The Gym

Times change. This was a church building up until a few years ago, today it houses a fitness center called iFORM. I have to confess to staying away from both churches and gyms as much as I possibly can. You can find it along Allévägen in Tungelsta. Photographed with my old canon 550 using the cheap Tamron zoom lens at 300mm.

Trottoar

Swedish word of the day. Trottoar. Construction of a sidewalk, (or pavement if you like), and a roundabout, by the construction company Turbinen along Stavsvägen at Lillgården in Tungelsta. The new living area is just to the right.

export.snowdrift.replacement

I tried unsuccessfully to find the address for this new apartment building at Lillgården in Tungelsta. When that didn't work I used the satellite view at what3words and came up with this. It is not totally accurate as the satellite images at both flickr and what3words are not up to date.

Beach Season Starts Again

Sure, it's still a few degrees below freezing and there's a pretty hard layer of snow covering the ground, but inst that the sun shining from a clear blue sky?

Winter Shortcut

New shortcut over the field at Lillgården. It will take you to and from the commuter station. There are plans to build what looks like a small city on the field, so a year from now this could be a busy building site.

That Old Tree

This was an interesting day. If you blinked the weather changed. From sunny to snowing. From a cloudy sky to a blue sky. From calm to windy, (ish). One minute it was warm, then bitterly cold, at least that was my experience during my promenade to the old tree. We normally call that April weather.

Babushka Dolls

Not having any photo inspiration at all I tried my luck at photo stacking a while back, and what better than using Russian stacking dolls. This was six photos where i moved the focus a little after every photos before stacking them in PS.

Birdhouse

Snowy birdhouse at Hagavägen in Tungelsta. As I'm typing this it is a bit warmer, around 0C, ice everywhere and it started to snow again a little over one hour ago.

Snowy Road

Bus 835 photographed during a recent snow storm. In the background the old stationhouse at the commuter station in Tungelsta. I'm running out on photos now so I need to go out and shoot something new tomorrow. Looking at the weather forecast it says gray skies and crap weather for the next ten days.

Hammar in Winter

The Hammar estate at Allévägen in Tungelsta. Built by Frans Gustaf Upmark two hundred years ago. The same family still owns it today. I will often see and chat with the current owner, Charlotte when she's out on her daily promenade.

Herr Gårman

Mr.Walkman. Road sign for a pedestrian crossing. Herr Gårman is a word pun. It is a name and when you say it out loud it sounds like You Walk Here. The feminist movement were of course very upset about the lack of a female sign so now we have a Mrs.Walkman, Fru Gårman, in a skirt, but the word pun doesn't work there. This Mr.Walkman that stands outside the retirement home in Lillgården have been hit my a car.

Snow measurement

One way to measure the amount of snow. Last time I did that here at Hagavägen 22 in Tungelsta they had a green mail box.

Snow Poncho

Ivar Lo-Johansson in his Winter outfit.

Gul&Blå

When I was a kid Gul&Blå was a very popular jeans brand. But I never owned a pair, I was more of a Wrangler kid. Gul&Blå means Yellow&Blue, which is a good title for this photo. The yellow letterbox is for national mail and the blue for local. As seen outside the kiosk near the Tungelsta commuter station a couple of days ago.

Weather Update

The traffic sign for Road Work Ahead and a lot of snow made for a good Winter photo. As seen at the new park in Tungelsta few snowy days ago.

Hmm some odd numbers here

As seen at the new row houses along Lillgårdsvägen, where the first families have now moved in.

Orange Crescent

Great bike. But I wouldn't ride it wearing sneakers when it's -12C and snowing. As seen along Allévägen in Tungelsta earlier in the week.

Summer is still a long way away

If you have ever met a Swede, you know that we really like to talk about the weather. And that we really really love the Swedish Summer. Here's why.

Winter in Sweden

-12C and snow falling from the sky. It was good to have a water-resistant camera. This is a house at Fornminnesvägen in Tungelsta.

The joy of Winter

-12C and a lot of snowing. The message from the Swedish transport administration was clear. Leave your vehicle at home. Don't drive in this weather unless you really have to. In my area two of the busier roads, Väg73 and Väg 225, was closed for heavy traffic all day. And there were accidents happening everywhere. This poor Volvo was parked along the Tungelstavägen. The owner no where to be found. More info about the weather at The Local.

Bolinder's Convenient Store

Back in the 1950s that yellow building at Kvarnvägen in Tungelsta was a convenient store. It was called Bolinders, after the owner. It's been a private residence for as long as I have been on the planet, (more than half a century). I took the photo from the 20 meter high hill at home. A photo from way back when would have shown a number of greenhouses where you today can see the newer buildings. The white building to the left is a retirement home named after the gardener "Ros-Anders". The apartment buildings to the right also have his name. They are called Rosgården, or the rose garden. They were build back in 1984. Ros-Anders, along with my great grandfather J.F. Jansson was the first two gardeners to set up shop in Tungelsta a century ago. They were followed by many more, and back when Bolinder's were still in business, Tungelsta was famous for the many greenhouse nurseries, (more than 100 family operated nurseries). Today maybe five are still open.

Takstege

I always have one eye open for details. Like here. The new row houses at Lillgården. I noticed this roof ladder a while back and figured it would make for a good photo, so the next time I was there I snapped this photo.

The Cleaner

A cleaner from reneriet doing his job at the new glasshouse waiting area at the Tungelsta commuter station.

Fiskfjäll

Detail from the Century old station-house in Tungelsta. The wooden panelling used here is called called Fiskfjäll. The building was designed by the famous architect Ferdinand Boberg. Today there's a handicraft boutique here, but the old train dispatcher still lives in an apartment on the second floor with his wife.

