Around Stockolm, March 2021

March was the month of frozen water, sporadic snowfall, colourful feathers for Easter, warm sun, a handful of coat free days, anti-vax protests (not us), pockets of coarse grit on pavements and tiny purple flowers called blåsippa.

I’m amazed the water stayed frozen for most of the month. We had a few thawed days but it didn’t take long for the ice to return.

Not much deters people living in Nordic countries from sitting outside during Winter. Some sit and have fika, others cook hotdogs on one of the many grills dotted around parks and water spots. Doesn’t matter if everything is frozen solid, just wrap up well.

We stumbled across a small sandy beach with these wooden jetties. The ice was a couple of inches thick but it’ll be a great swim spot in a few weeks time. I say that but plenty of people ice bathe.

These feathers on sticks are an Easter decoration called Påskris. You see them everywhere in March — for sale in shops, poked into pots and tied to trees.

These two photos show the difference a few days make. We went out to take photos in the blizzard and only lasted fifteen minutes. The cold wind whipping off the water made my face burn. And I ended up hands like a pair of ham hocks because I forgot to take gloves.

I don’t have much else to document about the city during March. The month flew by and I really can’t remember a great deal beyond the ice! But I’m pleased with this set of photos, so that’s something.