Snaps from a lake (with a long rant)

The plan was to bike into the city. Meet a friend for a walk around Årstaviken on Södermalm. My friend would probably take the commuter from Handen. But I got another flat tire and had to stop at Klockelund. Called my friend. He arrived in his car. So we put the bike in the car and then spent quite some time trying to find parking before the walk around the Årstaviken bay. Turned out to be impossible. My friends blood pressure went up as he started screaming at the evil world. So we figured lets walk around lake Flaten instead, or even better Ältasjön where we had never been before. So that is what we did. Turned out to be a much longer walk than we expected after looking at the map. The first half of the walk close to the water and through the forest was great. But the last half was not as we walked through an area with houses and what have you, so my friends blood pressure rose again. The word älta means that you go over the same negative thoughts over and over again, which was what my friend really did. Which I happily told him a few times during the 10 km walk. Also, he had some issues with his back which didn't help. But back at the car nearly two hours later his back problems were gone, and he was feeling fine again, and I got a ride home, which was nice.

A Summer Collage

I often lift the camera while out doing street photography knowing that the photo I just took might end up in a collage. These collages usually come from the same day, but it is not a rule. This is a mix with snaps from around Stockholm on a sunny Summer day. I spotted the girl on the e-scooter at Skeppsbron while on the phone with my brother who was out walking in Barcelona. The impressive facade can be seen at Stureplan, a rather posh area. Walking along Biblioteksgatan I noticed several give-aways. Coffee and soft drinks I think. Also, a snap from Norrmalmstorg, a famous square, and people on the grass at Berzelii park. And more.

May Evening Walk

A very gloomy day. Took an early evening walk with my buddy Hasse at the Häringe-Hammersta nature reserve, around Bobäcken. Because of the weather, a light drizzle that ended and maybe 8C we decided on a short walk, just over 5K. Started at a place were we had a BBQ a few years ago. A nice promenade through an area with many old oaks (the oldest one a natural monument), close to a little lake and the Baltic Sea, and past a horse pasture, stables and farm buildings.

BBQ at Käringboda

Maybe 8C, not counting the wind chill factor on this day. Me and two of my BBQ buddies, Jujja and Hasse drove down to the Käringboda nature reserve in Nynäshamn. When we past through there the day before, 20 people were barbecuing down by the water, but on this day it was just us. As per usual we ate way too many grilled sausages, but hey you only live once.

At the market

I visited the farmers market/Christmas market at Katarina bangata over the weekend. Nice day,7C so it was a nice bike ride to and from Stockholm.

2025 Winter Count

My 16th Winter Count. The mid-January photo is a bit different because there's nothing in it that says Winter, it is a view over Riddarholmen from Monteliusvägen at Mariaberget. We had a school shooting in February. Eleven people died, including the shooter. This photo shows flags at half-mast at the Royal Palace the day after that horrible incident. In March, I obviously ate a semla during Fat Tuesday. I got a virus in April and was out of action for two weeks. So I missed most of the Cherry Blossom mania, but managed to visit Kungsträdgården at the end of that frenzy. Sköna maj. Everyone's favorite month. When all the colors returns. Somenone stole my eBike in June. A bigger blow than I had ever expected. Quite a few walks with camera through the old town this year, snapping away at tourists. I checked out two classic car meets in August. This one is from Sveavägen. Sure was a fine Autumn day in September when I took this candid photo of a happy woman at Vattentorget. Can't have a Winter Count without a photo of That Old Tree. I took a few night shots as we entered the 100 Days of darkness. We finish with a photo from the Nobel Lights Week.

Old Town Christmas Market

I visited the Christmas market at Stortorget in the Old Town. There have been markets here for more than 700 years. I was there quite early, hoping to beat the crowds, which of course didn't work. But I had a feeling that it would be very crowded and hard to get the clean street photo shots that I prefer, so I brought with me a wide-angle lens which will chock James Wei, but there we go. I did take with me the mirrorless camera as well, but I am yet to go through those photos. Anyway, you could enjoy glögg, candy, hot dogs, hot chocolate or shop for hats, Dala horses, different beverages and much more, which everyone but me did.

