Meet Kristin

This is Kristin. I met her yesterday at the Slätmossen nature park in Handen. She is a philosophy student ( Estestikprogrammet ), at the Södertörn University College in Huddinge. She lives in a student apartment in Handen and originally comes from Gothenburg. As the student apartments are only a few minutes walk from the park, sitting on a park bench in the sunshine, studying philosophy seems to me as a pretty good idea. This is my third photo for the 100 Strangers project that has to be one of the best flickr ideas ever. The project also have a web site.

Bigger photo.

Tyresta National Park

Continuing with photos from my visit to the National Park. Next to the caretakers building (where you can read the runic inscription), you will find this cottage overlooking the Dahlgrensgården. All the farm buildings here at Tyresta are at least 200 years old. Bigger photo.

Springtastic!

On my recent bike ride to the national park I did see a few proof of spring. Bigger proof. Winter Aconite growing in a garden at the old farm.

Runic Inscription

This is the "runhäll" at Tyresta National Park. You will find the inscription on a hillside behind one of the old farm buildings. It reads: Farbjörn lät hugga stenen efter Håulv , sin son. Halvdan högg runorna. In English, Farbjörn had the stone made after Håulv his son, Halvdan cut the runes. The bird on the runestone is a Capercaillie, (part of the Haninge Coat of Arms).To give you an idea how it might have looked a thousand years ago have a look at Kenny's photoshopped version. Oh, and the old Viking road leading up to the runhäll is still there. Bigger photo.

A Yellow Crocus

This morning on my way to the mail box I noticed something yellow on the lawn. The first crocus of the year! At least one month early. Another proof that spring has arrived. Much bigger crocus.

On The Road Again

I never put away my bike for the winter as most cyclists do. Yesterday we had a warm spring like day, a bit windy but the weather was good enough to fill the roads with motorcycles and cyclists. I stopped at Skogsekeby in Tungelsta and only had to wait for one minute before the first cyclist came pedalling around the corner. Bigger photo.

View From A Bridge

Back at the Nature Park. If you have a minute try the slideshow.

Two Happy Gnomes

On my recent visit to Lyngsta I found these two gnomes. Belongs to the collector . Bigger photo.

Elinslund

Tungelsta had a big laundry industry at the start of the last century. The grey building to the left is an old "torklada" and it was used to hang the washing out to dry. It was built by the Berg family in 1935. For the first three years Eskil Berg and his wife Greta Berg worked without electricity. Carrying the water barrels by hand from the well to the barn. Ten years later they were able to buy a washing machine.The Berg family business was in operation until 1981. All information about Elinslund credited to Ulla Nilsson from haninge.org Bigger photo.

The Odd Couple

I visited the little village Lyngsta the other day. I met a collector and a few of his neighbours. It's a bit off the beaten track. Follow a gravel road into the forest for a while and then all of a sudden you see a few houses. I arrived just minutes before the post man. There's nine mail boxes in a row at the entrance to the village. Next to them you will find this odd couple. Made by the collector. A bit odd but that's how it's supposed to be sometimes.

Lyngsta Cottage

This is a cottage with some history. It was built back in 1763 and it is the oldest building in the little village of Lyngsta. A rural area with 8 or 9 houses including a few horse farms. Looking at some old documents and maps tells me that Lyngsta once belonged to Stafs Rote and that many of the buildings here was owned by the Upmark family. Today an Englishman lives here and the house has been rebuilt, but the original cottage has been more or less unchanged. Walking around the garden, I can imagine how this place would look in the summer time. I asked the owner if I could visit again later in the year, which he said yes to, so I will be back. Bigger photo.

Meet Rolf Sander

This is Rolf Sander, (he's the guy without the helmet). I met him today at Lyngsta where he lives. Lyngsta is a small village with some eight or nine houses. Rolf turned out to be a nice guy, a collector. Anything that relates to the time when he grew up he will buy. Cars, trucks, you name it. He invited me to have a look around in his tool shop and in his unique house that he has built from scratch, I took a bunch of photos of course. Rolf used to be married and has a few kids (grown up), but today he lives on his own. He is full of ideas, and if possible, would like to set up a 1950s gas station (he already has a couple of pumps), and also build a typical Swedish hot dog kiosk from the same area here in the village. In the summer time he sells wooden water barrels. We took a walk around the houses and met a few of the neighbours. Rolf showed me the oldest house that dates back to 1763 (photos later). Today an Englishman lives there. I talked a little with him and decided to come back later in the year for more photos of that building. One of the neighbours is a Swedish celebrity, Bosse Larsson, I missed him with around one hour, he had just left for a tour around the country, but Rolf showed me around that place as well. He also told me about some of the people that lived in the village many years ago but that's another story.
This picture is #2 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers website or the 100 Strangers flickr group.

