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Autumn From The Air

Botkyrka & Salem in Stockholm County, Sweden

By Daniel Kennett

November 1^st, 2018

I love the seasons in this part of Sweden. Compared to my home country of England, they have so much energy. In summer you're swimming in the lake, wearing as little as possible and generally wishing everywhere has air conditioning. A few months later, you're wading through snow wearing layer upon layer of wool and warmth.

Autumn is my favourite season, though. It's so fast — blink, and you'll miss it. This year, at the beginning of October, the trees were still green with the odd flame of red shining through.

Just a week later, all of the deciduous trees wore bright, firey colours. The combination of deciduous and evergreen trees, and the fact that they seem to prefer their own kind's company, can provide some some interesting shapes and borders only visible from above.

Of course, it wouldn't be Stockholm without water. I live close to Mälaren, a huge system of lakes that runs from Stockholm city centre right into the heart of Sweden. The lake drains into the Baltic Sea, which means it has a slow current.

Here, we can see the current disturbing mud around an underwater rock.

The once-crowded waters of Mälaren are now quiet, with most of the boats already hoisted out of the water for winter storage. The odd lonely sailboat dots an otherwise empty view for a few cold fishermen.

Just three weeks after that first flash of red, the deciduous trees have succumbed to the cold as we start to dig out our winter clothing, our boots, and our firewood. The sun rises late and sets early, giving cold, misty mornings and pitch black commutes home.