My first WAXHOLM visit - in the winter!

Image # 1 The Waxholm Fortress, 16th Century, so far never conquered by Russians! 

I might be surprising you by writing this blog in the English language for a change - it is just to make it a more easily "digestive" for dear relatives and friends in other countries and continents... 

The subject for this essay is, as the headline indicates, that in the normally coldest and darkest season there, a spontaneous trip to the well-known seaside resort Waxholm happened to take place on the 16th of January this year 2022.

"Hm...why in the winter?", you probably think.
Well - the immediate answer is of course - "why not"?

I´ve never been there before - it was about time now, and to be guided there by the eminent "ZeroEight" Tommy Lyngborn who is my best photography- and  traveling buddy (in addition to have the chance to meet up there in Waxholm with yet another analogue-photo freak like Tommy and me - who actually lives out there in Waxholm!) was something I hadn’t expected to be that exiting as it actually was! 

Prospects were surprisingly good - although we did not experience the nice weather that we had in the City of Stockholm on the day before. Gray, overcast, a little chilly (almost freezing) and fairly windy, (i.e.  "the 1/50 bl 5,6 milde-Sweden-weather") and the Sunday started out by getting us out there to Waxholm by a steamer, one of the famous shipping vessels (practically a type of "commuter ships", which the Vaxholm ships today are - a classical passenger shipping line with an extensive and interesting history, going back probably a hundred years or more!!)  

Image #2 A modern "Waxholmsbåt" - this is m/s Nämdö, they all have names that directly refer to the this part of the Stockholm archipelage

I started out with the train trip to Stockholm on the early Friday morning in January - the Östersund weather had been stable and fine for a few days, not much snow, so I thought that walking down to our railway station in Östersund would be easy, not having to have a full arctic winter outfit since I was going to travel light this time - pandemic and all. So a light rucksack and the aircraft-cabin bagage-sized wheeled suitcase would be quite enough.

Image # 3 Not yet really awake on the train...

Getting up that morning at 4:00 a.m., I looked through the window and saw that 6-8" of fresh snow had fallen - "no, I won´t rearrange my baggage...it couldn´t be that bad to walk downhill to the station even if it has snowed some".  I actually had to carry all my luggage - the snow was too deep and mushy for the small suitcase with wheels I have, but I got there to the train in time - however not quite effortless!!

Image #4 "We up here in Jämtland are so used to snow, that some snow on walkways are always a "walk-in-the-park..." This is the place where I live...the photo was taken through my living room window.

I arrived in Stockholm C towards noon - a nice trip, very few other travellers most probably because of Covid restrictions...a face mask was recommended, only every other seat was bookable, but no hugging or close contact with strangers etc was allowed. Fine with me! I never was much for hugging strangers anyway!

Image #5   Rödabergsbrinken, the small local street (inserted view) where my aunt lives in a small but comfortable flat, and the bigger picture is a part of the neighborhood "Vasastan" which has always been very attractive to live in...

Rumour has it, that high up in one of the two towers, the famous Zlatan Ibrahimowicz had one of his apartments - the price level for a high class penthouse up there is assumed to be about 70 million SEK! 

As soon as I arrived, I took the Subway to "the Red Mountains", i.e. in the Vasastan quarters, where my aunt Agda has her apartment. A perfect location for this senior citizen´s somewhat suspicious adventures (me), occurring repeatedly in our Capital - "Auntie" Agda has access to a small single bedroom guest flat, at a very attractive price - and that alternative to a hotel room is always very comfortable and practical for me, as well as it is nice for her to now and then have her nephew visiting nearby for a couple of days.

She is in good health, knows that part of Stockholm well, and she is since many years very active and successful with her genealogy research - our ancestry both in Sweden and overseas , and then we can easily "indulge" in some of our common interests. Her baking skills have also really impressed me several times! Not the least to mention, her the delicious "Apfelstrudel",  the Austrian dessert speciality served warm with vanilla sauce as you well know. 

Image #6 My "Landlady" for the weekend - Auntie Agda, who is very dear to me - and a great "Apfelstrudel" baker! This photo was taken with my old artifact camera - "the one I tried to sell to Tristin",  see Image # 16 below!

Image #7 Another famous view over Stockholm, from "Söders höjder" overlooking the water.

