Stockholm and beyond

After returning from our previous explorations of Sollentuna I took a look at the map and noticed that beyond the centre we found there is a lake. So I set off to find it.

Heading north from Akalla
A little man to greet visitors
Typical Swedish suburbia
An old car
The lake

Running along behind Kista, Husby and Akalla there is a valley containing a large park. This was a bit of a surprise - I'd found a bit of it before when I was exploring out from Kista but had thought it was just a childrens play area so didn't wander around much. Approaching from Akalla station it is obvious it is a large park. There are a number of attractions including Pony Riding and Minigolf. Both closed at this time of year.

Minigolf with Akalla flats in the background
As I was taking this picture I was approached by an old man who asked if I was going to send the picture to Stockholms Stadmuseum (the owners of the park) - he explained that there is a big problem of stolen cars being abandoned like this and cluttering up the park, he would like to see them be cleared more quickly. Indeed, there do seem to be quite a disproportionate amount of abandoned stolen cars around this whole area, its not just in the park. I explained that I was going to put the photo up on the net and that I would explain what it was.
Husby grave grounds - this is an ancient burial site, with around 40 mounds.
The site of the earliest known Husby village, over the hill from the grave grounds.

While exploring Akalla Park I found another rune stone. It is now standing by the junction between three paths near the grave grounds.

"... had the stone raised ... Rysja(?), his brother. He ... east. Balli ..."

Some shots of the Kista & Akalla area at sunfall

If instead of heading toward my office from the flat in Akalla I were to head the other way, I would find myself in Hägerstalund and Barkaby Flygfält, a small airfield with a suprisingly sloping runway.

Hägerstalund appears to be a small fairly traditional farmstead, with an emphasis on horses although not quite like a stable we would get back home. (not that I really know anything about stables, mind). It is on the edge of the Hansta nature reserve, followed the path around the edge of the nature reserve and was surprised to find a collection of small aircraft hangers.

Further around my circuit I found a motocross course (MC-bana on the map, which makes sense if you know what it is), but by the time I was there it was getting dark so no pictures of it.

An aircraft
Professionally painted guiding lines
A car hiding in the woods
One of the oldest known roads in the area, believed to be over 1000 years old (if my reading of the explanatory notice is correct) - something about this road felt really friendly, but I don't know what

At the very northern point of the Edsviken lake is Edsbergs Slott, what appears to be a fortified manor or castle looking down the length of the lake. Some of the formal gardens are still maintained although it appears that the castle itself is no longer used as such - I didn't investigate too closely but there was no sign of it being used either as a home or a tourist attraction, more like a council office.

In the grounds, though, there is a new-ish art centre perched upon a nearby rock outcrop.

On my way back to Akalla from the Slott I found yet another part to Sollentuna, a large out-of-town style shopping centre with plenty of access and parking for cars but somewhat pedestrian unfriendly (not as bad as some examples I've found in the UK, we seem particularly good at unfriendly). The centre contains a really large food (plus home etc things, think Tesco but Swedish) shop, and a number of high street shops. Nothing spectacular on its own but combined with the other two centres of Sollentuna makes it quite a well served place, in a retail sense at least.

Edsberg Slott
Edsberg Slott
A bridge to nowhere
The art centre
A horse sculpture

Our new flat is a good deal closer to the Kista Galleria, this is the view from our window. Coincidentally it also snowed on the night before I took these pictures - the first snow of the year.

The view
The path toward my office

Somehow I managed to turn the wrong way out of Karlberg Pendletåg station on my way to the Slott, I could see where I wanted to be, but there was no way to get there short of navigating across a major rail artery, a six metre drop and a dual carriageway. I thought better of it and kept walking to the bridge. Sadly the bridge, Sankt Eriks Bron, took me across the water too, over to Kungsholmen. Climbing up the stairs to the bridge you pass through some wonderful spaces - the bridge is a combined T-Bana and road bridge, so you pass the T-Bana line on the way up to the road level, but underneath that is a derelict space through which a surprising number of people were walking. I assume it was really a pathway or cut through of some kind but I wasn't feeling brave enough to investigate further this time around.