No Washing Machine

Funny how places change. I remember walking along the path here just a few years ago. Back then this was just a green field. I stopped at a ditch and took a photo of a dumped washing machine that was lying next to the common hog-weed. And that is of course the second photo.

Abstract Snow

Don't need too many words here.

Behind the fence

A fence at the Tungelsta commuter station, running along the Nynäsbanan tracks. In the background an empty field at Lillgården that will be gone soon and behind that the newish retirement home run by Attendo.

You can't park here

I have a friend, no name, (Jim Engström), who has a OCD-thing going for how badly motorists park their cars and it looks like I'm coming down with that exact problem. Spotted the Postnord Fiat parked at the walkway outside the dentist at Ankaret in Tungelsta yesterday.

The bookmobile

Designed by the artist Kristoffer Zetterstrand, the bookmobile have been out on the Haninge roads for quite a few years now. Didn't see the driver when I spotted the bookmobile in Tungelsta yesterday, but usually it would be Pia Andersson Wredlert behind the wheel.

Svin-Kalles Affär

The pub, (and pizza place), in Tungelsta. Today called Vaskos. The first owner of the house was Svante Vitus Carlsson, locally known as Svin-Kalle. It is said that the big building that was a convenient store for many years was moved to it's current location near the commuter station from the village of Fors, a few kilometres away, a little over a century ago. Local historians have tried unsuccessfully so far to find any real evidence of the move. The reason for the possible move was the new railway line Nynäsbanan that opened for traffic here back in 1901.

Balcony, or no balcony

That is the question. The new Brf Blicken high-rise in central Handen, still under construction.

Winter Diptych

Haven't done one of these for a while. Left side of the diptych, without the snow is from the third of January of this year. Right side from seventeenth of January. This is still a busy construction site so no one has moved in here yet. Both photos shot with the same lens and camera.

The Dancing Building

The reflection in the dancing building at Rudsjöterrassen in Handen has changed quite a bit since I last was here with a camera. The big office building near the commuter station has undergone a big renovation, and has a new color.

Klotter

Swedish word of the day. Klotter. As seen at Välsta while back.

White on White

Christina's place seen from the Krigslida commuter station.

Fat Tuesday

Finally. Fat Tuesday is here and all real Swedes enjoy a Semla.

Anläggningsbil

Swedish word of the day. Anläggningsbil. Dump truck. From Lillgården in Tungelsta. A second roundabout is under construction here along Stavsvägen next to the new row houses and apartment complexes. I took the photo from the new walkway that crosses the big field at Lillhammar.

Not going out

This is Tindra. She got tired of living with the neighbours sixteen years ago so she moved in at my place. The neighbours had another cat,(her sister actually), and a very bad dog, Benny, a big old boxer. They are all gone today but Tindra is still with us. The neighbour, (who has a new dog these days), comes over with cat food every now and then, something Tindra seems to like. She comes and goes as she pleases. She is getting old now so she prefers sleeping indoors before patrolling the neighbourhood, especially during the long cold Winters. This Winter a big, and kind of dangerous looking cat have been seen at the veranda where Tindra hangs out with the local birds so she has stayed indoors a bit more over the last few months.

Through the Trees

Abandoned house at Lillhammar in Tungelsta. The last owner was an eccentric Norwegian. A few more photos and facts about the property and it's history in my Bremberg, Lillhammar set.

Up a tree

The birds are back. I'm starting to hear them sing here and there, which is a good sign. And the sun is shining again. You can actually feel the sun-rays on your face if you sit outside in the 3C temperature which I did today while rereading a Haruki Murakami novel.

1998 Camaro

I bought a new lens today. Nothing special, a very cheap zoom lens, the Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro, got it for 950SEK. This was the first photo I took with it. A 1998 Camaro. I chatted with the owner for a while, he asked me a few technical questions about photography. Then when I showed him a few flickr snaps from a car meet last year, he spotted a photo of his 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle. After that I took out the nifty fifty and shot a bokeh-panorama of his red Camaro. Tried my best to explain that technique while firing away at f/1.8.

Crepuscular ray

A recent sunset photographed from home. I noticed the ray, ran for the camera, snapped a few photos and then it was gone, obviously someone must have been beamed up.

Fact of the day

Sweden is currently, (national average), under 46 centimetre of snow. And today might be a national ice day, which means that it will be freezing in the whole country for 24 hours. Stay warm. Facts borrowed from SMHI.

Minimalism

Tiny window at one of the new row houses at Lillgården. If I had to guess I would say that this is a bathroom window. I noticed it the day they set up the building and have wanted to shoot a photo of it ever since. I like this sort of minimalism. The wall is green but I figured it would look better in black and white. If you are curious you can see the the building if you click here.

Traffic Sign

Narrow road sign. Or in Swedish. Varning för avsmalnande väg. At Stabergsvägen at the Nödesta farm. Had I panned the camera to the right you would have seen yesterdays view.

The Magnificent Tree

The magnificent tree on a not so magnificent Winter day in January. There used to be a barn here at the Nödesta farm next to the tree. It was 150 years old and I enjoyed seeing and photographing it on my walks in the area, sadly it collapsed a few winters ago and if you have a good memory you might remember seeing the photos of that.

Pendeltågsstation

Swedish word of the day. Pendeltågsstation. The commuter station in Tungelsta, photographed from the newish bridge.

Tired?

I don't know how tired she is, but it must be hard to go cross-country skiing without ski poles! As seen at the Rudan nature reserve a while back. Theme Day. Tired.