Sommaräng

Swedish word of the day. Sommaräng. Summer Meadow. This was a wheat field in 2018 and 2017. The year before that they had canola here. This year they left everything for the insects. A field at Nedersta Gård.

Aspen Hill

The Aspen Hill near Husby in Österhaninge.

The Stockbonäs Battle

The visit to the Viking Village at Stockbonäs ended with an epic battle. All of a sudden the village was attacked by a group of Viking warriors. The newcomers badmouthed the villagers and they answered in the same way before the fighting began. It was brutal. Just look at that last photo if you don't believe me!

Viking Portraits

In Ancestors Footsteps

Five more photos from the re-enactment event I Förfäders Spår at Stockbonäs in Nynäshamn, where you could visit a very authentic Viking village last weekend. It was interesting to see how the "Vikings" went about their business ignoring the modern day people with mobile phones and cameras, most of the time that is, I did talk to a few people to get some details.

The Vikings at Stockbonäs

I visited Stockbonäs in Nynäshamn over the weekend. Usually this is just a green field in the Summer, popular with hikers and sunbathers. Now it had turned into a little Viking Village. For the third year running there was a Viking re-enactment event there. Called I Förfäders Spår. Or in English, In Ancestors Footsteps. It was very authentic, down to the last detail, so I decided on the spot to try and get authentic photos ie, without any sign of modern life, and I will show you the result in the next few days. The Vikings came from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Australia and possibly a few other places as well.

Bluebell

A Blubell,(Liten Blåklocka), growing next to the old tree. The yellow in the bokeh background comes from Yellow bedstraw, Gulmåra).

Blooming flax field

A blooming flax field at Nödesta Västergård.

Lotstornet

If you want to spend the night at Öja, Lotstornet, (the old harbour pilot tower), could be what you are looking for. There's also a restaurant in the tower called Svedtiljas. You will have a great view from any of the rooms. All managed by Åke and Lotta Svedtilja. The hotel is open year round. www.g-mo.se/

Artillery battery

ERSTA-batteri at Norrhamn on Öja. A four-story facility used during the cold war. 25 people lived and worked underground here 24/7. Supposedly it could withstand a nuclear blast. There to protect the inlets to Nynäshamn, Stockholm and Södertälje. In operation between 1977-2000. There are guided tours daily during the Summer. It will set you back 100SEK. Today this is a listed building.

Saltboden

Back in the day a "saltbod" was a building where you kept your fishing tools out in the archipelago. Today it is more likely to be a cafe, restaurant, pub and grocery shop, like here at Västerhamn on Öja. We stopped by a couple of times. Not overcrowded, but there were a few Americans enjoying the salmon at the next table. From Wisconsin. On our second sitting 12 or so canoeists showed up.

Living in the archipelago

Only twenty people live at Öja year round. But they sure live nicely. Nearly all the houses on the island has a sea view as you can see by looking at these photos.

The maritime pilot

Albert Holm was a maritime pilot at Öja. He lived between 1848 and 1939. It is partly thanks to Albert that a road was constructed on the island. Having come halfway with that work Albert figured that he had had enough and he chiselled his initials by the side of the road at Saltmarsbacken and promptly told everyone that he had now done his part and that it was up to the young people on the island to continue with the road. Diabase sculpture made by Ole Drebold an artist who lives on the island.

Landsort Lighthouse

Öja is a tiny island. It is famous for a few things. This is one of them. The Landsort lighthouse. Built back in 1670, this is the oldest lighthouse in Sweden. There was an earlier lighthouse on the island but it was destroyed in a fire. That first lighthouse had been constructed by the Dutchman Johan van der Hagen and it was a few relatives to him that also built this lighthouse. It has been modernised a few times over the centuries and is today fully automatic. If you visit during the Summer there is a guided tour twice a day.

M/S Stångskär

Together with two friends I visited Landsort on Sunday. Or more precisely Öja, which is the official name of the southernmost island in the Stockholm archipelago. It is a fantastic little place. Seriously beautiful. Only twenty people live here year round. That number goes up a bit during the Summer. I arrived on the ferry M/S Stångskär. It travels between Ankarudden at the Torö island in Nynäshamn, and Öja a couple of times every day this time of the year. It only takes 68 passengers which meant that my lazy friends missed the ferry and arrived one hour later. I took quite a few photos during the visit and I will show you the most interesting in the coming days.