Kids are back in school. Evenings are getting dark. It's too cold for swimming in the lake. It's been a fantastic summer but it has finally ended. I had a great summer this year visiting new and old places, spending time with family and friends.
In this post I look back at the best pictures. No ranking this year. These are all great pictures.
Nynäs Pier
End of May we drove to LinCon in Linköping, a 2-3 hour drive south of Stockholm. To get in a good mood for the holiday, I took us for a detour into the Archipelago to see Nynäs Castle in spring. The Stockholm Archipelago is huge, this is the southern end. We spent New Year in nearby Trosa and I wanted to come back during summer.
Unfortunately the manor was not open to the public this summer so we didn't get a tour of the manor. But the nature reserve is an attraction of itself. Very few people, no engine noise from car nor boat. Just the sun and the sea and the fresh smell of pine and birch trees. Plus those beautiful clouds forming, shaping, gently rolling by above.
Oehlenschläger's Beech
This year I took the family to see the places I remember from when I grew up. I lived the first 17 years of my life in Odense, Denmark. Both my parents were born on the island of Langeland and we took the one hour drive a lot to see my grandparents. We had a great time island hopping and meeting up with relatives.
One of the places we visited was Oehlenschläger's Beech, a deciduous tree near a sandy beach. The text for the Danish national anthem is presumably written here, it is very national romantic. I don't remember visiting as a kid, I was not very old when I did. So it was a new experience for me to find the tree.
As beech is not a common tree in the part of Sweden where I live now, I found it a worthy destination for my kids to learn more about Denmark. It turned out to be quite the popular attraction. In fact, when we came home to the place we stayed that evening and turned on the tv, there was a show where they visited the exact same tree.
A steady crowd of people was hugging the tree, we were short on time, and someone had parked a bike next to the tree. I embraced the moment and took a picture of the tree with the bike.
As it turns out, the bike is what makes the shot work. It helps us understand the size of the tree, it draws our attention to the blue horizon over just a hint of white beach, and the bike itself is a perfect metaphor for (new) Danish national romance. Notice the helmet on the handlebars?
Kebnekaise
I was blessed with the opportunity to also visit the area around Kebnekaise, Sweden's highest mountain. Located to the far north of Sweden near the border with Norway, I had prepared for subarctic summer with woollen underwear. As it turned out, this year because of climate change, temperatures were 5-10 degrees warmer than usual in northern Sweden, and we hit right in the middle of the heat wave. With sunlight 24 hours a day, we had rich opportunity to take in the stunning views as clouds formed and drifted across the mountains around us with the sunlight and shadows rolling over the mountain slopes. When I looked at the pictures in the guidebook and for sale, few had blue sky and sunshine.
It felt like I took a million pictures. Two personal favourites presented here. My son gazing at the distant mountains over the lake white from sediment. The second is from the river in the valley with the characteristic, cone shaped mount Tolpagorni in the background.
Koenix at Medeltidsveckan
I returned to Medeltidsveckan in Visby, Gotland and this year I brought the entire family, wife, kids and dog. We had a great mix between exploring the Medieval festival in Visby and sightseeing the northeastern coastline. The weather was more moody, we had days with rain and colder temperatures so not for perfect pictures.
My favourite picture from the trip is from the concert with Koenix, a Swiss band that plays medieval rock. Koenix returns every year and draws a crowd of devoted fans that makes this into a hell of a party. Oversized costumes, flaming bagpipes, and catchy tunes give the audience what they want. Set in the stage of a church ruin as the sun goes down.
Old port crane
The final picture to highlight from this summer is from my visit to Gdańsk in Poland. We stayed in a hotel in Old Town so while the town was full of tourists for the yearly market, getting up and into the streets early meant both catching the morning sun and avoiding the crowds.
Gdańsk is nicely maintained to show its historical landmarks from their best side. I used one to frame the other in this morning shot of the old port crane, the reflection in the river, and the 'Sołdek' in the foreground.
This has been a great summer with lots of great moments. Inspiration for the time ahead. I find that the more I travel, the more I want to travel.
Let's see what's next.