Cat crossing

A cat crossing, or maybe a Övertasställe, (new word made up by me), at Sanda in Österhaninge. The cat that lives with me, Tindra, comes from here.

Mystery Stone

One of six mystery stones at Sanda in Österhaninge. They have been there for a couple of centuries. No one knows who put them there, on a rock formation by the side of the old road, or why. You have to know where they are to find them.

Mystery Stones II

I showed you one of the conical mystery stones at Sanda a while back. Here are two of the round stones. All in all there are six stones. The round ones sits on top of the rock closest to the road. The conical on a rock a few meters away.

Mystery Stone

One of six mystery stones at Sanda, a rural part of Österhaninge. Three conical stones and three round stones can be found on a little hill beside the road. This time of the year it is still possible to see the stones from the road, but they will soon be hidden behind all the greenery. Rumours have it that a King, (not clear which one), visited the Sanda Estate several times a few hundred years ago, and that he fathered a few bastards. Possibly six in all. Three boys and three girls.

Traffic Sign

Biked through rural Österhaninge yesterday. Noticed this rather unique traffic sign at Sanda. It says Valuable cat without traffic sense. I kept my eyes open but failed to see any cat out and about. It was probably sleeping the day away. Just like the cat that lives at my place, which is also originally from Sanda, and a likely relative to this cat with it's own sign.

Nine months later

Some people say it was Charles XV. Others think it could have been Frederick I. Both Kings were known to like the ladies if you know what I mean. Maybe they used the old phrase wanna come back to my castle for a bit of fun? I'm sure that line must have worked sometimes. And maybe it did when either of the Kings visited Sanda in Österhaninge. They might have stopped at the Sanda Estate, or maybe just spent the night at the Inn before continuing to one of the islands in the Haninge archipelago. Possibly to Sundby on the island of Ornö. Anyway, on a small hill next to the old Klockarlötsvägen road six stones can be found. Three round and three cone-shaped. They are said to be a memorial. The stones that are hidden most of the year behind all the green are called the Kungastenarna. The Kings Stones. Rumors have it that a few illegitimate children were born after the royal visit. True or not I don't know.

The Sanda Estate

This is an old estate in Österhaninge, known as Sanda. I visited Sanda last summer together with Karin Aspberg from the local historical association. I took exterior and interior photos for a book about the farms in this part of Haninge while Karin interviewed the owner Pontus Braunerhielm. I received my copy of the book last week. In it you can read a lot about the history of this estate and the families that have lived here, including the Braunerhielm clan. The name Sanda dates back to 1362. A runestone was discovered here around 1850 and today it stands in the garden. I have a lot of photos from this part of Haninge in a flickr set called Vikingland and I'm trying a new Google map feature, so if you are interested try it out and tell me how it works. You can scroll through the photos, look at them large and also read the facts right here. Very clever idea if you ask me.

Say Cheese

From tomorrow you can visit the dairy at Sanda in Österhaninge if you want to buy locally produced cheese, because they open for business this Friday. I can't remember all the different types of cheese they were planning to sell and produce, but it was a long list. You can also buy ecological eggs here. www.sandahonseri.se/ The address is Klockarlötsvägen 5

Sanda Runestone

Sö 266. The Sanda Runestone in Österhaninge. Jim has translated the inscription: "Jorun lät resa stenen efter Andvätt, sin och Anunds son. Asbjörn (ristade). Jorun had the stone raised after Andvätt, his and Anunds son. Asbjörn carved the stone. Another possible translation looks like this: Jórunnr had the stone raised in memory of Andvéttr, his son, and in memory of Ônundr's. Ásbjǫrn. The rune stone was discovered in 1850 at a pasture in the area, and was moved to it's current position (in the back garden at the Sanda estate), around 1870.

Terminator endoskeleton?

In the forest at the Sanda farm in Österhaninge you will find this rusty figure. It's probably the Terminator. But how did he end up here in Rural Österhaninge?

The Chicken Cottage

A bit of a mystery this. From Sanda in Österhaninge. Sanda is an old farm across the road from this red cottage. Today a poultry farm and a bit famous because swedens first aviator Carl Cederström was born at Sanda. In the summer time you can't see this little cottage from the road. But there is a small sign that says Kycklingstugan, or Chicken Cottage. It's like a time machine, everything here looks like rural Sweden 80 years ago. More photos from Kycklingstugan.

Mystery Stones (part 2)

As promised yesterday, here are the other King Stones from Sanda in Österhaninge. These are cone-shaped and you will find them only a few meters away from the round stones. There are no signs here to tell you anything about these remarkable rocks. I have live in Haninge all my life and never heard anything about this. I'm always on the road (bicycle maniac) and I have passed here many times without spotting these stones, and they are only a few steps away from the road!

Mystery Stones (part 1)

The mysterious stones at Sanda in Österhaninge. These stones on a rock formation at Sanda are one big mystery. For centuries people have speculated about their origin. The only info I have was given to me by Sune Nilsson, a member of the local history association. In an article Harry Runqvist writes about a visit from an old king and that the stones are some memorial from that visit. That unknown king was a bit of a ladies man and rumours said that he had fathered a few children in the neighbourhood. There are more stones here. They look a bit different. I will post them tomorrow.