legendary

Today is the kind of day that makes everyone fall in love with Iceland. It's warm (although when I look at the forecast it turns out it's only about 60 degrees f), golden sunny, and with the lightest of breezes. The cafes have put all their tables out and they are all full, people taking leisurely lunches, stretching out their bare feet to the sun. I can hardly believe it's Iceland, so green and fragrant is this place. There are roses blooming on the main square, and walking through the neighborhood is a craze of summer smells- freshly clipped grass, lilacs (or something that closely resembles them), and crisp breezes from the sea. This is why everyone stoically deals with those months of darkness and unpredictable weather- one day like this and it is almost entirely forgotten.

In other news of Icelandic legends, the nightlife here is something that is often discussed as the Most Amazing Party Scene, and I am not sure if it lives up to that billing after my few months here. People from all over the world plan trips here for bachelor parties, crazy weekends of decadence, and hopefully a hookup with an Icelandic girl (seems like it's always guys that want to take this kind of trip).

Based on my experience of this place, the nightlife can either feel too small or just right, with most of the bars and clubs in a walkable downtown area. No place is exclusively a bar or dance club either, so you could spend a whole day in a place, starting with coffee and magazines, then ordering dinner, followed by drinks at the bar, and finally moving to the back where the disco ball and colored lights add dance club ambiance. It makes for a strange mix at the transitional times when some people are finishing up their coffee and others are getting into the beers and cocktails.

The other really special thing about going out here is that if you're with a group, there are inevitably encounters with old friends, cousins, or former co-workers, who get absorbed into the group with much hugging and kissing. It has the feeling of being someone's house party without the dirty dishes in the sink, especially since so many of these bars and cafes still retain so many details from their former lives as homes. This camaraderie is one of the best parts of going out here- after being here for a few months, it's a rare night that doesn't turn up some acquaintance. Of course, if you're out late enough, and everyone's had enough glasses of Víking, even people you've never met start to seem like old buddies. Maybe that's the charm of the place after all, and why people love coming here.

These summer days when night never falls also have a certain timeless magic. Why does it matter if you stay out until five am when it's bright all the time? You'll be sleeping in the light no matter when you go home. To keep things feeling mysterious and nightlife-y and to give everyone the added gloss of intrigue that darkness offers, most places do try to create the atmosphere of evening with heavy curtains. Still, the curtains can always be pulled open to reveal the pink clouds and baby-blue sky that is "night" in July.

At the end of the evening when the curtains are opened, the music trails off, and the crowds pour onto the street, the festive atmosphere clings to the streets as people stop for hotdogs, waffles, kebabs, and sandwiches before dispersing into the morning sun-glow to sleep half the next day away. A curious way to spend a weekend but worth it once in a while.

Ship sighting: There's a sailing race going on now, a distance sailing race from France to Iceland called Skippers d'Islande. Yesterday the boats must have been arriving or leaving Reykjavík, so the harbor was swooping with white sails in front of Akrafjall. Based on the course map, they're heading to their final destination in Grundarfjörður further north. I also saw the research ship Seeadler I mentioned last post. It's still here, tied up at the main dock, and is due to depart tomorrow.