Uncategorized – Bleubug

June 10, 2024June 10, 2024

Up To Now

As usual, it’s been a while since I’ve posted. Since I know I’m probably the only person to view this (not complaining) I’m not terribly motivated. Still, I do have some images taken this year I’d like to share. Winter in Sweden this year was a bit more extreme than I’ve been used to. Still, not as bad as my days living near the Great Lakes in the U.S., those are tough. I decided to take a trip by myself to unwind in a place I’ve never been before in Sweden, Västerås. While not a tourist mecca the Steam Hotel there, created in a early 20th century power plant, is wonderful. I got some nice winter pictures of the old town area.

But before I knew it Spring happened. Or didn’t. We had a slow start to nice weather here, but when it came it was glorious. I went out to see my favorite wildflower, the Fritillaria Meleagris. It’s known here as the King’s Meadow Lilly (Kungsängslilja) and it grows in a place, believe it or not, called the King’s Meadow. It is in other places in Europe but this is a particularly rich patch near me. I find them beautiful, not that I’m fighting against the tide with this opinion. I liked the serious looking birds in the meadow so you get a few images of them.

When the Spring comes to Sweden it’s just fantastic. I captured a few views from the country place of the quite famous naturalist Carl Linnaeus. He doesn’t live there anymore having been dead for a few hundred years.

Lastly, some images of a restored 19th century apartment in this town. If you had the money you lived well, but not ostentatiously.

Hope you enjoy the pictures. 🙂

January 14, 2022January 16, 2022

Winter, Damn It

If you know me, which you most likely don’t, you would know I’m not a fan of Winter. Actually, the few people who visit my blog might know me so I take that back. It’s damn pretty, I’ll give it that. However, I’d rather be in the shade at a beach with a tropical cocktail in my hand. Anyway, took a walk along lake Ekoln the other week to see the very pretty Winter scenery. I just googled the lake and saw that Ikea named a toilet brush after it. Well, I think that’s kind of a comment on life in general.

September 8, 2021September 8, 2021

The September of Augusts

The landscape of our Covid world stretches out to the horizon with no end in sight. It’s certainly been a roller-coaster with hope being beaten back by new waves of infection. Right now the world is dealing with Delta and so is Sweden. However, maybe due to the high level of inoculations, it’s not hit us as hard as many places. But, it is truly a wait and see thing, isn’t it?

The new normal here is less abnormal then many places. But August was unusually cold, like we lost a month and September took its place. In fact the weather has been nicer in September than the previous month, but that won’t last. Even with the rain and cold I did take a few trips to Bergianska trädgården, that’s Stockholm’s botanical gardens. It means more pictures of flowers. Sorry, I just love the intricacies and colors of them so I can’t quite stop myself. Enjoy the plant pictures, they can’t run away from my camera like most people do.

December 8, 2019August 2, 2021

A Brief Time in Riga

There’s a lot I could say about Riga but since I only had a short time there I’ll try and be just as brief. We often think that the Soviet sphere of influence tore everything down within its control and replaced it with Brutalist communal architecture. I’m glad to say that is not true in many places. My trip last year to Tallinn and this one to Riga showed that very pristine old towns can exist. Of course much was rebuilt after the two world wars so it’s not exactly as it was but the fact that areas seem untouched by time says quite a bit. The largest concentration of Art Nouveau buildings resides here and I wish I could have seen each one.

It was typical November weather on the Baltic with grey skies and the threat of rain constantly. Not a good environment for pictures and certainly not what I had hoped for. A bit boring and bit colorless I present here the images I took.

October 5, 2019March 12, 2021

Animals

It’s strange to think that a place in Sweden has so many animals from other countries. You’d think the cold would limit that but it doesn’t.

September 25, 2019

Crete, Again

Another year and another trip to Crete. I do love the place, especially since it is such a contrast to Sweden. This time I wound up getting ill which means I didn’t feel up to too many photos. These will have to do.

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November 11, 2018

Dark and Darker

It is hard to even find a Swede that sees much positive in this time of the year. The days get very short and the weather is damp, wet, and gray. To me it is worse than the depths of winter and makes It a challenge to just leave the warmth inside and move about. However, if one doesn’t get out you will go stir crazy which is why I went to Stockholm for a photo walk. Seeing unfamiliar places and vistas overrides the instinct to be warm and hide. Possibly I found some beauty out there, but you be the judge.

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January 24, 2018January 24, 2018

A Brief Bit of Winter

Since I’ve been in Sweden every Winter has been mild. Sure, there has been a bit of snow but it’s nothing like winter was in my childhood home of Buffalo, NY. I really thought it was going to be some kind of hinterland of ice and blinding powder that fell in non-trivial amounts from the sky. But it’s not…even my last base in the old country (Ann Arbor) had worse winters. The middle weather between pleasant and cold is one of dampness, wet winds, and slush. It really just sucks and it has me doing something I thought I’d never do: wish for a standard winter.

We had one for a week or so just now. Snow that crunches when you walk on it. Cold that freezes your nerve endings making things seem a bit more bearable. Clear, dry air and the ability to see crisp distances. I was out in the country (Gästrike Hammarby if you really want to know) and took a walk to appreciate it.

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