The Centre of the Periphery

Stockholm is fantastic!

When I lived in Stockholm's centre in the 90's and missing the countryside a lot I used to joke and say that you should live in a little cottage in the countryside within walking distance to the subway.

Now I just about do - it has manifested! We live 160 meters from a Nature Reserve and 500 meters from a subway station. I took this picture some minutes ago. It is not a poster from the subway station. It's the real thing from the other side, the Nature Reserve of Lake Flaten.

Not a human being, house or car in sight, 17 minutes of subway travel from the Stockholm city centre and a beautiful short walk out into the stillness.

Of course the picture, beautiful as it is, catches but a tiny bit of the magic. Add the haunting, haunting tune of the Arctic Loon and the eau de cologne of the lilies of the valley (sorry no link...) and the spirits of the old ruins and you get a bit closer.

A bit closer to your own centre found in the stillness of the periphery.

Comments

Åke Edvinsson, 60 år

Det går nog knappt en dag utan att jag tänker i tacksamhet på dig, Åke. Alla minnen som vi delat under årens lopp blir man ju ständigt påmind om genom gamla sånger och sammanhang, människor och miljöer som poppar upp litet här och där, litet nu och då. Häromdagen slogs jag av en lust att hålla ett tacktal till dig för allt du betytt för mig, men antog att det är väl något jag kommer att skjuta upp tills din begravning - om nu inte du kommer att sjunga på min dessförinnan. Men varför vänta till dess, tänkte jag sen? Det är så dags då, nej låt mig få uttrycka detta nu! Och så vaknar jag idag och ser att du fyller 60 år! Detta är mitt tillfälle, att få skriva ett helt oförblommerat tacktal till en underbar människa som nog betytt mer för mig - och för många andra - än någon annan utanför den innersta familjekretsen! Den första gång jag såg dig var den första gång jag hörde dig; i barnkören som repade i kyrkskolan under fröken Gun Anderssons ledning. Och vi fortsatte s

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