Feeling a bit out of focus

Colorful lights on a ferry at Skeppsbrokajen. Across the street from the Royal Palace, which was my next stop.

Tre Valv

I had other plans, but it started to rain, so I parked the bike and went for another walk through the old town where Christmas is in full swing. This was the entrance at the square Järntorget to the restaurant Tre Valv. Lots of history in all the places here.

Should we arrest him?

Strolling around Stureplan in Stockholm. I photographed a few shop windows, people queueing for free coffee, Christmas decorations and then the mounted police. The female officer closed here eyes when she first noticed me.

Egglestonesque?

A while back, Greg, the old sock, posted a photo with what I found to be a weird hashtag. Democratic photography. I had no idea what that meant, so he had to explain it. It had everything to do with the American photographer William Eggleston, and it was not anything political, which was my first thought. Anywho, out walking in the rain at Skeppsbrokajen, in the old town yesterday, I thought this looked a little Egglestonesque.

Waiting for the bus

The bus stop at Hötorget, along Kungsgatan. This bus stop is often used for fun advertising campaigns. Now used by Clas Ohlson. So weird, I recognize both women here, but I can't say where from. Politics and publishing possibly.

Heading home

Cycling home from Stockholm one day last week, I took a shortcut, and stopped by the beach at Hökarängsbadet. It was just me and a flock of birds down by the water at Lake Drevviken as I took the photo with the moon over Sköndal. One hour later I was at Nederstaleden where a bike path follows the railroad between Västerhaninge and Krigslida. I took the third photo at another bike path, this one at Stav. The red house at Mulsta often looks nice in the dark. I took the last photo where that bike path ends, at Lillgården with the new row houses and the Jensen school.

Two photographers

Two photos from a recent walk at Sergelgatan in central Stockholm. It ends at the big square Hötorget where I take all the flea market photos. And it starts near Sergels torg. The street was the first ever pedestrian only street in the country. It is lined on one side by five high-rise buildings that I have showed you before, and the photographer in the second photo is zooming in on one of those buildings. The guy in the first photo is busy snapping away at a sculpture called Sergelminnet. Two hundred and fifty years ago, there stood a metal foundry here. The sculpture, made by Göran Strååt, shows the sculptor Johan Tobias Sergel working on a sculpture. The building was demolished back in the 1950s to make way for the high-rises.

Like a mirage

Som en hägring. By Lap-See Lam, a Stockholm based artist. "It represents a dreamy interpretation of the place's history and future. As a mirage carries a strong symbolism and reflects on urban transformation and how we perceive public space. It consists of several layers and dimensions that visually merge with the site's surroundings and its historical context, while at the same time inviting reflection on the passage of time and our relationship to the city". Located at Karl Otto Bonniers plats at Torsgatan, across the street from Bonniers konsthall.

Pink fixie

Parking my ebike At Nya Karolinska a while back, I noticed the pink fixie, and the light was so good that I had to take a photo.

Window shopping

Out walking in the November dark. This is a lamp store at Fridhemsplan in Stockholm called Ljushuset.

What the...

Bonniers konsthall.

HICAMS

Karolinska’s Intensive Care Helicopter. Helicopter Intensive Care Medical Service, or HICAMS, landing at Nya Karolinska. It is an AgustaWestland AW139. I was out walking at the campus when I heard the helicopter so I just lifted the mirrorless and took a few quick snaps.

Glashuset

The curtain wall building at Katarinavägen on Södermalm in Stockholm. Designed by Jan Lunding in the 1970s. The lights are always on, btw. Renovated 20 years ago by BSK Arkitekter and Lunding.

Snooker anyone?

Biljardplatset. A classic snooker place at St:Eriksgatan since 1963. They are open 363 days of the year. You can play all sorts of games here. They also serve food and drinks. And if you are a real nerd you can check out their live-streaming YouTube channel which I am yet to try. I used to play biljard, as we call it, but that was many years ago now. I remember a mishap with a friend's pool cue that cost me some money. Anyway I took this photo while out snapping evening photos so expect a few more in the coming days.