Waiting for the King & Queen

I was stopped by armed police as I tried to bike my way through Skeppsbrokajen at the Royal Palace. It was the day of the opening of the Riksdag and the King and Queen left the Palace in the old horse-drawn carriage for the very short ride to the Parliament House at Helgeandsholmen. So I figured I could stay and take a few photos for a Royal Collage.

Movie set

I walked in on a movie set: the US President (woman in blue), arrives at City Hall with her bodyguards, escorted by the Swedish police. She steps out of her car. Waves to the onlookers and walks into the courtyard, towards the stairs. Protesters from an environmental organization are also there. Suddenly, a few of them break through the safety barriers, and the police try to stop them as the President is ushered up the stairs. Fun to watch. It was me and many international tourists.

Ten Summer Collages

A trick I often use when out shooting in and around Stockholm is to take photos that I know that I will use in a collage. It works as a good reminder to me about what I was doing and seeing on that particular day. So here are ten such collages from this Summer. A lot of street photos of course as that is what I enjoy most when it comes to photography. Walks through the old town, Norrmalm, That ski hill and more.

Kornhamnstorg

I parked the bike and went for a walk around Kornhamnstorg. Sure was a nice day for it. I decided to shoot street photos for a collage, so I needed 12 or 16 photos. I have done a few hundred of these collages by now. Sort of addicted to it, I guess. Lots of people out and about, including ice hockey fans and a young angler. The lone girl was waiting for her boyfriend. The many benches at the square are very popular with tired tourists who need their rest after walking through the old town alleyways. I often use them myself.

A recent photo collage

I have done a few hundred of these by now. Mostly for myself. If I look at them, I will remember that specific day, or sometimes days. A good way to show what I was up to on that occasion. Here I was out photographing flags at half-mast after that horrible school shooting, before a quick stop at Kungsträdgården where I shot a panorama of the Chinese New Year installation. I then biked over to Hagastaden for a look at all the new architecture there. Then, a quick stop on Södermalm for a photo of the Strato building. My last stop was at Lake Drevviken during the blue hour. All in all, a good day of photography.

Stentroll 2024

This was a bit different. A stone lifting contest at Tantolunden. The stones weighed from 75 kilos, up to over 105 I think. You had to lift all four, but during my stay no one was able to do that. There were a few close calls and a some spectators were upset when one guy missed by a few hundreds of a second. There were more moments to the contest, one where you had to lift up a stone and walk with it, but I missed that as I only stayed for 20 minutes. Still, fun to watch.

Nice day for it

I decided to check out the annual Sjöstadsdagen at Luma in Hammarby Sjöstad. A fine Summer day. Lots of street food. And flea markets. This used to be an industrial area and I remember visiting here back then, when I worked at an industrial company on Södermalm. All that industry is gone today, replaced with modern apartments, and many of the 25000 people living here, mostly young families were present during the festivities. There were a few stages with performances, but only checked out this area at Luma.

Long story

I leave a comment on a police portrait photo on Facebook in a Stockholm group, while resting on a bench at Vattentorget in the Old Town, because I have also photographed that police while he was out on his Segway. Hasse, (the coffee drinking Chef), makes a funny comment on that photo, we don't know the photographer in question btw. An hour later, I respond while sitting on another bench, this time at the Skogskyrkogården cemetery. I also ask Hasse if his grill is up and running. He lies, and says yes. In reality, he has just sat down in the garden at Lövhagen in Nynäshamn, where he is enjoying something to eat and drink. So I call him, and I tell him that I am hungry, and that a BBQ at his place in Norrby would be nice. It has been three years since. I am a forty-minute bike ride out, I say. It is the same for him, although in car terms. So we decide to do it, despite it being a weekday afternoon, because the weather is amazing. I inform the third party, Jujja, before riding towards Villa Blåmes. Two hours later, we are eating. And drinking. We also talk to the very old cat. I drink at least three whiskey and cognac drinks too many. Both Hasse and I enjoy ice cream with cloud berries after the very heavy dinner, as he got three kilos of the expensive berries from a friend up North for free. Jujja can't eat any ice cream, he is already full, and a little later he makes his way to the bus stop for the ride home. I stick around for that last whiskey, before riding home the last 15 km in the warm Summer evening. Let's just forget about the horrible hangover I had the following day, okay?

