The Knights' Islet

This is Riddarholmen. The Knights'Islet. Technically, part of the old town in Stockholm. I took this photo from the same spot where I shot the hillside photo that I showed you two days ago. The orange building is the old Parliament building. Behind it, Riddarholmskyrkan, a church where a number of Monarchs are buried. I sometimes use Riddarholmen as a shortcut, as the pedestrian bridge on the other side of the islet connects with Kungsholmen, the island where you will find Stockholm City Hall, that you can see to the left on this photo. I have photographed Riddarholmen before, from the lookout point Monteliusvägen up at Mariaberget. The white ship is Mälardrottningen, also known as Lady Hutton.

Besvärsbacken

The traffic sign says, that despite this being a one way street, you can cycle up the hill. I am yet to try that. I parked my bike over at the Slussen metro station. This is Brännkyrkagatan at Mariaberget on Södermalm in Stockholm. It goes between Pustegränd and Kristinehovsgatan. Same place as in yesterday's post. This part is called Besvärsbacken. The slope is Stockholm’s steepest street, with an incline of 22%. Back in the day, it was often used for break tests.

Mariaberget

A famous view. Mariaberget, a hillside on Södermalm. The city of Stockholm was founded in 1252 by the regent of Sweden, Birger Jarl. And this was a popular place to live already back then, although it looked very different 800 years ago. Over the centuries, Mariaberget have been a popular place to live and work for musicans and other artists. Back in the 1960s this whole area was nearly torn down because of long time decay, but luckily for everyone the city decided to renovate the old buildings and today this is a very hip and expencive place to live in. The building at the top is called Mälarborgen and if I could afford it I would not mind moving in there.

Ryssgården

The square Ryssgården at Slussen on Södermalm in Stockholm. The big building is Stadsmuseet. The Stockholm City Museum. Originally built back in 1663. Designed by the architect Nicodemus Tessin den äldre. The name Ryssgården comes from the fact that several hundred years ago, Russian merchants sold their goods here.

Fengerska huset

This is Fengerska huset at Ryssgården on Södermalm. Or Stockholms sjömanshem, (that is where the 1891 comes from, a home for sailors), at Slussen. The address is Peter Myndes backe. Mynde was a Dutch guy who had a tobacco factory here a few centuries ago. And this building was built in the Dutch style. It dates back to 1646 when Lars Mårtensson Remmar had it built. The building changed owners a number of times back in the day, and was used for tobacco making at one time. Around 1850 a man called Fenger owned it, hence the name Fengerska huset. Two tunnels were constructed under the building, one in 1860, and a newer one in 1950 for the metro. The Stockholm City Museum moved in here in the 1970s.

The Birch Forest

Two photos from my latest visit to the Woodland Cemetery at Enskede. It was a few degrees warm, and the snow was slowly melting away. Probably all gone by now. These newly planted trees replaced an earlier forest. If you walk through it from here, you will soon find yourself on the 888-meter-long path that will take you from the Meditation Hill (second photo), down to one of the big chapels. As you walk down the path, the trees take over more and more, and it gets a little darker. All thought out by the two young architects a century ago.

Rule of Thirds

Out walking at the busy construction site that is Slussen in Stockholm. I had photographed a lot of buildings. Most of them as tricky panoramic images that I am yet to try and stitch together. I walked halfway over a pedestrian bridge that connects Södermalm with Riddarholmen and the old town. The water underneath is Söderström, part of Riddarfjärden. Still some ice left there and when I spotted the orange buoy I decided to take photo.

Six Girls

Slussen is a busy transport hub on Södermalm i Stockholm. You can read about it here. Currently, undergoing big changes, so parts of it is closed off. New bridges have been constructed. Roads closed. In short, it is a mess. Between two entrances to the metro station, you can find this sculpture. It is there temporarily. It is called Six Girls. Made by Lena Cronqvist. And those of you that know how to count are saying, wait what is going on here, I can only see five girls? Well, the sixth girl is indoors skipping rope for some reason. Maybe they had a falling out, or maybe she thinks it is too cold to play outside in the Winter weather.