Blokart

The speed of this thing. Took me a while to jump off the bike and get the camera ready. He was racing at Gärdet and gave me a big smile when he spotted the camera. Oh, and the current Blokart land speed record is 125 km/h.

Noa's Dance

A fun sculpture at the Trygg-Hansa building on Kungsholmen. Two fat and naked people dancing away. The couple have been dancing there for half a century by now. Made by Lasse Trollberg.

The Red House

Usually ranks very high on different lists from around the world when it comes to the best places to enjoy a drink or two. The world's 50 best. Röda Huset at Malmskillnadsgatan in Stockholm.

Sporting venues

I still have a few photos to show you from my hike up to the top of the ski hill, Hammarbybacken. And I have actually been up there again, but here are two photos from my previous hike. It is the same view, but I stopped several times on my way up for photos, because why not. They show two sport venues at Johanneshov. The Tele2 Arena is used for football and concerts. Its original name was Stockholmsarenan. The Stockholm Arena, but as sponsors are willing to pay for a name stadium these days, it got a new name. But, just weeks from now, they will change that name to 3Arena. You might remember that I took a night photo a few days ago of the 3 Headquarter building, just across the road from the sport venues. The other arena is Globen. Built back in the late 1980s. But it also changed its name not too long ago, but for a completely different reason. It is today known as Avicii Arena. After the late Tim Bergling.

Old town photo promenade

Time for another walk through the old town. A bit quieter this time of the year. We start at Själagårdsgatan where a hopefull store owner shows off some items for sale. Next, probably the only apartment with a balcony in one of the alleyways. Located at Tyska skolgränd. The woman who lives there, Anna, loves her pelargoniums. She is a bit shy so she never uses the balcony during the tourist hours. In the third photo a facade at the Kornhamnstorg square, close to the water. Quite the story to the fourth photo. A few centuries ago if you were out drinking in the old town you might have visited Källaren Fimmelstång, a popular tavern back in the day. One man who did that in 1674 was the poet Lasse Lucidor. He was out with a few drinking buddies, and he was in a terrible mood. When Lucidor refused to drink mumma with Arvid Christian Storm, Storm challenged him to a duel and promptly killed Lucidor with his court sword. I photographed the unlucky poet's grave a few years ago. If you have a question about any other photo, fire away!

Swedish Society for Nature Conservation

Two thousand forest-associated species remain on Sweden's red-list. And you can see a few of them here, from a window at a facade on Kungsgatan, near Stureplan in Stockholm.

Strike a pose

Walking over Stureplan a while back I noticed a photo shoot in progress so I moved in for a few photos.

Crescent moon

Cycling home on Thursday afternoon in the pitch dark, I stopped on the bike path at the 700-year-old Nedersta farm for a photo of the moon over the trees. And then a couple of minutes later I stopped on another bike path close to the preschool Lilla Lillgården at Stav in Tunelsta for a another moon photo.

A misty morning at Mosebacke

Six photos taken from Mosebacke, high up on Södermalm one recent misty morning. In the first photo, you can see Af Chapman. Today a hostel, moored at Skeppsholmen. Next, Kastellholmen. With the amusement park Gröna Lund on Djurgården in the background. In the third photo, I focused on the cupola on the Sjömansinstitutet building at Slussen. Originally used by a train company that had a station in that building, hence the weather vane. One hundred years ago, a famous artist couple had their studio at the top floor in that building. In the fourth photo, one of the Djurgården ferries crossing Saltsjön. Next, the Nordic museum at Djurgården. We finish with a few colorful lightbulbs.

Lagerbaren

Around 4C. Getting dark. Skanstull on Södermalm in Stockholm. A few people deciding to spend some time at Lagerbaren. A sportsbar, also known for it's Indian food and vegetarian dishes, as well as the Bitburger beer of course.