Around Stockholm, August 2021

Dark clouds behind church
Oscarskyrkan, Stockholm

August was a month of people trickling back into the city, outdoor markets, crayfish mania, darker evenings, piles of chanterelle, chilly winds with hot sun, busy shopping streets, fewer masks, heavy rain and highly practical thigh length waterproof jackets.

Yellow flowers in bucket
Svart synade susan
Man at licquorice cart
Lakrits / licquorice
Svenska kantarell / Swedish chanterelle

Chanterelle mushrooms came into season. We saw these at a farmer's market along with berry juices, cloudberry jam and other Swedish goodies. Pop-up fruit stands around the city replaced cardboard punnets of berries with piles of chanterelle.

Dark clouds behind church
Oscarskyrkan
Old cobbled street
Pink flowers in jar
Sommar blommor / Summer flowers

The city was still full of colour. Peoples clothing, jars of Summery flowers on cafés tables, Aperol Spritz on restaurant tables, blue archipelago water and rows of pastel gelato flavours.

Pink building in vinyard
Rosendals vinyard
High and low train lines
No handshake sign
Covid-19 recommendations
Crayfish shaped bread
Kräftbröd / crayfish bread

August was kräftskiva (crayfish party) season — a party to make the most of the last Summer days. Supermarkets stocked up on crayfish themed party products like hats and decorations, and many bakeries filled their windows with crayfish shaped bread. I laugh every year bcause the claws look like oven gloves!

People queueing
Antigen test
Dog being carried

People have started carrying smaller dogs again (which seems to happen with the weather gets a bit miserable).

Concrete lions
Stockholm lions
Vertical road
People with umbrellas

Rain came and turned the streets into a sea of umbrellas. August weather changes seem to happen at the flick of a switch, usually in the middle of the month. We waited until August for our Summer break and for the second year running, the dry weather had passed by that point. Now we understand why most people take time off in July — August is basically the arse end of Summer before the crisp Autumn days arrive.

Dark clouds over water
Stockholm archipelago

We used the public transport boats a few times and went out on the top deck even though it rained a bit. Nothing wakes you up quite like Baltic breeze.

That's all for August!

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