After New Year came snow. The cold grip of Winter got hold of my local neighbourhood with temperatures sometimes dropping to minus 20 Celsius. Even the dog agreed to sometimes wait until after 8 am for the morning walk. Lakes freezing over. Most days overcast and grey but every now and then we are blessed … Continue reading Winter
Tag: Botkyrka
Botvid: The first Swede
I live in Alby, Botkyrka, Sweden. If you have been here, you probably live here or used to live here. It’s a suburb south west of Stockholm near the end of the red line. Together with Norsborg, Hallunda and Fittja, Alby is part of the Million City project from the sixties. Concrete high rises. If … Continue reading Botvid: The first Swede
Weekday adventure in Lida
One sunny Friday in September, I picked up two hiking enthusiasts at a nearby train station and drove to Lida, an outdoor sport and wilderness area in Botkyrka south of Stockholm. I had invited them to join me on the 9 km Adventure Trail that circuits Lake Getaren and offers scenic views and time away … Continue reading Weekday adventure in Lida
Skansberget
South of Stockholm lies Tullinge, and just north of Tullinge lies Skansberget, a hill overlooking Tullinge Lake. 1500 years ago the water level was higher and the fresh water lakes of Alby and Tullinge were likely a brackish inlet of the Baltic Sea. Remains of Iron Age fortifications are scattered around Tullinge Lake and when … Continue reading Skansberget
Even smart people do stupid things
Next time you find that you have done something stupid, take comfort in the following story that I found in a book about my local area. Smart people also do stupid things. You can still win the Nobel Prize. Swedish inventor Gustaf Dalén lived 1869-1937. He revolutionised shipping by automating lighthouses. His system of automatic regulators and … Continue reading Even smart people do stupid things
Church of Saint Botvid
The 12th century Church of Saint Botvid lies prominently next to the freeway leading southwest from Stockholm. It’s the oldest church in the region and has been under restoration for quite some time. Work has now finished on the outside while still ongoing inside. One sunny morning after dropping kids off to school I stopped … Continue reading Church of Saint Botvid
A walk through time
On a sunny afternoon I joined a tour of a local trail that took us on a walk through time.
Tumba Paper Mill Museum: How money is made
My 11-year old son asked me a question one morning as I drove him to school. I treasure these moments of the day, a time to connect and talk about life, big and small. This morning he asked me about money, the concept of money. So I recalled that we had visited nearby Tumba Paper … Continue reading Tumba Paper Mill Museum: How money is made
Learning how to count
There is an election upcoming. June 9th voters across the EU will elect 705 members of the EU parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg to represent them the next five years. This year will be different for me. As I’m between jobs, I responded to a call for local election officials back in January. And I … Continue reading Learning how to count
Botkyrka
One of the many projects I took pleasure in this spring was to photograph locations in my local area and upload on Google Maps. Spring is a great season for taking marketing pictures and I had time at hand to seek out the locations at the optimal time of day. I wanted to show that … Continue reading Botkyrka