Winter at Välsta

Four Winter photos from Välsta. This is the area near the old tree. Today there is a horse farm here. You can see the old tree in the third photo, although from a different angle compared with how I usually shoot it. In the last photo you can see Christina's place as I like to call it. Real name Övre Välsta. Or Upper Välsta. The original farm house was destroyed in a fire a few decades ago.

Freedom to roam

There are lots of open fields where I live. This field belongs to the 700-year-old Nedersta gård. As this is Sweden, and we have the freedom to roam, (allemansrätten), anyone who wants to can ski over the fields.

That Old Tree

As Winter decided to return, I figured it was time for another visit to the old tree. It was a beautiful day, although cold, around -2C as I jumped on my ebike. Lots of open fields around Välsta, Krigslida and Nedersta and as soon as the wind picks up here it gets freezing. Not sure exactly how cold it is with the wind chill factor added, but cold enough, so after snapping a few photos of the nearby farm, I headed for home and a warm cup of coffee. And as I am typing this, the sky has turned white again as we are in the middle of yet another snowstorm.

Winter Biking Anyone?

This photo is for William in Ottawa, and everyone else, of course. Just to show how a bike path can look here during the Winter period. I snapped this photo a couple of days ago at Hanveden. The path to the right is the one I use. The municipalities around Stockholm have decided to keep a route going North to South snow and ice free. So instead of sanding the bike path, they first remove the snow and ice, and then sprinkle the asphalt with a salt solution. They do all this with the same vehicle. The path to the left, (that will take you to the Jordbro industrial park), is obviously not part of that program.

Bicycle Parking

This is a bicycle parking that I pass by almost every day. Near the Jordbro commuter station, and the Jordbro industrial park, where you will find the Coca-Cola plant and many other companies. You can also see my photo in the latest installment of the Weekly Snapshot if you Press Here.

Winter Scenes

Four photos from a Winter promenade at home in Tungelsta. All taken near the commuter station. In the first photo, the commuter train from Nynäshamn is closing in on the station. The pizza place can be seen in the second photo. When I was a kid, there was a café here, and also a post office. The third shot shows Gröna Huset, a popular restaurant, you have most likely seen it before. Lastly, the former station house. Designed 120 years ago by the famous architect Ferdinand Boberg, whose work you have also seen on the blog a few times.

A sudden change in the weather

It started to snow two days ago. I was out walking, so I snapped a few photos. Then, yesterday as expected there was traffic chaos everywhere. And much more snow. People were stuck on trains. No public transport at all in my area. Silly as I am, I had fixed up the veranda a few days earlier when we had warmer weather and some sunshine. I had time to enjoy a podcast lying on the sofa while sunning my face for a bit. But that was before the snowstorm. I took the snow face photo yesterday on that veranda, face down in the snow covering the table, because why not. When I got up this morning, it was -15C.

The Red Scooter

I took a walk along Fleminggatan on Kungsholmen in Stockholm. I noticed the red scooter and just as I was ready to take the photo the young woman decided to walk into the scene, which made it a much better photo. In the background the hair saloon Eleganz.

'Tis not the Season

While out walking along Kungsholms strandstig I spotted this nicely dumped Christmas tree out on the ice. There is actually a system for this at Djurgården where they tie a few Christmas trees together and lower them in the water for the fishes to play later in the year. It is called julgransvassar and is an old tradition that has become popular again in recent years. It creates a new ecosystem for the fish. But this photo here just shows how an idiot gets rid of his tree.

Temporary Art

Usually, the artworks at the legal graffiti wall Farstaväggen will be painted over in a matter of hours. This one survived for at least five days. I blame the Winter weather for that.

Gustaf Vasa kyrka

A majestic church at Vasastaden in Stockholm. Gustaf Vasa church. In Neo-Baroque style. King Gustaf Vasa, in English, Gustav I of Sweden is probably one of the more famous rulers of this country. And as I am typing this, 15 000 skiers are taking part in the annual ski race, named after him. Vasaloppet. A 90 km ski race with an interesting history.

