Things

It has just started getting dark again. It's odd to get this reminder that summer is on the wane - you don't really notice so much in Britain, because the difference between summer and winter daylight is not nearly so extreme. There is something a little melancholy about it. It also seems to shift the high point of the summer earlier in the year, the solstice seems more meaningful. I had always considered high summer to be July and August, but here it's more like June. Children are still going to school in June in the UK. I'm still not used to this mindset, and imagine that because it's mid July we still have most of the summer ahead of us, but realistically most of it is actually behind us.

Although I don't actually consider that I've had "my summer" yet, because I'm still waiting for my summer trip to France, in early August. I'm going to be briefly in London for a little on the way there and the way back, first time in the UK since I left in January, and I am super excited to see people and consume some things that you can't get here. Grétar is coming with me, and after I have introduced him to the cuisine of my people (English beer, proper bacon, fish and chips, etc), we are heading on to spend a week with my parents, brother, dog and my brother's girlfriend at the parental chateau (slash house) in South West France. A week in a country where temperatures of up to thirty degrees are quite likely - possibly I will melt. I was on the phone to my mother the other day and I told her that it was a bit rainy here, but really hot, by which I meant fifteen degrees, and she said it was very rainy and rather cold, by which she meant seventeen degrees.

I am a bit upset that we will be missing Gay Pride 2012, which was a really fun day last year, but at least we'll be back in time for Menningarnótt. I'm also having my actual birthday in France, so going to be having a birthday party here in Iceland next week. Then right at the end of August I have my friend visiting from England, which ought to be a lot of fun. Loads of things to look forward to!