Haymarket

A few more scenes from the flea market at Hötorget. It was a quiet affair because of the rain warning, but that has never stopped me, so here are two collages with 32 photos from the event. And a bonus portrait of two of the three analog shooters I met. The third one was photo shy, but you can spot him in the first collage. Originally from Malaysia but today living in Sweden, and he mentioned that he did a lot of prints. The guy standing next to Frantisim arrived without a camera. Unheard of! But he was shopping for lenses. I am useless with names, so let's just call him Mikael. Oh, and hurrah, the new router is currently up and running.

Another day, another walk, you know it!

A phrase used by Daniel, a Dutch YouTuber living in Stockholm. I found his YouTube channel three years ago. That day, I had been out walking with a friend. We made our way around Lake Magelungen and when I got back home I Googled the lake looking for a few facts and by doing so I stumbled upon Lets Walk Around Stockholm. A walking channel where Daniel walks and talks as he makes his way around Stockholm and the suburbs. He had just uploaded his walk from the same lake, which I thought was a fun coincidence, so I left a comment about that and started watching his channel. Always fun to see what other people see and focus on while walking the streets of Stockholm. I took these sixteen photos two days ago, they are from Drottningatan. Gamla brogatan. Östermalm, Blasieholmen, Kungsgatan and Slussen.

BBQ at Villa Blåmes

Three of the usual suspects decided that it was time for a BBQ at Villa Blåmes at 1700 hours yesterday afternoon, on what was probably the warmest day of the year. Two of the three suspects were there on time. The third, Jujja, had to be tracked down with a phone call as he was still at home waiting to be picked up and driven to the BBQ in a BMW, after claiming not to have promised to take his bike the short bike ride to Norrby. Twenty minutes later, the three suspects were finally gathered out on the veranda eating everything they could find, and then some. After the very tasty dinner followed two hours of ice cream eating, coffee sipping, cognac drinking and story telling, before Jujja decided that it was time to ride the bus back home. Half an hour after that, I jumped on my bike and pedaled for home. A decision was also made about a sunrise visit to a lookout point in the next week or so.

Warmest day of the year

Cycling home on Monday afternoon, I stopped at Munkbroleden for a bite to eat and some photos of fellow cyclists. It was the warmest day of the year, so far, with 25C. I might wave to them the next time. Most of the cyclists seemed okay with the photographer. One woman hid her face and one guy looked away, so I deleted those photos. I just like the different bikes and how people dress. I was in a t-shirt, shorts and a baseball cap. Oh, and as I made the collage I noticed that most of the cyclist were wearing helmets.

Another street collage

The weather is still playing tricks with me so here is another collage with sixteen recent Stockholm images. A couple of snaps from my second sitting at the statue of the old King when I did the panning project.Three photos of people at different pedestrian crossings including one at Skeppsbron where a woman on an escooter decided not to see the stoplight. A statue at Kornhamnstorg. People at a bus-stop at Vasagatan. A plane heading for the airport, just before it disappears behind the great church in the Old Town. A woman waiting for customers at a fast food stall. Asian tourist snapping away towards Mariaberget. People out walking at Tegelbacken. Two workers enjoying lunch out on a fancy balcony. A few photos from Kungsträdgården. And one snap towards Slussen, the never ending construction site.