Summer is coming to an end. Kids return to school this week. Sunrise soon back at decent times. Chilly mornings. Looking forward to the autumn colours.
This summer has been fantastic. I had the time and opportunity to travel to Gotland twice. Hosting friends from Denmark. Sharing the scenic spots I have discovered in this corner of the planet since moving here 7 years ago. Entertaining kids, spending time with the family. Home decoration projects to shine up our home. Developing Gotlandia.
Let's hold on to summer just a little bit longer and remember the magic. I want to share some late summer moments and then my personal top three of Summer 2024. Finally I will share my personal best travel advice.
As always if not stated otherwise, all photos taken with an iPhone 15 by yours truly and copyright Frederik Jensen.
Late summer moments
Caught a few late summer moments lately that I want to share.
First driving along a scenic road around Bornsjön, Botkyrka. Fluffy little clouds drifting across a blue sky. We passed a field of red clover no doubt serviced by the nearby beehives. I stopped for us to take in the moment.
Later that day we went for a family hike on near empty trails. Bornsjön is a water reservoir in a nature preserve. Farmland and pastures abandoned for centuries in the hilly headlands. Next to a traditional wooden red house, a blooming meadow as a feast for pollinating insects captured my interest.
An appointment in the city centre took me to explore the urban landscape of Stockholm. A few blocks from the busy streets of the culture festival, I caught the sharp profiles of the 60ies high rise buildings against the fading evening sky. A lone electric scooter crossing a red light.
Top three photos
I was lucky to capture some really stunning shots to add to my portfolio this summer. My personal top three of Summer 2024 all come from Gotland. Needless to say, it’s a place I will return to.
Well actually, my very best shots of Summer 2024 are those of my family. Happy faces and tails. But I won't share these here.
Third place
Number 3 is this view of the Dalman Gate in the Visby city wall. Getting down low and waiting for the right moment without tourists and those fluffy little clouds. Checking proportions and angle several times to get it exactly right.
Second place
Almost too perfect to be great, this shot of the Visby Saint Mary's Cathedral wins second place on my top three of Summer 2024. There is a scenic walk along the inside of the city walls that take you past the cathedral at an elevated height. Getting there early on a sunny day and the church shines majestically white, red and black against the blue sky, surrounded by green leaves. This shot is taken a little further north than the usual scenic spot.
First place
My best shot of Summer 2024 is of the chapel at Kovik near Klintehamn. Or rather, of the sky above it. I got up to a cloudy sky on a windy day and almost abandoned the idea of taking pictures that day. But then just over noon, as I stopped for a place for my daughter to fly her kite, magic happened. Above the open landscape stretching out into the sea, the sky cleared up. Clouds evaporated above me as I moved around to freeze the moment.
We returned later that week for a mind cleansing evening walk between the sea and the sky.
My best travel advice
This planet is a fantastic place. We live in a time where we have great opportunities for exploring many wonderful places. I have sadly accepted the fact that I will never experience it all. Travelling is not a game of Pokémon. You need to live in the present to truly appreciate the magic.
Here is my best travel advice to take with you for free.
- Don't leave Scandinavia from May to August.
- Always bring a camera.
- Keep your mind open for adventure. It's not about getting to the destination, it is what you discover going there.
Now go and create those magic moments of your own.
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