A room with a view

Best Western Hotel at 108. Newish hotel at Sveavägen in Stockholm, just across the street from The Public Library. A bit of a controversy here a couple of years ago as the owner Richard Ghneim decided without permission to construct rooms underground. Also, a Taco Bar here if you like that sort of thing. The building dates back to 1907, the architect was Andreas Gustaf Sällström. Back then it was a public bath with two swimming pools here. It was known as Sveabadet. Oh, and the view thing. From the hotel you have a good view over the Observatorielunden. And photos from there to come, stay tuned.

November Light

Walking through the garden at Stockholm city hall on a November afternoon. Parts of the garden is currently closed off because of some sort of work, so I aimed the Canon at some of the visitors. You often see people looking up here as there is a lot of old and interesting paintwork to behold. The stone bench up against the wall is always a good place for some light reading.

A November Feeling

There was a time when I often used a shortcut through a nature reserve in Jordbro on my way to a few photogenic places in Haninge. Sometimes I would park the bike on the path and walk up to the top of this hill at Snörom. Which looks a bit more inviting during spring and summer. Back when they still had the annual art promenade at the Kyrkskolan art gallery, I would often head that way. On one such visit, one of the artists gave me a print with this scene. It was an old painting that she had done before they built the motorway to Stockholm. I shot this photo from the other side of said motorway while out on the ebike.

Hitler&Putin

Walking past the weekly protest at Sergels torg I stopped for a few photos. People were gathering on the famous square, and I thought this man with his sign said all that needed to be said.

Holding up the globe

One of the buildings along the old quay, Skeppsbron in Gamla stan. Just over a century old. It replaced an older building. Designed by the architect firm Hagström&Ekman, it features a globe on top of the tented roof. Most likely two daughters to that guy Atlas. Bit of a soft touch I think. Theme Day. Soft.

Teletornet

The communication tower at Farsta is ninety meters high. It was constructed back in the 1960s for Televerket at the company's headquarters. Telia moved out from the area in 2016. Now Rikshem and Ikano are rebuilding the area to apartments, and they decided to tear down the old tower. A change from a previous statement when they promised to save the landmark tower, but I guess money talks. The work starts tomorrow, and will be finished by Christmas. The last explanation I saw said something like "the shadow from the tower makes it hard to build new apartments here". As I took the photo a man out walking stopped and said that it was a "helgerån"(sacrilege), tearing down the tower, and I agreed with him.

View from a bridge

I stopped by the nature park Slätmossen in Handen yesterday. As I was shooting this photo from the bridge at one of the two ponds in the park, another photographer walked by. He was out walking his dog. He asked me if I had been here earlier when the Autumn colors really peaked, and I told him, yes.

Vita Bergen

Four photos from an Autumn walk at Vita bergen on Södermalm. Back when these old houses were new, this was a very poor area of Stockholm, which is hard to believe today. This is part of Vita bergen. The White Mountains. The Sofia church sits on top of the hill and can be seen from many places around, and outside the city. I have shown you a few photos from this area before, and as it is a favorite part of Stockholm, chances are there will be more of the same in the future. The buildings up here are today renovated and owned by the city. The queuing time to get an apartment here is too long, so don't even think about it, okay?

The Loch Rudan Monster?

Out walking along the sandy beach at Övre Rudasjön on a glorious Autumn day.

Hornsgatan

I shot these two photos from "Hornsgatspuckeln". Just a few blocks away from the glass facade in yesterday's post.This is typically how they built apartment buildings in Stockholm back in the day.

Glashuset

Only looking at the top photo you would say, that this must be a modern building with that cool glass facade, right? Then, seeing the second photo, you would ask yourself, hey, what is going on here? This building is interesting, as they say. A 44-room hotel at Wollmar Yxkullsgatan, near Mariatorget on Södermalm. The building permit alone took thirteen years. It is an old building, but with a new facade. The bar at the hotel claim that the flooring is 1 900 000 000-year-old, give or take. The owner, Per Hellsten now have five hotels in Stockholm. All in old buildings, and all said to have unique rooms. Designed by the architects Fredric Benesch and Katarina Lundeberg.If you would like to see more, check out their web site.

RIP RAP 2022

Spotted on a door at Wollmar Yxkullsgatan on Södermalm. At a first look I only recognized one of the sadly departed. Michael K Williams an actor I really enjoyed, both in The Wire and in Hap and Leonard.

Fishing Event

There was a fishing event at Nedre Rudasjön in Handen, over the weekend. I don't fish myself, but I have met and photographed the guy that usually organizes these events, so whenever he posts anything on Facebook I will see it. So I decided to check it out. I did a quick count and I spotted maybe sixty people around the lake.

Besvärsbacken

Brännkyrkagatan at Mariaberget on Södermalm. This part of the street was known as Besvärsbacken, (nuisance hill). It is the steepest street in Stockholm, with an incline of 22 %. I have never even tried to ride my bike up or down here.

Hungry?

Yeah, sure, I could eat. Köttbullar it is. At the corner of Nytorgsgatan and Kocksgatan on Södermalm you will find this trendy eatery. The builing dates back to 1890. It was renovated and rebuilt in the mid 1980s. There are both stores, offices and apartments here.

Vildvin

If you walk over to the memorial grove at the Katarina cemetery and look across the street towards Östgötagatan, you can spot this facade. Covered with a climbing plant that we would like to call vildvin.

Anna Lindh

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anna Lindh's headstone at the Katarina cemetery on Södermalm. She was stabbed to death by Mijailo Mijailović at the NK department store back in 2003. She died at the hospital the following day.

Modern Day Handyman

I had just visited a park, shooting the Autumn colors. And had also taken a photo of a facade of an old apartment building, where today you will find a trendy restaurant. So seconds later, sitting on the bike, waiting at the stop light I had the camera ready when the handyman crossed the street on his skateboard.

Nedre Rudasjön

A few more photos from one of my visits to the Rudan nature reserve last week. You can get some pretty good reflection photos on a calm day. There are two lakes here, this is the lower lake, Nedre Rudasjön. This is where I often photograph the ice fishers.

Street Art

It was one of those days when I had to jump off the bike and take a photo of the temporary street art at the legal graffiti wall at Farsta.