On Stockholm’s winter light and wishing I needed to wear sunglasses

January 31, 2014

in Dark winters & light summers,Living in Sweden

Stockholm Sunlight view over Södermalm. The sun came out for about 20 minutes, so I had to take some photos to prove that it happened.

 

While I was back in Cincinnati, I loved every minute of the extra hours of daylight there. In comparison to Stockholm, the longer days of sunlight and even just how much higher the sun is in the sky made a huge difference in my mood. It made me happy. I even had to wear sunglasses while I was there. (I haven’t worn sunglasses here since September.)

Because not only does the sun not get very high in the sky thanks to the short days, it’s also been enormously gray.

I got back to Stockholm on January 17th. Since then, I’ve seen maybe two hours of sunlight. In total. Today it’s a particularly penetrating, deep and thick gray. But snow is supposed to be coming, so I am OK with that.

As for how I am coping with the lack of sun, well, I am coping actually. March is coming and daylight hours will be changing rapidly then. And I’ve been taking vitamin D, getting out when I can, exercising. But check in with me again next week. It’s usually the build-up of gray over time that gets me.

 

Stockholm I love the colors here in the icy water.

 

Stockholm It was cold out, but still so good to see the light.

 

{ 2 comments }

1 Miss Footloose | Life in the Expatlane January 31, 2014 at 15:38

Can’t imagine how hard it is to live in so much darkness and grayness for months on end! Of course during the summer it is reversed.

I’ve been in the Eastern US since Christmas and we’re in a deep freeze here, with snow everywhere but the sun shining. If you’re in a warm house, it is very bright and cheery with the light of the sun shining on the snow pouring in through the windows. But the cold outside! It doesn’t get dark now until 5:30 which is great. I do not like the short winter months.

Back in the south of France in a couple of weeks, where it’s not so cold, but apparently rather gray and cheerless.

Where’s the perfect climate? I hear New Zealand, but it’s too far and they’ve got earth quakes….

Stay warm and may light and spring come soon for you!

2 Sandra February 7, 2014 at 10:46

Miss Footloose, Thanks so much for your kind words. It has been an exceptionally gray and not very snowy winter in this part of the world.
Luckily, I will escape for a bit soon with a trip to summer in Australia!

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