Thursday, July 30, 2015

Konst på Tekniska högskolan

 
This station is spectacular but also crowded at most times, also it is a transfer station to the commuter trains and buses.
The art was created by Lennart Mörk who also does work with theatre, and film.

 "The theme of the elements and the laws of nature. Moreover, decorating with science theme with Christopher Polhem, Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Copernicus and Johannes Kepler." 

I had to irritate many people to even get the photos that I did get.









Konst på Gamla Stan Tunnelbanna





I think I have avoided putting up some stations because I like some more than others but perhaps someday I will really want a full record so I am going to continue on.  I found a new map that lists not the train stations but the artist at each station.  This will take the guess work out of which stations have art.  I am a bit more 'pepp' as the Swedes would say now that I have this helpful aid.

This station is always, always busy I do not think I have a good overview of what it looks like, as it also has a division between the directions and the lines, meaning that you have to go down and up stairs to cross over.  The hallways are always crowded as well.  Gamla Stan or the old town is probable what you would see if you only had a few hours in Stockholm.  The neighborhood is extraordinary to look at when you can actually see up a street, but most months it is like being at a festival and all you can do is try to navigate through the throngs of people.  The mural is beyond the platform a bit, and on my green line home, but I didn't notice it for a long time as it is mostly visible by approaching from the other direction into the station.  The rest of the designs are mostly on the floor.

The station art speaks to the history of Gamla Stan, the roots of Christianity in Scandinavia, and a connection with Christianity in Scotland (see how much you can learn?)-
Some of the tiles are done in the 'Terrazzo' style which is chips of marble set in concrete and then polished.  My understanding is that the designs are meant to give tribute to a famous tapestry in Nidaros Cathetral:
Nidaros dates back to the 1100s when the King of Norway became a Christian and later a saint, and had Diocese in the Orkney Islands:
 Gamla Stan is essentially the oldest complete part of Stockholm, and it is where the Storkyrkan, the oldest church, whose current bishop is a woman.

 
 

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Konst på Hökarängen Tbana Hem station


I love the color panels from this view although the iphone is not really suited for such distance in dim light.

 The plaque about the art in this station doesn't mention the lighted hallway that is this exit, the lights dim and change colour continually.




Zok has been gone from Hobart for about five weeks now, and I am having a day of missing him, missing Stockholm, even missing summer (although really so far Stockholm summer is very similar to Hobart winter, just with more daylight).

I thought I'd finally do a post about our subway station.
I love ours, at first I didn't appreciate it, because the art is subtle, and meant to be seen from certain angles and in a certain light.
The platform looks much better if you stand to the side and crouch down, or if you see it from far away so you can see the mathematical precision of it.

I need to sign up for online Swedish lessons as well, although as my enthusiasm last year amounted to nothing but frustration and perceived failure, I am finding it hard to get started...
But I do have a grey, rainy day to help me out.

I thought I'd try to get some facts to compare between Blackmans Bay, Tasmanian and Hökarängen, Sweden.  Oddly they are similar in certain ways, both are on the fringe of a larger borough.  Blackmans Bay is part of Kingston which is reported as one of the fastest growing in Tasmania, as is Farsta in Sweden. Both suburbs are about 14 km, from the town center, and both take between about 12-15 minutes to get to the center of town.  One by car and one by train.
Kingston is reported to have around 20,000 people currently, while Farsta had around 46,000 reported in 2004.  Farsta being 15.40 km²- while Kingston has 717 km squared- so quite a density difference.

As far as the station art there is quite a lot in this location, the coloured panels that can be seen both directions and follow the shape of the platform, the bronze sculpture that makes the mid-way point (very helpful for the short trains) and the hallway exit with the lights.
The plaque explaining the art is one of the more informative ones as well-
Explaining that the artist did take in the shape of the station into account when planning out the installation.  I also like when there is just a piece of art - but I really do appreciate most when the artist(s) took free reign creatively with the whole space.  As if the station itself was a gallery or part of a museum, but of course with more danger as all the art is subjected to thousands and thousands of people each day.
*I wrote 'thousands' and maybe that is a good estimate for this one station, but the day I posted this I read that the subways lines (local) do an estiamted 1.203,000 passengers per day, on 7 lines with 505 train cars.
The busses carry 1.125,000 persons per day via 515 lines and 2,211 buses, the small 'salt' trains do 156,000 with 10 lines and 180 cars, and lastly the commuter train has 4 lines, 135 cars and carry 299,000 per day.
!
 