My plans for the Friday were, as agreed with Tommy L, who also is the classic car magazine “MG Bulletin” editor, were that he would pick me up with his car and then we would first drop off my recent "acquisition", the TLR Ikoflex camera at Jonas´s workshop in Sumpan for a CLA service. The photo distance adjustment wheel was somewhat jammed, and might need some professional attention. Quickly said and done - Jonas Vikström is a great analogue camera technician to be helped by.

Further north then by car, to Järfälla half an hour away, where I especially looked forward to meet up with a "long lost friend", Per , with whom I haven´t had any contact with for about 40 years. We were close "study buddies" for 3-4  years during the early 70´s at the Umeå University up north - and we both had a particular interest in classic sports cars - his "cup of tea" was the 356 Porsche series, and my favourite car was the magnificent Alfa Romeo.

Image #8  An old analogue photo - taken in Skellefteå early in the spring 1977, when we both had the opportunity to "pose" with our dream cars side by side. The JP wheel rims on my Alfa 2000 GTV 1973 is not that great looking, but the original wheel rims had tyres with spikes for icy and snowy roads on at the time. Per´s Porsche 356 SC 1965 was apparently newly washed and waxed and obviously shines somewhat brighter than my Alfa! Especially the Bertone GTV line - of which I later came to own several models, was the best at that time in my youth.

We both, Tommy and I, were very welcome home to Per that Friday in January - I had managed to reconnect with Per just a few weeks earlier, and it turned out to be a very pleasant reunion. It is some magnificent two-car garage he has now, of course two different 356 series Porsches - adjacent to his house, including a very useful greasing-pit for a serious classic auto enthusiast!

Image #9 Something really out of the ordinary - the Porsche 356 Carrera (1958) type 547/1 engine - now overhauled and ready to be inserted! 

Image #10 Basically the same type 547/1 engine that I photographed 1976, but slightly dismantled or prepared for storage - then it also was a magnificient piece of equipment even for an Bertone italian car freak like me!  

That was about all that day - Tommy dropped me off in the city centre near Auntie´s address, and on entering her cosy flat, dinner was already on the table and the wine bottle opened when I entered! 

Image #11 A refreshing Saturday mid-day walk downtown through Vasaparken - its skating grounds is amazingly popular and pleasant to watch!

A good night´s sleep in the guest flat - in the other building, and then a Saturday with lots of sun and fresh air!
Another old friend from my home town, and also the Umeå University, had the initial "vernissage" of his photo exhibition in the famous Jazz Club "Fasching" in Stockholm´s City centre - he exposed a great collection of his own jazz photography in that club´s premises .

Picture #12 The exhibition "Curator" and "Exhibition General" Kenth together with another admirer visiting  

Over 80 images, most of them black & white, of various jazz musicians that he had portrayed. Lovely! And a glass of champagne on this opening day while I was trying to get a sublime feel if his photography style now is the same as back then 1970 - and his photos were certainly much appreciated. Awesome!

Image #13 The photo exhibition covering one of the walls in the famous jazz club "Fasching"

The exhibitor Kent Wångklev was also, like me, a Canon enthusiast back in the days - at the end of the 60´s he had the Canon FL lens system, I chose the new Canon FD lens system at the beginning of the 70´s. I have blogged about that earlier,  here on Fs. (www.fotosidan.se) if you recall.

Alright, then Tommy and I discussed what to do on the Sunday - and his idea that "why not make a winter expedition out to Waxholm?" OK - fine with me!

Waxholm is a right famous spot in Sweden - my immediate associations when hearing the name Waxholm was, that the fleet of ships covering a large part of the Stockholm archipelage not only for working people but also for leisure and tourism, is quite unique in its own way - the lyrics of the song "Waxholm Ettan" rings a bell in my mind right away. The well built old steamers here, like our own m/s Thomée and s/s Östersund, (built and "inaugurated" the same year 1875) always interest me, since such vessels then were so important for the infrastructure back then in the middle of the 19th century - also up here in Storsjön, and are well known to Jämtar/Norrlänningar... 

We got off early that Sunday morning, I took the Subway out to Slussen, and met up with Tommy there. Tickets were bought, and even a SL card would well be accepted also for the boat fare.

Image # 14 The Stockholm Subway, the "T-Banan" Green Line end station "Slussen"

Off we sailed, and while waiting on the quay at Slussen for the ship to be ready for boarding, the two apparently far travelled girls ahead of us on the quay, had waited longer, and were very nice to talk to.  A mother and her daughter, from Florida,  that were going up to Nordkap to see the Nordic Lights, "Aurora Borealis" and discover more of Sweden as well as Norway. Of course, one can hardly expect to see the Nordic Lights in the summer up there, so it seemed perfectly reasonable to do such a trip in December.

