Portal

Classy portal at Kungsträdgårdsgatan. The building was once the headquarters for a company called Gamla Jernkontoret. Designed by the architect Axel Kumlien. Today you will find a bank here. SEB, I biked past it on a sunny day in May of last year when Greta and her friends were protesting about the bank's involvement with the fossil fuel industry. At the time, they claimed that SEB was the worst bank in the country when it came to protecting the environment. Most likely that have not changed.

A glowing blue heart for Christmas

At the Folksam building at Skanstull. The blue heart will be seen there until mid-January, I think. Last year it was a glowing pink heart here.

A Pippi Longstocking Christmas

A closer look at the annual Christmas display at Nordiska Kompaniet in Stockholm. The theme this year is Pippi Långstrump. Also known as Pippi Longstocking. A favourite among all kids since the first book by Astrid Lindgren was published all those years ago. Every window shows a famous scene from the books, and or movies about Pippi. And they all came with a quote. The first one is from the author herself. I write for the child within me. In the second scene, Pippi says: Please may I have thirty-six pounds of sweets. Next, Pippi is quoted saying: I have never tried that before, so I think I should definitely be able to do that. And in the fourth and last window, Pippi informs us that if you are very strong, you must also be very kind.

Hands 2 Ocean

There is a volunteer non-profit organization that work under the name Hands 2 Ocean. Previous name, Rena Mälaren. Founded by Fredrik Johansson. Their goal is to retrieve waste from the seabed of Lake Mälaren in and around Stockholm. And now also at many other places around Sweden. They use experienced divers that will locate e-scooters and everything else that have been dumped in the water. They have been doing it for quite a few years now, using around 300 volunteers. The divers tie a rope around their find and then another group of volunteers on dry land, so-called rope pullers, will finish the clean-up job. I found these e-scooters at Skeppsholmen a few days ago. Next to them were a sign explaining how they work.

Rutschkana

Swedish word of the day. Rutschkana. At Moderna museet on Skeppsholmen. Stockholm Slides by Carsten Höller. It consists of two parallel slides, 39 meters long. Eight photos stitched together, snapped with the mirrorless Canon and the vILTROX 85MM LENS.

Julgran

For a few years it was the biggest Christmas tree in the world. Usually around 35 meters high. I remember pointing that out on a photo, hoping that someone would protest, and of course they did. Anyway, this is a tradition started by the late Jan Stenbeck. He looked out his office window one Winter day and figured that a big "Julgran" would look nice at Skeppsbrokajen. In the background, teaterskeppet. The theatre ship. And in the second photo the same Christmas tree and also the building from where Stenbeck used to sit and look at the tree. It is the first building from the left. That photo taken from Skeppsholmen.

Storkyrkobrinken 3

From a recent walk through the Old Town, or Gamla stan as we like to call it, where I focused my cameras on doors and windows, as one does. The name of this building is Hippomenes 5. From 1640. Built for Hans Weiler who worked with gold and silver. The golden crown dates back to 1693 when Apoteket Kronan opened here. I photographed this as a vertical panorama, so this is three photos stitched together, taken with the mirrorless Canon using the 85 mm lens. I stood up against the wall on the other side of the alley, and two tourists were kind enough to wait for me to finish shooting.

Street Scenes

Street scenes from a recent promenade in Stockholm. Top photo shows a group of men enjoying some strong beverages inside a Christmas feature near Sergels torg. Next, a couple trying their best to manage a recent purchase from a store at Kungsgatan. In the third photo a high sculpture at Stureplan, it is called Höken och duvan, the hawk and the pigeon. Next more Christmas installations, this time at Birger Jarlsgatan. More happy shoppers in the fifth photo, waiting for their ride home outside the Elgiganten store at Kungsgatan.We finish with a police officer and his posse crossing the street outside City Hall. I almost stopped him to ask if they had found my stolen ebike that I had parked just behind him on that sunny Summer day a while back now.

Nytorgsgatan 5

One of the smallest buildings in Stockholm. Nytorgsgatan 5 at Katarina on Södermalm. From 1730. It started to rain as I took the photo so I cut my photo promenade short.

Stop Forced Organ Harvesting

A protest outside the Royal Palace at Mynttorget. More info here.

A day at the market

A second bunch of photos from the Old Town Christmas market at Stortorget. I had two cameras with me and these were the snaps I took with the mirrorless Canon. The two photographers were busy photographing the architecture. The women in the last photo made me chuckle a bit as they were sitting there doomscrolling instead of joining the real world. The classic Halmbock has an interesting story.

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.

Vevslup

Cycling home from Stockholm, I often stop at the square known as Södermalmstorg. A good place to recharge the batteries with something to eat and drink and to look at the views of course, especially towards the Old Town. What you see here this Christmas season is a "Vevslup". A type of boat used to ferry people between the many islands in and around the city for quite a few years back in the day. All operated by very strong women, known as roddarmadamer, rower women. This one glows nicely in the dark, so I will have to come back later in the day for another photo.

Beware of the dog

Theme Day. Furry things.

At the ice rink

Five photos from the ice skating rink at the King's Garden, or Kungsträdgården as we like to call it. It can be a very busy place. The green-gloved guy looked like he wanted to be the next Steven Bradbury. The others all looked like they were out on the ice for the first time. The OOOSSS burgers are supposedly very good, and I'm sure the Bradbury wannabe needed one after his workout.

Slava Ukraini

Nordic Ukraine Forum. Sergels Torg. That is the happiest photographer I have ever seen. There is a meeting here once a week. A man was standing on the stairs giving a speech in Ukranian. And just as I took the photo he said something about Putin, and people started laughing.

Pippi Longstocking

I decided to check out the annual Christmas window display at Nordiska Kompaniet at Hamngatan. I knew that it would be hard to get any clean shots, so I took a few snaps from across the street, and they all looked like this one. People everywhere. I think there are six display windows. The theme this year seems to be Pippi Longstocking. This photo is from last Sunday, but I was there again today, and it was even more people and chances are that it will be the same for the next month.

A day at the market

Been a while since my last visit to the weekly flea market at Hötorget. A bit chilly. Maybe 5C. But quite busy, still.

STHLM City Food Hall

Apparently, so good, they named it twice. A food hall at Klarabergsgatan. Never been inside, but a Flickr contact said that it was well worth a visit just walking through it.