Sunshine!

The sun was out for at least two hours the other day. Can't remember when that happened last. I took a ride down to my favorite beach. No one else around. I like it that way. I had a look for the Russian submarines but I guess they were hiding under water or on their way back home.

Fountain

The old sandpit gravel pit in Handen was turned into a green park (Eskilsparken), many years ago. This fountain, next to the amphitheatre is part of an artwork made by PYE Engström, called The Birds. Oh, and my photo is also art, I took 20 photos with the pancake lens and stitched them together just because I could.

P&T

A couple of years ago I stood on a former parking lot turned into a busy construction site talking to the site manager about this project. He told me that they were building a passive house where the energy comes from body heat, electrical appliances and lighting. I think I took his portrait and shot a panorama. Now there are seven buildings here with 200 apartments. Six storeys high, or rather eight, as two are under ground. This side is made as an arcade. P&T stands for Puls och Träning. In English, Pulse & Workout and it is of course a gym. Oh, and I have a before photo which is a fun read.

Nice rack

Nice rack. One of my favorite phrases. Very useful sometimes. And it works fine here as there are several brand new bike shelters at two of the commuter stations in Haninge. You can find this one at Krigslida. Both photos shot with the pancake lens.

Vertical Support

These square columns are part of the Hantenterminalen building at the commuter station in Handen. The building houses among others, Haninge X-cons. The Rudan School. A restaurant/night club, many offices, gym, banks and what have you.

Temporary Sculpture

Noticed this temporary artwork in the Eskil's park yestoday. It was created by an unknown artist two days ago and it will soon be history.

That Old Tree

This was the scene at the old tree yesterday. It was snowing when I woke up, and that continued all day. The temperature was hovering around freezing, so the snow melted upon impact with the ground. This was my 400th photo of the Swedish Whitebeam since I started taking photos here. I have added the second ever photo I took of the tree, because that's when I started the series. I shot that on Christmas Day back in 2005 and I can still remember that promenade. A lot has happened with the tree since that day a decade ago and I still expect to see something different every time I visit the old tree.

Shadow Play

I do enjoy lines and shadows. Out on a recent photo promenade with my buddy Jim, we stopped at the newish buildings at Poseidons Gränd in Handen. There are 196 apartments here. Very modern. No ugly high rises. Just four storeys high. There are shops on the first floor, so to get to the apartments from two sides of the complex you need to climb these stairs.

Stairs

There are two big monstrosities in central Handen. Rudsjöterrassen is colorful but dead ugly, next to it is the big Handen terminal. Many people work in the two monstrosities, but if you ask me they need to be demolished. Anyway, between the two buildings you will find this staircase. Also on the ugly side. Oh, but you will of course like my fine photo of the stairs.

Betongtrappa

Swedish word of the day. Betongtrappa. Concrete stairs. Six hundred students will walk up and down these stairs when the new school opens two years from today. This will be the new "Fredrik" school at the Fredrika Bremer Secondary school in Handen.

A World Class Swimmer

Sarah Sjöström is an amazing athlete and world class swimmer. She has won two World Championship gold medals. And nine European Championship gold medals. And countless silver and bronze medals in many championships over the last six years. And earlier this year she set a new world record on 50 meter butterfly with the time 24,43 seconds. She has also held the world record on the 100 meter butterfly. I met Sarah yesterday at my favorite cafe. After shooting a portrait I wanted to try a Brenizer method photo, and Sarah suggested we shoot that in front of her car to make her car sponsor happy, and obviously I messed that up shooting with the wrong lens! I did manage to stitch together a couple of photos so if you know them you can tell that she is sponsored by Lagerstedts Bil.

Driving with the top down

It was no more than 6C when I took this photo in Handen. But we are of course tough Vikings over here, so if you own a 1970 Chevy Impala Convertible you obviously drive it with the top down.

Landmark

Theme Day at City Daily Photo. Landmark. I guess it can only be one of the castles in Haninge so I picked Häringe. The castle has a long history. Previous owners include a Swedish King and a few industrialists. There are remains here from a Millennium ago when the Viking Sote supposedly lived here but today's castle dates back to 1657. Many celebrities have stayed here, among them Greta Garbo, Elisabeth Taylor and Josephine Baker. One of the owners, Torsten Kreuger had a tunnel built back in the 1930s so that Miss Garbo shouldn't have to walk in the rain when she left her room in the Sea Wing and headed for the main building. That was nice of him I think. Today this is a hotel, and it is actually for sale at the moment so if you have some money to spend...

Brutal Design

The most brutal park bench I have found on my photo excursions around Haninge. And it is facing the wrong way, away from the soccer court/basketball court.

Border Stone

This type of border stone in known as a Gränsröse in Swedish. You will find this one in Brandbergen in Handen. Back in the day it was a boundary stone in Österhaninge socken,which was part of Sotholms Härad. The guy in the background is my friend Jim. And while I shot this Brenizer Method photo of the gränsröse with my 85mm lens, Jim was busy shooting a 3D type of photo. Also known as Hyperlapse.

Snake Road

The warm Autumn weather continues. Although it rains too much for my liking. New temperature record yesterday. Warmest Autumn day since they started measuring some 155 years ago. So it wasn't all that surprising that I found this viper relaxing on the warm bike path asphalt in Handen. It posed for a few photos before it used that cool serpentine method and disappeared into the grass.

Swimming Alone

Walking through the Eskilsparken, also known as Olof Palme's Park yesterday I noticed this skrubbskädda swimming all alone in the fountain next to the amphitheatre.It is part of an artwork which funnily enough is called The Birds (Fåglarna), by PYE Engström.

Just a muddy field

Top photo is from yesterday. It's a muddy field at Lillgården in Tungelsta. A few years from now you will find a pre-school here near Söderbyvägen. Next to that will be a retirement home. There will also be a park here, and around 130 new homes next to the new Stavsvägen. I took the panorama photo six weeks ago just as the work got under way. All the new buildings will be to the left hand side. The yellow dot to the right is the old station house. One of the architects behind this project is the now retired Rikard Lundin whom I photographed a few years ago. More info in Swedish here. And here.

Birch Forest

Took a walk in a birch forest at Välsta in Tungelsta this afternoon. Didn't spot, or scare away any wildlife this time. When I walked here back in May I was greeted by a bunch of horses. You can see a photo of that if you press here.

Just a coincidence

Non-stop rain for days now. Managed to take this photo from a pedestrian bridge in Västerhaninge while there was a break in the downpour. Nothing special about the photo, just the commuter train heading towards Krigslida. I spiced it up with a fake tilt-shift. But I got a fun comment on the photo at flickr. One of my contacts saying that it is probably him driving the train! And it's even more fun because it was a little over four years ago that I spotted a wedding couple in Handen and asked if I could get a photo. And the groom is the guy driving the train.