Image #15 Waiting to get on board and the ship´s departure - a dull rainy day with weak photo light...hence the lack of sharpness 

They had a lot of luggage, but seemed to manage that quite well without any help from nearby standing male "porters". Tommy and I didn´t ask - which we probably should have done, but at least I got the immediate impression that they were quite capable of handling their luggage themselves!

What was especially impressive, was that the daughter, who couldn´t be older than in her early twenties, is a professional civil pilot flying passengers all over the North American continent! Awesome!  

We talked during most of the sea voyage out to Waxholm, and I just had to show my recently acquired Zeiss Super Ikonta 531,  note that the image below looks like I am trying to sell them my old artefact camera!

Picture # 16 Tristin (in full awe!) over the features and the provenience of my old camera! (Smart phone photo by Tommy L)

Now, they showed a true interest in what we told the about Stockholm and how to get to Sigtuna by bus/train or similarly. I receommended them, for travelling up to Nordkap, that to use the Norwegian Hurtigrutten´s great possibilities in Norway and travel along the coast instead of inland by train in Norway, but the travel cost on that shipping line might be fairly high.

I myself have in fact done such a cruise, from Harstad (southbound) to Trondheim via Lofoten islands, so I felt I could well recommend them to cruise with Hurtigrutten northbound up there from Bergen on the Norwegian south coast. The present off-season could even mean lower cruise prices, I thought. 

Image #17 Not many people on the quay this morning - in the background the historically important fortress of Waxholm. 

Well arrived in Waxholm after about one and a half hour sailing, the girls headed off to a part out there that I did not know about, a short ferry distance to another nearby island, I believe. We wished them good luck and a safe onward journey - hoping that parts of their huge luggage would be successfully air freighted back to Florida for their travel conveniance.  

Tommy and I walked around the harbor area of Waxholm - we both took a few pictures (analogue!) across the water, of a comparatively small island opposite of the quay, where the famous big fortress of Waxholm rises. In the year 1548 the first part for protection of the  inlet to Stockholm was finished, and successively there were other extensions added. During the year 1833 a total reconstruction was begun, that led to the present shape of the fortress. Since year 1548 it has been situated there intact, and is one of the few Scandinavian castles that the Russian forces never have been capable to conquer or surpass, not ever, during the more than 500 years of history!)  

However, towards noon we were both very thirsty, hungry and somewhat frozen, so we decided then to have lunch somewhere nice - "Hamnkrogen" seemed to suit us fine. A large draft beer to start with, then a Hamburger plate for Tommy and the classical Swedish Meatballs with a cream sauce for me, it all tasted very good indeed.

Image #18 At last - that beer and the food in addition, was exactly what we needed then!

At the same time we also rang our friend Sigvard Eklund (another fotosidan.se member and analogue photo enthusiast) as promised, who lives permanently in such an interesting environment. I had called him on the phone the day before, to hear if it would be possible for him to meet up with us on the Sunday..."Certainly" he said. "Give me a call some time after 12 - then I´ll catch up with you"... he said. This was also the very first time we met, both for Tommy and me, and thanks to the Fotosidan membership we thought the we probably would have the about the same taste for b/w photography! 

Image #19 This was a very good place - "Hamnkrogen" is definitely no "greasy spoon"...delicious food to reasonable prices!

Yes, by the time we got to the coffe after the luncheon meal, Sigvard turned up at the pub and also had a cup of coffee with us. That was actually the very first time him and me met IRL, so that was about time! He is also a photography enthusiast, owning the same type of camera as  Tommy (Yashica 4G) and my Ikoflex - a twin lens mirror reflex, analogue camera for 120-spool sized film.   He and Tommy told me that visiting Waxholm in the summer is an entirely different thing - jammed with people - lots of life, tourists, yacht owners, sailors and much more to see and enjoy. 

Image #20 Me and Sigvard, enjoying our coffee

After lunch it started to rain - and Sigvard drove us around the tiny centre of Waxholm, to give us a glimpse of the idyllic scenery there and the narrow streets with old but well maintained houses. Must be a real treat to live there in the summer!!