Tavastgatan

A pink apartment building at Tavastgatan, (one of the oldest streets in the city), on Södermalm. With fine architecture from around 1890. Designed by the two architects F.O. Lindström and Karl Smith. A two-room apartment here will set you back 5 195 000 SEK. Sold in February of this year. This is just a short walk from two of the best lookout points in all of Stockholm, and also just around the corner from the busy Hornsgatan street, so location, location, location.

Hurrah!

My routine when I arrive home is to jump off the bike and park it on the lawn in front of the cellar door. I then hose it down as it is often a bit on the muddy side, especially this time of the year. Ebikes are heavy. Mine weighs 22 kilos, so after cleaning it, I roll it over to the stairs before I unlock the door. I then lift the bike up the stairs and into the house, where I clean the chain. I did all that yesterday as well, but not before shouting hurrah as I noticed this crocus on the same lawn. The first real sign of Spring!

Medborgarplatsen

Two snaps from Medborgarplatsen. Citizen Square on Södermalm. We have had two days with warm, (ish), weather and a blue sky this week. And when I say warm I mean 7C, so I am still in my Winter outfit, as are most people. But I stopped mid-bike ride yesterday to take off my middle layer.

Three Winter Photos

A couple of hours before I took the photo of the old tree, I visited the Woodland Cemetery in Enskede, as I always do on my way to and from Stockholm. The roads at Skogskyrkogården can be described in one word. Icy. I got stuck in semi-frozen tracks several times, but managed to cycle through without any accidents. And as you can see, there was snow everywhere. I was setting up the photo of the green bench when I noticed the two women, so I snapped three photos as they passed by. I was shooting in manual mode and aiming at the bench, so it was easy to merge them together. You can never get too many photos of the Meditation Hill, so here it is once again. The huge granite cross is very popular with smartphone shooters, probably because it is the first thing people see as they enter the huge cemetery.

That Old Tree

No snow left near the old tree, just some ice on the path. Snapped this photo yesterday afternoon. Ninety minutes earlier in Stockholm at the big cemetery, there was snow everywhere, photos of that to come. A weird feeling. Winter at one place and Spring like conditions 30 km away. Oh, and this is my 650th photo of the Swedish Whitebeam.

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency

Constructed a century ago as a knitting factory known as Trikåfabriken. At the entrance to Västra Sjöstaden, (Hammarby Sjöstad). Rebuilt by the architects at Tengbom to very modern standards a couple of years ago. Today the new home of Naturvårdsverket. Shot as a panorama, this is 12 photos stitched together. And for the architect lovers, more photos here.

Old Town Architecture

Possibly two of the most iconic buildings in the old town in Stockholm. At Stortorget. The Grand Square. To the left, Schantzska huset. Built in 1650. And next to it, the older, Seyfridtzska huset, from around 1520. There have been markets on this square for just over 500 years, and I have shown you the last two Christmas Markets here. You will also find the Nobel museum at the square. And usually a lot of tourists. I shot this as a panorama with my Canon 77D, using the 60mm lens. I "cleaned" it up a bit by removing a wire. I am yet to try the coffee from Zoéga. I bought it on the same day as I took the photo.

Four scenes from the old town

Four street scenes from the old town. I did a full circle. Started my walk at the Royal Palace and ended it at the palace. I spotted the girl dressed for Winter outside the Nobel museum, totally in her own world. The Hot Chocolate café at Stortorget is always a big his with visiting tourists. I came across the two school girls a few times during my promenade, they stopped at every shop window. The two guys carrying some sort of equipment noticed me as I lifted the camera.

Kunskapsskolan

The Knowledge School. Also known as Kunskapsgymnasiet. A secondary school located at Arenavägen in Johaneshov, close to the Globe Arena. I don't really know anything about the building. Í shot this as a panorama, it is eight photos stitched together.

Lugnets Terrass

Four more reflection photos from my recent visit to Sickla. Technically this is in Nacka, a neighboring municipality to Stockholm. But all part of Hammarby Sjöstad. The church that you can see in two of the shots is Sofia kyrka that sits on top of a hill on Södermalm in Stockholm. I took these photos from the terrace where I photographed the birds out on the ice.