Hammar Cottage

One of two identical "Enkelstugor" (small wooden cottage), at the Hammar estate along Allévägen in Tungelsta. The estate dates back to 1816 when the Upmark family bought three farms, Tuna, Tunatorp and Krigslida and the two villages Mulsta and Välsta. There's a beautiful 100 meter long tree line avenue leading up to the estate, you can see it on a few of my photos. A winter version and a spring version. The owner's favorite photo is one from two years ago where her late husband is shovelling snow from a roof! If you are interested they also have a rune stone behind the estate. The same cottage from another angle. Bigger photo.

Rail Enginering

A technician from WSP at the Krigslida commuter station. Probably doing some geometry ground analysis. Next year work will start on a second rail track here at Nynäsbanan, between Västerhaninge and Tungelsta. It's long over due. Bigger photo.

Soon to be glassed-in balcony

In this country we love balconies. Weather permitting we spend a lot of time and money on our balconies. If your apartment building doesn't have balconies chances are someone will suggest it and before you know it you are part of the balconist movement. Is that a word? This building at Stora Arken was finished more than a year ago. Now some of the people living here have decided to have a glassed-in balcony. Perfectly understandable if you ask me. Bigger photo.

Bertil & Birgit

This is Bertil and Birgit. I met them at Lake Rudan today. As we started talking I told them about flickr. It turns out they know Kristin Blomquist, a woman from Tungelsta who has been living in the US for many years. I heard from Kristin when she commented on some of my flickr photos, she asked if I could photograph her childhood home, which I did. Bertil and Birgit used to live in Tungelsta many years ago and when I told them where I lived they said then you must be Sten's son. I said yes that's me, and of course Birgit knew who my mother is. It's a small world. Bertil worked at a garage close to the old brewery in Tungelsta. I didn't know about the garage, that was before my time. They also told me about a gas station that was next to the garage. I have lived nearly all my life in Tungelsta and had no idea that there had been any buildings in that area. Live and learn! We sat on this bench for half an hour talking about Tungelsta while enjoying the fantastic weather. So Kristin, here's a photo of your old friends. B&B now lives at Stora Arken that just happens to be one of my ongoing photo projects. This is also my first photo for the 100 Strangers project that has to be one of the best flickr ideas ever. 100 Strangers web site. Bigger photo.

Hammar Runestone

This rune stone can be seen behind the Hammar Estate in Tungelsta. It was found at Vreta and moved to this location many years ago. Kenny has a photo of this stone and he has also translated the inscription to modern Swedish and then Ylva translated that to English. And that reads something like this: Þórir and Auðsteinn ... ... Ônundr raised the stone ... ... his. RAÄ info. I took this photo this afternoon after I had a long talk to Charlotte who lives at Hammar.

Spring is around the corner

This was the scene in Västerhaninge yesterday. A farmer ploughing a field using his John Deere tractor. Must be some kind of record, normally this time of the year you should be able to ski over this field. Six months earlier I photographed the harvest here. Bigger photo.

Busy Beaver

Working in a circular motion. Over the last months the beavers at Vitsån in Jordbro have been working on their underwater food cache. There are a number of beaver dams in this area of the nature reserve. I noticed this funny looking tree a couple of weeks ago.A day later, someone other than me took a photo of this tree which was later published in my morning paper. I hate it when that happens! Bigger photo.

The Snake Theatre

The entrance to the theatre barn Orm-Teatern. Or The Snake Theatre, at Lake Rudan in Handen. The theatre has been around since the late seventies. If I remember correctly the company was started by the writer Ulf Oldberg and his wife, Britt Inger Oldberg (my communist school teacher for three years). No idea if they are still involved. Zoom out.

Bathroom Reflection

This is the old stable at Rudan in Handen. Today the building close to the lake is used by the ski club Jordbänningarna. They have a ski-waxing room here and a kitchen. This is the back side with the door to the bathroom. Normally this time of the year the area would be filled with cross country skiers. Not so this year. You are more likely to meet mountain bike riders and joggers here today.

The Wave

Vågen, or The Wave. A sculpture made by Axel Nordell. An organic form and the motion of a wave rising towards the sky. Not that you didnt see that, bit I figured I should tell you anyway. Public art close to the commuter station in Jordbro. Bigger sculpture.

Brick Wall & Window

A music room at the Tungelsta school. Sometimes during classes they open a window so that everyone within listening distance get to hear what they have learned, I often wish they didnt do that. Bigger photo.

Does Beauty Come From Within?