Image #21 The Waxholm City Hall, analog (probably the worst picture in this blog!)

The thing is, that I´m not quite comfortable yet with the special viewer of that camera - I have to rely partly on my experience of focal length and lens angle width - which nevertheless was a complete failure for especially this picture. The least you can expect of a photographer who is trying to portray a certain building, is that the whole building is visible on his final picture. Which I sadly did not manage this time!

The camera is old, so is me the owner - the camera (Tessar 7 cm f3.5) lens was manufactured i Germany in April 1936 - many years before I even could hold a camera safely. But I am confident that I will cope with the viewer in due course, an also always remember to tilt the camera vertically for landscape views! Why? The negative size is 4.5 x 6 centimeters, enabling 16 frames on a 120 size spool - standing! 

Later that afternoon, we boarded the ship back to Stockholm City, and I took the Subway back to Auntie and Tommy returned home to his flat in Kärrtorp. I had some shopping to do during the following Monday, and late that afternoon I railed back to Östersund on the evening train. The summary of this "Big City Stockholm" weekend trip was perfect in nearly all aspects - only the poor b/w Street Photography during the dull weather on the Sunday in Waxholm was maybe a disappointment but can always be justified by the old saying "there is no bad weather - only unsuitable clothing (and too low film sensitivity for any artifact camera)" 

I have now developed the negatives taken - fine, good b/w technical quality in some cases but no real surprises - my initial digital photo of the fortress was perhaps one of the best (digital) pictures I took that weekend.

Tips/recommendations/corrections concerning e.g. facts in my blog are gladly received by me - your comments are most welcome as usual!!

Au revoir...!

/B

Vintrig risk - livsfarliga istappar!

Som komplettering till Måns Hagbergs Cityscape-blogg om halkbekämpning  (konstigt ord förresten - låter som ett krig som knappt går att vinna) av trottoarerna så kommer här min illustration till kommentaren jag skrev i den eminente Hr. Hagbergs blogg ”Farliga trottoarer i stan” - man kan ju inte bifoga bild till bloggkommentarer, vilket ibland vore jättepraktiskt, så här får det då bli en egen blogg...

För att slippa upprepa mig, så är länken till den nämnda bloggen av Måns Hagberg här:

https://www.fotosidan.se/blogs/manshagberg/farliga-trottoarer-i-stan.htm

Min kommentar till Måns Hagbergs blogg "Farliga trottoarer i stan" ligger f.n. allra sist av kommentarerna - sent om cider läste jag hans blogg men nu är väl dom största riskerna med "Fimbulvintern" *) överspelade...förhoppningsvis. Åtminstone här och söderöver.

*) Fimbulvintern = vintern som förebådar Ragnarök i den nordiska mytologin

Men trots riskerna med både halka och istappar understundom, så är Gränsgatan en riktigt mysig gata att gå nerför, framför allt i soligt väder! Det var länge  sen vi hade så höga snövallar ut mot gatan...men håll med om att det KAN vara fint med vinter i stan också!

Om man gick runt hörnet till höger där framme, och började gå Strandvägen, så kom man strax till ett annat hus som också hade präktiga istappar, men här ligger ju huset gott och väl 20 meter från Strandgatans trottoar, så eventuellt nedfallande istappar drabbar troligen bara fastighetsägaren själv...men jag anar att fastighetsägaren borde ha en del istappsförebyggande jobb att göra framöver! 

Dålig isolering upp mot taket gissar jag - någon mera byggtekniskt kunnig än jag kan säkert ställa diagnos. Men det blev ju ett ganska vackert "istappsdraperi" till höger om balkongen ändå, eller hur?

På gjensyn -

/B

Konvertera till annan världsreligion?

Nu när jag inte har fått resa på ett bra tag, och saknar kryssningarna på Europas floder så har jag hittat en ny Drömresa... I juni nästa år, en rundresa till havs omkring en av de mest spännande större ögrupperna under 14 dagar.

Kryssningssällskapet / researrangören har som extra aptitretare ovanstående "rusin i kakan" och trots att jag är inbiten Canon-nörd sedan väl 50 år tillbaka - både analogt och digitalt skulle det vara intressant att få testa Nikon under kryssningen på allt vad som kommer i vägen i form av unika fototillfällen betr. natur och sjöfågelliv mm.

