and this morning it was 3C. And a very gray sky. Perfect for a bike ride, I hear you all say. So I prepared and as soon as I jumped on the bike it started to rain. A cold November rain. I gave it a go, but soon realized that I would be totally soaked within minutes, so I turned around and headed for home. Here is an observation. The neighbors old greenhouse, (used to belong to my family for a century), collapsed because of the heavy snow. So they are busy in the rain filling up three huge waste containers with what used to be a very big greenhouse. Press here to see a colorized photo from the construction of the greenhouse from around the mid 1950s.

Lillgården

The last phase of the new construction of this area at Lillgården, in Tungelsta is nearly finished. I have been following it since the start, back in 2014. The newest of the row houses are the ones to the very left. Before they started the construction there was a forest here, (not to worry, it is still there, just a tad smaller), and also an allotment. So they moved the allotment over to the other side of the street next to the new pond from where I snapped this photo.

Välstaboden

Eight years ago I decided on a whim one day to photograph an old storehouse that I would walk by on my way to and from the old tree. That photo became the start of a monthly photo project that I kept up for a year. I decided to call it Välstaboden. Since finishing that project I have added a photo every now and then. A while back, while cycling past it, I realised that the building had been renovated.So last Saturday I took this photo. I did not have the same lens with me as I used for the project photos, but it was still good enough to be added to the album.

That Old Tree

The Swedish Whitebeam, or Oxel, in Winter. We have a poetic word for it. Vinterskrud. Not sure if there is an English equivalent. Skrud means attire. Anyway, this was the scene at the old tree two days ago. Much more snow since then. And this morning, most buses and commuter trains have been cancelled. Winter, who knew!

Winter!

It snowed yesterday. Predictable, because it happens a few times every year. If you drive a car, you need to have your Winter tires on. So obviously there was chaos everywhere, with long queues outside the places where you could have your tires changed. Police swung by a filling station near me where people were disagreeing on how queues really work. More problems in Stockholm where they decided that the streets were unsafe and stopped all the public transport buses! No such problems for me, though, so I went for a Winter promenade. And as I walked over a bridge I could hear the snow plow tractor behind me, and I first thought that he was driving on the street, but obviously he was clearing the walkway, so I had to jump out of the way for him a couple of times. More snow now as I am typing this, so chances are that it will stay for a few days.

The history of a building

A classic Mariaberget building at Hornsgatspuckeln (the Hornsgatan hump), with an interesting history. Built in 1737 as a two-story house by a rope maker. The next owner, a baker, installed an oven and opened a bakery. Next, around 1780 a cigarette maker bought the building and opened a factory. The next owners kept the tobacco factory, and by 1844 it was the biggest in the country. In 1880, with another new owner, the factory produced ten million cigars and cigarillos annually. By now, this was a four-story building, thanks to the architect Johan Fredrik Åbom. In 1897 there was also a furniture store here, operated by C.E. Jonsson. And when the tobacco factory moved out a few years later, Jonsson bought the whole building. The current owner since the 1960s is the city. Today there are 39 modern apartments here.

This will not end well

That is the name of the Nan Goldin exhibition that just opened at Moderna museet, located at Skeppsholmen in Stockholm. I was in the area taking photos a few days ago, and this woman, on her way to the exhibition with her friend caught my eye.

Views from a hill

Eight photos taken during my recent visit to Vanadislunden, a park with a view, or in fact, several views. On the first photo, the old water reservoir. The church in the second photo is called Engelbrektskyrkan, it sits high up on another hill at Lärkstaden on Östermalm. Next, a young man resting on a bench, close to a sculpture, I sometimes sit there for a bite to eat. Walking around the big water reservoir, I decided to photograph it in more detail. On the fifth photo, the classic TV-tower Kaknästornet at Gärdet seen over the rooftops. Then, a look at the path I took up the hill, you are never alone up here. I took the pine tree photo because I wanted you to see it with the northern towers. We finish the series with the dome on the big Gustav Vasa church in Vasastaden.

Norra Tornen

You have seen them before on the blog, but not from this angle. The Northern Towers at Vasastan in Stockholm. Designed by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, OMA. Photographed from Vanadislunden, a hill at Sibirien from where you have a good view over the rooftops in every possible direction.

Kinky?

If so, U.S. Video at Regeringsgatan might be the place for you. Me? Nope. Never been, never will, I am just out taking photos!

Concrete Architecture

The sexiest parking garage in Stockholm? This concrete building called Parkaden dates back to the colorful 1960s. Designed by Hans Asplund, son of Gunnar Asplund, who was one of the two architects that designed the cemetery I visit every week.