That question can be answered by the company that designed this modern timber house. At least that is what they claim on their web site. Forsgrens Timmerhus have a unique concept and use a building technique and a construction technique they call Värmetimmer. It is supposed to be very environmentally efficient. From the ever changing building site that is Ålsta in Tungelsta. Same building site a few weeks ago. I will go back for more photos when the weather is better. Bigger photo.

New apartment building

The view has changed a bit since I started this set. You can't see the Västerhaninge Parsonage Estate any longer. Two apartment buildings with 100 apartments are being built here between the Parsonage Estate and the Mormon Temple along the old Björklundsvägen in Västerhaninge. Bigger photo.

Horse Carriage Ride

Thomas from the horse farm at Björklunda out on a horse carriage ride at the ancient grave field in Jordbro. I told him that I had a few photos from the farm at flickr, but it turns out it was just two panoramas and two horse photos.

That Old Tree

There was a snow fall last night. This morning I made a snowman! Then we had some more snow. When that snow fall stopped I decided to make my weekly trip to the old tree. By then the temperature had gone up a few degrees so most of the snow will probably be gone by tomorrow.Bigger photo.

Some useful Swedish phrases?

There was a garage sale at the Tungelsta School today. I didnt go there, but I took a promenade around the school as I had to take my weekly photo at Aspnäs. I live next to the school, and just the other night during a storm, a birch tree fell, luckily towards the school. Had it fallen the other way my bedroom window had been in serious trouble. Anyway I was going to teach you some Swedish words and phrases. There are 12 notes on this photo. Written by the school kids who meets here for a smoke in between classes.

What Tungelsta is famous for

Theme day. Tungelsta where I live, is famous for a few things. I picked the greenhouses. When the railway arrived to Tungelsta one hundred years ago, so did the greenhouse business. My great grandfather was the first gardener to buy land here. The place where he stayed for the rest of his life was named Bergdalen (I still live there doday). The week after he arrived the land across the road was bought by the Andersson family who cultivated roses for many years. Over the next fifty years the industry flourished. As many as 70 different businesses operated around this little town. Among them my grandparents on my mothers side. They bought a place called Sofiehill. Now in 2008 it's a different story. Most of the family owned businesses are gone. The reason for the demise? Probably many factors, but imported flowers form the EU and high taxes are two reasons. There are now as few as nine gardeners still in operation. Among them Blomorado, which used to be Bergdalen. I have a few hundred greenhouse photos at flickr and choose to make a collage for the theme day. Here now are links to the other blogs participating in the theme day:

Portland (OR), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Memphis (Tennessee), USA - Manila, Philippines - San Diego (CA), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - New York City (NY), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - San Francisco (CA), USA - Mumbai (Maharashtra), India - Mainz, Germany - Weston (FL), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Turin, Italy - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Bicheno, Australia - Durban, South Africa - Joplin (MO), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Stockholm, Sweden - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Brussels, Belgium - Chicago (IL), USA - Montpellier, France - Seattle (WA), USA - Mazatlan, Mexico - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Sesimbra, Portugal - Toulouse, France - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Susanville (CA), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - Helsinki, Finland - Pilisvörösvár, Hungary - Lisbon, Portugal - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Trujillo, Peru - Dunedin (FL), USA - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - London, UK - Baziège, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Mumbai, India - Naples (FL), USA - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Setúbal, Portugal - Stayton (OR), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Sofia, Bulgaria - Arradon, France - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Athens, Greece - Austin (TX), USA - Singapore, Singapore - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Jackson (MS), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Budapest, Hungary - Rotterdam, Netherlands - St Malo, France - Chandler (AZ), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Cleveland (OH), USA - Nottingham, UK - Kansas City (MO), USA - The Hague, Netherlands - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Wrocław, Poland - Chateaubriant, France - Cheltenham, UK - Moscow, Russia - Monrovia (CA), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - Toruń, Poland - Grenoble, France - Lisbon, Portugal - New Orleans (LA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Boston (MA), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Wichita (KS), USA - Radonvilliers, France - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Christchurch, New Zealand - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Wailea (HI), USA - Aliso Viejo (CA), USA - St Francis, South Africa - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Seattle (WA), USA - Pasadena (CA), USA - Vienna, Austria - Orlando (FL), USA - Torun, Poland - Delta (CO), USA - Santa Fe (NM), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Paris, France - Stavanger, Norway - Niamey, Niger - Le Guilvinec, France - Bogor, Indonesia - Saarbrücken, Germany - Auckland, New Zealand - Wellington, New Zealand - Budapest, Hungary - Juneau (AK), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Glasgow, Scotland - Chicago (IL), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Sydney, Australia - Riga, Latvia - Subang Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Terrell (TX), USA - Terrell (TX), USA - Inverness (IL), USA