Jag skulle ju då inte behöva ta med mig en tung och omfattande Canon-utrustning för denna once-in-a-lifetime kryssning, utan bara en bunt snabba och rymliga (CF?) minneskort....därtill kanske iPhonen och ev. en liten Canon-kompakt...

För att återknyta till min blogg-rubrik - risken är ju att jag efter resan konverterar till den "näst största DSLR världsreligionen Nikon" (här får jag säkert mothugg...?). Eller att jag under resan deppar ihop och saknar mina kära Canon-grejer eftersom jag inte alls får till lika bra bilder som med mina Canon-prylar...

Både resan och detta "foto-russin i kakan" är tveklöst jätteintressant...Varför man inte liknande erbjudande hos Skandinaviska/Europeiska kryssningsrederier, och då med Canon? Är Nikon mera "på tårna" i detta sammanhang?

Tilläggas bör, att resan 11 dagar i juni nästa år är ju inte billig, och törs man verkligen boka en dyr kryssning senast 31 oktober om några dagar? Corona-läget ser ju inte direkt lovande ut, även så långt fram som nästa sommar! 

Hemlighetsmakeri? Ja kanske....lite genant att fega ur är det ju...och att efterhand få överraska läsarna med en Fs-blogg med äkta bilder och reseupplevelser vore i sanning häftigt!

Nytt tillägg den 29/11 2020: Äsch, det är nog tramsigt att "mörka" resan...här är kryssningsrutten: 

Bild 2 Drömresan - kryssning med M/S Ocean Endeavour 14 - 24 Juni nästa år

Researrangören är Adventure Canada -

www.adventurecanada.com

 "Res med mej Stina/i en roddbåt til Kina/det går så lagom fort..." sjöng han, den gode Sven Arefeldt!

Tyvärr får jag nog nöja mej med roddbåten...

Pga. osäkerheten med Corona-viruset, den senaste utvecklingen och spridningen, och inte minst det höga priset på kryssningen så kommer jag nog att fega ur denna gång - måste jag motvilligt erkänna!

Ett annat år kanske jag kan låta drömmen bli verklighet!  

 Ha det bra - akta er för Corona!

/B

Mahlzeit!

Tommy och jag förra hösten på våran "äventyrsresa" i Tyskland - stannade för att äta lunch här, en liten stad vars namn vi har glömt...

Det var suveränt gott!

Lyckad resa och god mat överallt!

/B

Nystart ?

Min sista (?) analoga Canon systemkamera - jag saknar den fortfarande!

Så här på årets första dag - när inte bara jag utan vi alla är ett år äldre jämfört med förra nyåret, tillåter jag mej att drömma lite:

I år kanske jag borde göra den där resan - drömresan...

Först köper jag mig en bättre begagnad Leica M6 eller liknande med normalobjektiv, vidvinkel och kanske ett kort tele (jag kan just inget om Leicorna, vet bara att det var drömkameran som alla ville ha när jag först började fota).En STOR förpackning med svartvit film, helst Tri-X och kanske några Ilford FP nånting, och lär mig hantera den hjälpligt. 

Sedan flygbiljetten, jorden runt, med stopp utplacerade på lämpliga tidsavstånd och på platser som jag skulle vilja uppleva på nära håll. En s.k. "öppen" flygbiljett, där jag kan välja att stanna kortare eller längre tid på särskilt intressanta platser. Jag bokar nog hotellrum för åtminstone en natt på varje "stop-over-plats", och försöker att inte planera för mycket detalj före avresan. Kanske kommer jag att vara borta nån månad eller så (eller varför inte 80 dagar?) när vädret är som bäst och lämpligt för långresa, augusti/september eventuellt. 

Utöver Leican tar jag nog med min lill Canon G1x, för att också kunna få med mig bilder i färg och råformat när tillfället så kräver!

Väl hemma igen, kommer jag säkert att ha massor med bilder att redigera och visa, och min gamla Paterson-framkallningsdosa ska jag nog inte sälja av utan den kommer väl till pass för alla de svartvita rullar som ska framkallas! 

Nåja, till att börja med (idag, nyårsdan) tar jag väl mej en kopp kaffe så länge...medan jag funderar vidare. Vad kommer hela äventyret att kosta? Nåja, att drömma kostar inget!

GOD FORTSÄTTNING på fotoåret 2016 till alla på Fotosidan!

/B

Resekamera ? För både film & plåtar, 6x9 cm - stor och tung men den var rolig att experimentera med!