Pilgrimage

Dear Readers,

One of the favorite pastimes for Helsinki folk, particularly for students and young travelers, is to take the ferry, or "booze-cruise," or "love boat" (one usually leads to the other) to Stockholm. Now that I live in Helsinki and Stockholm is so close by, and is Pettersson's home, it seems only appropriate that I make the pilgrimage to the great master's home city. 

Pettersson grew up in a section of Stockholm called Södermalm, which was a slum during Pettersson's childhood but seems to be quite the hip neighborhood today. A lot can happen to a city in 100 years--in fact, just look at what has happened to East Berlin in the past 20 years!

Apologies if this entry looks a bit cluttered. Blogger is not a easy place to manipulate pictures!

Segerstam conducts Pettersson Seven in May!

Corner of Skånegatan and Nytorget.

From what I read, Pettersson's childhood home was on Skånegatan 87, facing the public square called Nytorget. 

Nytorget.

On this beautiful day, many people were out on Nytorget enjoying the sun.

Skånegatan 87.

Pettersson's family lived in the cellar level of Skånegatan 87. I wonder if those windows used to have bars over them, and if the nice café terrace is outside the master's very boyhood home?

Pettersson apparently lived on a street called Åsögatan, but I have no more information beyond that.

Looking east on Åsögatan.

Looking west on Bastugatan.

Towards the end of his life Pettersson moved into a house on Bastugatan 30, which was a great improvement over his previous living conditions. On the eastern end of this street is a rather steep hill, which I doubt Pettersson could have managed on his own.

 

 

Bastugatan 30.

Bastugatan 30 is fenced off, and there is no indication anywhere nearby that this is the location where Pettersson lived. 

 

Standing on the rocks and placing my camera over the fence, I got a picture of the house which is presumably where Pettersson lived.

 

Behind Bastugatan 30 is a beautiful view of the city.