Winter Green

You have seen it before. The Meditation Hill, (Almhöjden) at the Skogskyrkogården cemetery. And also the Mirror Pond. (Spegeldammen). I visit the cemetery a few times every week because since a pit-stop here back in October 2021 I decided to make this UNESCO World Heritage Site a photo project. So every time I bike to and from Stockholm, I usually stop here for a few photos. And it is a nice place for a temporary rest, pun intended. Anyway, on this recent visit I was a bit surprised how green the grass was, unusual for January in Sweden I think.

Långholmsgatan

A mix of new and old. Photos taken along Långholmsgatan, the same street as in yesterday's post about storefronts. Top photo shows a typical Barbershop. The two sisters walking out of the shot were on a shopping spree. They were also seen coming out from the shopping mall seen in the second photo, although not in this photo. Next, a fast food joint, it stands near the mall and a bus stop, so I think it must be a good location. And lastly, another Asian food place. Lemon & Chili. Cool name. You see the Foodora people everywhere these days.

Store Fronts

The first photo shows one of two shops owned by Micke. He sells vinyls and CDs. This is probably the best place in Stockholm for that sort of thing. It is open every day of the year. His other store is across the street, close to where I was standing taking this photo. Next the Apple repair shop with the funny name, re:Pear. In the third shot, a very surprised woman walking out from the Hornstull mall. She kept her eyes on me from the bus stop as I continued taking photos at Långholmsgatan as this street on Södermalm is called. The fourth and last snap of the day shows Helens. One of Stockholm's quadrillion sushi places, and an eatery I am very likely never to visit, as I don't eat sushi.

Kristinehovs Malmgård

Just a short walk from the mural in yesterday's post, this is Kristinehovs Malmgård on Södermalm. Or at least the two wings. I did take a photo of the main building, but it was too messy for my taste, so I will give that view a go another day. But there is a good view at their website. Kristinehov was built as a Summerhouse back in 1790 for Georg Fredrik Diedrichson. The architect was Petrus Serén. Since around a century, this is a hub for cultural history. Operated by twenty common-interest associations. They are financed mostly by contributions from the city and a couple of other organizations. So it is a busy place with focus on dance, music and much more. There are big dining halls here where you can have your wedding party like it is 1790 all over again!

Astrid Lindgren

Fast food joint at Hornstull on Södermalm in Stockholm. It is called Downtown Hornstull. It got a nice mural last year. It depicts Sweden's most beloved author. Astrid Lindgren. I tried my best to translate the quote. Anything of any importance that has ever occurred in the world, first came to mind in someone's imagination. Allt stort som skedde i världen skedde först i någon människas fantasi.

Winter swimming, anyone?

Walking out onto the circular pier at Perstorpsvägen at Lake Drevviken. Whenever I stop here I tell myself that there will be someone there going for a Winter swim. That is yet to happen. It was 4C on this day.

Street Snaps

Three photos from Hötorget, or Haymarket, in central Stockholm. First, a wannabe photographer trying his best shooting a sculpture group with his smartphone. Next, a father and young daughter looking for something to buy at the market. Third, and lastly, a man outside the food court Kungshallen, possibly checking up on world news while waiting for a friend.

Glowing in the dark

It was getting dark as I cycled through the Skogskyrkogården cemetery at Enskede. This headstone was glowing in the dark, so I decided to walk over for a photo.

Unavailable Seating

Cycling towards Stockholm a couple of days ago, I stopped at the new circular pier at Lake Drevviken, near Perstorpsvägen. Normally I would make a pit stop further up, at the Hökarängen beach. But since discovering this area, I sometimes stop here. Last time I was here was when I showed you a few ice skaters out on the then frozen lake. The temperature has gone up and down in the last few weeks, and we have also experienced some serious rain showers. So the water level at Drevviken is high at the moment, as proved by the photo of this bench.

Street Scene

I decided that it was time for some real street photography again. These two girls came out from a hotel with their luggage just I had crossed the street at Sveavägen in Stockholm. On their way to Arlanda airport no doubt. I hope they had a great time in Stockholm, despite being caught on camera by the local papparazzo who was out shooting with his silent mirrorless Canon.

Jag

Walking down a pedestrian street in central Stockholm on a gloomy January day. Sergelgatan. Lots of new shops, galleries, restaurants to check out here. I noticed the kid in the dispay window at Designtorget and stopped for a quick photo. There is a gray book in the window. Called Jag, the Swedish word for Me. A teach-yourself book that supposedly will help you find yourself.

Söders Hantverkshus

I used to work in this building at Renstiernas gata on Södermalm. For quite a few years. At a small industrial company on the third floor. It was many years ago. A very famous guitar maker, Georg Bolin, had his workshop next door, and you would often see famous musicians coming and going. Bolin also worked at a school that was based in this building for something like sixty years. It was called Carl Malmstensskolan. My boss had a bit of a crush on the woman who owned and ran the restaurant where we had lunch every day, two stairs down. She was also a singer in a successful group at the time. One afternoon as I left work, I walked past a bus stop when a horrible accident occurred. A bus hit and ran over the famous guitar maker. That was quite the story at the restaurant for the next few days. I was reminded by this as I walked down the stairs here a couple of days ago.

The Woodland Cemetery

This was my last photo on that misty day, a few days ago now. Cycling home, I stopped at the Woodland Cemetery as I always do. This is the big granite cross. Designed by the agnostic architect Gunnar Asplund in 1939. If you walk into the cemetery, you follow the stony path towards where I was standing, shooting this. If you do that, you will have three chapels to your left. The pond will be just to the right, and if you turn just a little bit more, you can choose to walk up to the Meditation Hill, that I have shown you a few times.

Skeppargränd

Four photos from Skeppargränd, (ship alley). A very short street, or alley, at Åsöberget. The same hill at Södermalm with that lookout point I showed you two days ago. The previous name was Sågargränd, because some of the people that lived here were sawyers. All the wooden buildings here are more than 300 years old. All listed, and today owned by the city. If you would like to live here, you can expect to queue for quite a few years. Three hundred years ago, when these buildings were new, this was a very poor part of Stockholm. Many of the people that lived here worked in the tar industry. Later, one or two artists have lived and worked here, including Carl Larsson.

Friday the 13th

Because it is Friday the 13th, here is a fitting story. This is Stigbergsgatan on Södermalm. I took this photo on that misty day earlier in the week. You can walk down the stairs here, behind the fence. They are called Sista Styverns trappor, and will take you to Fjällgatan, a popular lookout point. An earlier name was Mikaelsgränd. Named after the executioner, Mäster Mikael. He had the job for 15 years between 1635 and 1650. Then, one night, he was drinking with a well known criminal. They argued about a debt and Mikael killed the other man, although he never confessed. And guess what, Mäster Mikael was convicted for the murder and was himself executed by his successor.