Happy Summer Solstice

If you're quick, there's still a few minutes to get out and watch the sunrise.

 

I'm a Finn and sorely miss the Midsummer fest. Obviously of a pagan origin, politically correctly renamed for St John, it's the most authentic Finnish celebration.

The tradition is to get drunk, get into the hems of Mother Nature (in that order, causing several drunk driving arrests), light a bonfire, drink, get some serious Saunaing done, dismiss the burns, drink more, swim/ go boating in one of the 187888 lakes, drown, drink some more. I believe midsummer is a contributing factor to the fact that the country (larger than the UK) has a population of only 5 million.

The midnight sun is magical though, even in the south it's sort of hazy twilighty at the darkest. The evening birds stop singing, there is a short pause, and then the morning birds start.

Happy Midsummer everyone!

 

That depends on where we live @Scrungee. Sunrise here was at 4.18 am.

 

Live streaming from Stonehenge, you don't even need to get out of bed to watch it this year, which is a good thing as the forecast for Amesbury tomorrow is heavy rain at 'sunrise'.

English Heritage

 

Officially, it's the fête of St Jean Baptiste here...French bonfire and firework night :-) Recently been re-invented as La Fête de la Musique, but there'll be very few concerts this year.

 

Well, that saved many hours of lost sleep, loads of driving, paying for parking, a long walk to and from the car parking and standing in pouring rain to see nothing

 

I got up to see the sun rise in England's most easterly place. Lots of people down at Ness Point.