Sunday, July 26, 2015

"...go ahead pretty baby, honey, knock yourself out..."



I have been in Sweden over two weeks but the time has gone by...in a very casual way.  I forget sometimes that I actually live here, until a day like today.
When I think about what I have done, nothing seems 'vacation like' or newsworthy.
I was very busy catching up with friends the first week, all of whom are now on vacation.  July is a HUGE vacation month for Swedes, I have written about this before- This is also the reason I try to avoid just coming to Stockholm in July-August.

July and August are both lonely months if one chooses to remain.  This includes most of my local shops and cafes which are closed until around mid-August. 
What I mean by the time slipping by is that most of what I have done is helped out friends with errands, tasks, maybe gone to a movie.  All things I like to do- but very day to day.
A friend sort of lucked into a garden plot, but on my side of town- I went to meet her and take stock of the plot, and see how much work it would take to get the area under control. (apparently too much...she'll be passing it along)- I was a bit sad as if it had happened last year, I could have been out there earlier, and probably gone in on a shared custody of the plot.  I was really missing gardening at just this exact time last year.
I am also traveling out to water a friends house plants every few days. But as far as keeping up on photos, I left my better phone back in Australia. The phone I have here seems to have a battery life problem.  Often when I try to take photos it just turns off.

In more exciting news, we have booked a trip to Venice- in less exciting news my trip to see The Lakes District is postponed again. The social calendar of August is filling up a bit as people return.  I hurt my arm badly - in a mundane, stupid home 'slip n fall'- ugh! I felt so common- my head was ringing for hours, and the pain from my forearm and wrist were worse than I had ever felt.  It has been about ten days and I feel much better.

 I passed this statue as I skated through the cemetery to get to my friends garden plot.  Which is in Skarpnäck, only about 6 kilometers from our place, except it is a different train line, so it's easiest to skate/walk/bike or take the bus to get over there.  



 On my first skating trip I tried to find the closest outdoor gym- I failed, and had to have Zok walk me over there- as his sense of direction is so much better than mine.  The route to get there involves a few main roads, but I think it will be a good cardio slash weight session, if I skate and then try to do as much body weight training as possible- then walk home for the cool down.

A lot of the wooden holds are a bit large for my hands, but I still think it is my best bet of not losing all my weight training.  Of course, hopefully the person my friends have been training with will be back from semester (vacation) in August.
I could have sworn I wrote a post about outdoor gyms, which are common here in Stockholm, but I can't find it.  I do like the humility I find from trying to do a pull up.



 
 

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Tasman Peninsula; Cape Pillar - A 'short' walk (Will I ever learn?)




Our Jeep is still in a 'undetermined' condition, so this invitation out was especially appealing.  Leaving before the sun rises has never been my strong point.  I associate this with either heart break (quick, hit the road and get far, far away) or of course, Mickey.  
Of course I mistakenly thought about the median age of our group, and not the fact that we were all arriving so early, and that a Tasmanian's idea of a "short" walk is one that does not involve sleeping over-night in a bush hut.
Sure, sure, I have learned to pack a lunch...but when I saw people's packs I realized that I had forgotten 'tea', and 'second tea' (or as I think of it elevenses).

We walked around Cape Pillar facing Tasman Island and later Cape Raoul.
As I scrambled over trees, boulders, up sand dunes, and almost off cliff faces (did I mention I was second-youngest and still outstripped by most?) I have to admit that I am almost accustomed to what locals think a 'trail' is- A trail is any terrain you can get through without a machete or rappelling gear.

Apparently the coast was having really high tides, and surf was unusual.
The 'remarkable' cave was indeed that.
A perfect last week event to make sure I do not forget the splendor of my adoptive home.  Also for the record- although I LOVE being here, being apart is so not working for us anymore...we had too many years where we just stayed together, or at least in the same hemisphere- so next stop, Svenska hemma.