Answer = me!
Skogskyrkogarden, also known as the "Woodland Cemetery", is one of the Stockholm area's 14 UNESCO World Heritage sites, and it did not fail to impress ... tall stands of trees mingled with gravesites and memorial flowers. Several people were out and about to walk their dogs, push strollers, or exercise. My favorite sight was a little old man carefully tending to his wife's (a bit of assumption here ...) grave ... he gently poured water on the top of the headstone, scraped away leaves that had accumulated, and planted new flowers. I managed to snap one photo but felt too intrusive to take more. Nonetheless, I appreciated the stillness and the quiet morning to myself.
My friend Jonathan then joined me to tour Drottningholm Slot, or the royal palace where the king and queen of Sweden live. Although we didn't run into Carl Gustav or Silvia, we did cross paths with a wedding party, tour the gardens modeled after Versailles, and visited a street market. I taught Jonathan some tips about portraiture photography, and he was quite the apt pupil! And I even went so far as to break one of my two cardinal rules of traveling ... I ate a late lunch at McDonald's! At least my second rule --- avoiding Americans (so that I can meet the locals) --- has not been broken up until this point.
I then took a leisurely walk through Fjallgatan, or a preserved cobblestone street straight out of the 18th century ...
Sunday brought a trip to the Nordiskamuseet, a museum about Swedish folk art, photography, design, and the history of the Sami (Nordic indigenous population) people, and much, much more. I even found my very own IKEA chair on display in the museum! I strolled along Strandvagan, THE street to see and be seen back in its day ... today, it boasts several old ships docked along its side. I then visited the connected islands of Blasieholmen, Skeppsholmen, and Kastellholmen. I stumbled upon a phenomenal outdoor photography exhibit on Blasieholmen called the "Rites of Passage" by Anders Ryman and even met Anders himself! (Check out his website at http://www.andersryman.com/ ... what incredible work.) I boarded an old-fashioned ship-turned-hostel on the island of Skeppsholmen and climbed a tiny castle on Kastellholmen. I was fortunate that it did not rain either day, so my camera was out in full force ... my perfect zen getaway.
3 comments:
What good looking locals! Seriously, all of them are beautiful. I like the couple of people with their shoes off too, that's funny. Like father, like son, I guess. Looks like you're doing great! Love it!
Sus
Enjoying the photos.
I don't know who Usher and the Brunettes on OC are either (okay... not knowing who Usher is, is a lie).
I want a lesson in portraiture! How do I sign up?
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