People and shadows in the street

Around Stockholm, February 2023

February was a month of bright but cold sun, late piles of Christmas trees on pavements, the return of outdoor fika, thick ice, long shadows, people on sledges, birds chirping for the first time in weeks, pastel sunsets, and faces peeping out of hoods and jackets once again.

Tuck of war with Christmas tree
Christmas tree tug of war
Sun shining on old building in the snow
Södermalm

Cold shadows surrounding warm toned buildings look so beautiful at this time of year. And the arrival of pastel skies means a giant slask fest isn’t far away — Slask is the word for brown, melting snow slush.

People and shadows in the street

The sun hung very low; it was almost overwhelming after prolonged darkness. I don’t know how the Swedes do it but some seem to have mastered the art of walking towards the sun with their eyes closed, without bumping into people.

Swam swimming in semi frozen water

Two women chatting

More light means people slowed down a little — there’s less need to swiftly move from place to place when the sun is shining.

Bird house hanging in tree
Bird feeder
Low flying seagull
Tanto
People sat outside in coats
Vinterfika

People started enjoying fika outdoors in larger numbers, despite the sub zero temperatures. I love that Nordic residents are not easily deterred from spending time outdoors in the cold.

Woman reading book on train
Commuter
Woman smiling in the sun
Sun soaking

Jetty on frozen water

Snow on iced waterway

Kids playing with ice
Playing with the ice
Cold light on old buildings
Cold evening on Södermalm

Sun shining on building

Man and child on sledge

Bookshop interior
Söderbokhandeln
Women sat in cafe window
Krümel cookies

Despite everything going on in Sweden and the rest of the world, a test for the best and worst fish fingers made the papers. This headline says the winner is crispy and juicy, while the loser contains the least fish and tastes like old cloth.

Best fish fingers newspaper headline

That’s all for February!

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