Over on Kungsholmen I wound my way down to the strand and along the waterfront. The Slott across the water. The path passes through a boatyard, past some allotments and into a building site. Looking at the map I see that this is actually very close to Stadshagen, a T-Bana station we got off at looking for adventure and excitment but found only factories and a hospital.

By the time I got to the chemical works it was getting dark, so it was time to start looking for a T-Bana station to get back to T-Centralen.

How many dicks is that?
Looking across toward Vasa Staden
Kungsholms Strand
Across the water to Vasa Staden
More of the water
Betalstation - the checkpoint for the congestion charge
Some terrible metal animals eating a building
They are insatiable

I had intended to take a boat ride to Vaxholm, but had managed to get myself confused about where to catch it - I first went to the Djurgården ferry jetty. By the time I arrived at the right place I could see what I thought might be the boat I wanted just getting ready to leave. It was one of those moments where if I knew it was the right boat I could have run for it. As it was I thought it wouldn't be too long before the next one. Little did I know it would be three and a half hours before that.

So I went to explore the harbourside on the north of Södermalm. While I was there I found a bizarre little railway line that headed along the base of the cliff parallel to the road, then disappeared into a tunnel and thought that might be an interesting substitute for a boat journey.

So I checked the map to find a suitable destination on the line through the tunnel and found my way to the platform.

Saltsjöbaden is a small suburb some distance from the city centre, it is on the end of a penninsular, and hence, on the end of its train line (though apparently the line did have a further station on it, but I can't figure out where the track would have gone). The station is by the Grand Hotel, an impressive waterfront hotel with ample yatch parking.

There are a number of small islands here, some connected to the mainland with small bridges, in some cases only allowing pedestrian access, and in at least one case the bridge was bigger than the island (I'm not sure whether it is tidal here, but I don't think so, theres not much evidence of continuously varing sea levels).

Having found the landing point of the ferry back to Stockholm I decided not to catch the 2:15 ferry and instead wait for the next one. Again, the wrong thing to do since the next was three hours away. So I took a little while to explore around the neighbourhood, which seemed to consist mostly of ostentatious houses perched on rock outcrops.

Boredom set in at around the same point my hands started to freeze so I figured it was time to get the train home rather than wait for the next ferry.

Ugly wood art found during my exploration of Saltsjöbaden

Stockholm is a city built of islands - I had intended to explore them before, but had missed the boat. So I got up especially early for a trip to the archipelago. The boat ride is beautiful, taking just over an hour to get to Vaxholm, stopping at a number of islands on the way, but only the ones it needs to stop at, if there is noone waiting at the stop or wishing to get off it won't stop there. By each request jetty there is a circular flag on a stick looking somewhat like a lollipop mans stick, but with a lever to raise or lower the flag.

The sea here is quite calm, it is very sheltered by the islands, though I'm sure it is a good deal wobblier when you get out toward the edges of the archipelago.

Some of the islands are really quite small, with perhaps two or three summer houses on them, though the boat doesn't stop at such small places. There are also a number of larger islands, as well as a couple of stops on the mainland.

One place I would like to explore some more is Gåshaga, the end of the Lidingöbanan, the rail line for the island of Lidingö. Checking the map when I got home suggested a shorter round trip, taking the train back from there, stopping at Ropsten to explore the north side of Djurgården.

The journey back into the centre of Stockholm after dark was wonderful, with many houses lit up against the dark hillsides and forest. The lights building to a crescendo as we arrived back at the quay in the centre of the city.

Grona Lund
Giraffe cranes
A windmill
Islands
A lighthouse
Vaxholm in the distance
Car ferries
The ferry Söderarm
The fort/prison, and a water taxi