Christmas Day in Slottskogen
Much like my wander on Christmas Eve, I took an hours break from obsessively scheduled cooking to get some air and sunlight in the nearby Slottskogen Park. Winter sun is a tricky thing, it can be very bright, but its so low in the sky that you get long shadows or it is easily hidden behind low hills or high buildings, plunging your photos into the gloom.
I walked a looping route, deliberately going up the hill where I could see Seals and Penguins. It was a somewhat poingnant sight, seeing them in captivity in the Nordics, when 9 months before I'd been walking past them in the Antarctic.
The Seals have a decent sized water tank, with some above ground lounging points, though they rarely use them that I have seen.
The penguins are in a smaller inclosure currently as renovations are occuring on the second, larger building. They have indoor and outdoor areas and a pool to swim in. People forget that Penguins are birds, and as such, are prone to flocking.
Slightly taller, with longer necks, the Penguins at Slottskogen are Humboldt rather than The Adelie, Gentoo or Chinstrap I saw in Antarctica. When not splashing in the water, they can be found, curious as all Penguins seem to be, looking back at you.
