It has been beautiful here for the last four days, and as you can see on this segment from the RÚV evening news, we’re absolutely reveling in it. I’ve been to the pool every day for the last three days for a spot of sunbathing and have shifted my working hours to the evening, since it’s impossible to sit inside typing away on the computer when the sun is blazingly brilliant just outside the window and everyone is out on the streets.
This amazing weather, coupled with last weekend’s Eurovision “victory”, is just what this nation needed to pull it out of the doldrums!
Temps have been around 15-20°C [I think that's around 60-70F] and Sunday was the best day as there was hardly any wind. I tried to lie outside on a bench at the pool today but lasted only a few minutes – temps were 17C but there was a chilly breeze that made it slightly unpleasant. Not that it stopped the other stalwarts – give Icelanders sunshine and they’ll take their clothes off, chilly temperatures notwithstanding.
The sun comes up early these days – this morning it was 4 am – and by 5 or so it is shining something fierce. Before we turn in for the night we’re forced to darken all our windows to stop Polly the cockatiel from whistling at the top of her lungs at that early hour, since she tends to mistake it for noon. It went down at 10.51 this evening, but even now, a few minutes past midnight, it’s like twilight outside. In fact, I don’t think it gets completely dark at all these days. 8°C [46F] right now. Due to cloud over tomorrow night, meaning we’ll be soaking up the last of the rays tomorrow.
[PS is anyone else having trouble with Firefox crashing on their machine? It's been doing that on mine for the last couple of weeks and it's annoying the hell out of me. The only thing that would annoy me more is being forced to use Internet Explorer on a regular basis. Bleh.]
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Tried Google’s Chrome browser? I’m using that on both the PC’s at my schools.
And weather’s totally lovely, yes
With a MacBook, no, no problems I’ve noticed with Firefox crashing. Although I usually use Opera.
The weather does sound lovely. As I’m used to lower latitudes, such long days (or long nights come winter) would take some getting used to.
A couple of weeks ago I was in the UK and it was about 18c and it was really hot and I was walking about in shorts & tee shirt (granted not a pretty sight). Now I am back in Sydney (Australia!) and its 22c and I am bbbrrrr freezing. And I have colleagues in Darwin (also in Australia but in the tropics) that complain it’s too cold at 25c. So can someone tell me why in cold countries warm days feel warmer than their equivalent days in warm countries?
I’ve completely switched over to Google Chrome… it’s much much faster/responsive than the other two: http://google.com/chrome . Sadly no ad-block yet, but I hear it’s in the works…
I was a winter person until I came to Iceland. With this beautiful summer, everything changed.
Eurovision (almost) victory, lovely weather… good things tend to come in threes so what awaits you?!
Actually, Internet Explorer 8 isn’t all bad, at least it imports firefox bookmarks (a first!) and has a better feel than previous versions. But Chrome is cool as well, and Opera also (and it’s part icelandic).
Anyway, the good weather. Why is it that good weather in Iceland seems somehow better than good weather in other countries? The long intervals between good days is one explanation, but there’s something more to it. Any takers? The clean air (the sky is actually blue, not misty, bluish white as in warmer climes)?
Thanks, all. I confess I hadn’t even heard of Google Chrome. Will check out. And yes, Opera being part-Icelandic I guess I might put on my patriot hat and try that, also.
As for the good weather here in Iceland – I think a combination of being starved for sunshine and the utter brilliance of the light makes it so special. There really is magic to the light here – and Iceland seems like two different countries when it is sunny and when cloudy.
Now all we need is the warm air (as opposed to the cool wind) — although if we had that, we’d probably be in serious trouble with global warming.
The Icelandic summer is so inspiring, particularly the weeks around midsummer. It is tempting to try to skip sleeping at all at this time of the year, all the more with such lovely sunny weather.
Hopefully Iceland is currently not overdrawing its due share of sunny days for this summer. Otherwise I might be told to look for the sun in, say, Tortola, the next time I come to Iceland, which is in six weeks .
No, I did not have any problems with crashing Firefox browsers but I would rather try something else before using IE – if I don’t have to.
LDE – well, if you do, would you mind looking for our money while you’re there?
I haven’t had any problems with any of the computers I work on. Windows nor Linux.
Just to make sure, are you using FireFox 3? Also, make sure you have the latest version (which currently is 3.0.10).
Hopefully Iceland is currently not overdrawing its due share of sunny days for this summer. my thought exactly :p
Grif – Hopefully Iceland is currently not overdrawing its due share of sunny days for this summer. – I doubt it. We’ve had excellent weather for the last couple of summers. I just think this is a result of global warming. (yikes!)
And yes, I’m using the latest version of FF.
My mom and I will arrive in Niceland a week from tomorrow. I hope you’ll try to arrange for some of this lovely weather while we’re visiting. The weather here in Virginia is also perfect just now. Thanks to a wet Spring, we’ve finally caught up from two years of drought. Fortunately, it’s dry here this week so everyone is out cutting hay to feed the cattle and the horses.
Can’t wait to see y’all next week!
Kerry
We hit 42c this past weekend, I’ll trade for some of your clouds.
My firefox is also crashing but I just can’t bring myself to switch browsers, but if it continues I may think of Chrome.
My Firefox has been running fine, but I’m thinking of giving Chrome a shot.
I couldn’t understand a thing they said, but I could sure tell that folks were having a good time in the sun!
As for Firefox: Yes. Seems to be related to a Flashplayer, and I see they do have an upgrade to that plug-in. Who knows if that will solve the problems.
firefox has been well-behaved for me – but I can’t use it at work, and it’s not loaded on the new laptop… so I, perhaps, use it less than you do.
Second what Hrefna says Google chrome
Chrome 2.0 was just released:
http://chrome.blogspot.com/2009/05/speedier-google-chrome-for-all-users.html
And I remembered who the “Is it true?” singer reminded me of: a young Grace Kelly…