Midsummer Nights in CPH

These photos were taking between 11pm and midnight!

23 June 2012

2 days after the trip to Fridlandsmuseet, it was the celebration of Midsummer. It falls on the summer solstice  the longest day of the year. It got never got completely dark because Copenhagen lies just north enough to get some light from the sun, even at the dead of night. It is nothing compared to the light that I saw in St. Petersberg, since that lies even further up north, on about the same latitude as Helsinki.

my bedroom window with the pull down curtain.

But nonetheless, it was an experience, where ever I was in Russia or Scandinavia during the long summer nights. I never had trouble sleeping, as some people thought I would have. Then again I did have black out curtains in my bedroom, so that helped, especially during sunrise since it was around 4am!

Even Skyping with my family or the boyfriend was deceiving to them because I would be calling them around 9 or 10pm and there was enough sunlight to still illuminate my bedroom.
During Midsummer, on the 21st of June, the people of the city celebrate with bonfires. It originates back to the Pagan times of Scandinavia. Google that or something, I don't want to write on that.

So on the 23st, I was in studio and I knew of some of the students and my former teammates from the Holy Chapel case studies were going to go and and partake of some of the festivities along the beach or Nyhavn. I think I missed the memo, because I perhaps stayed in studio for too long and missed everyone. Too bad I didn't have anyone's number yet except for the teammates, but they were long gone at Amager strand Beach. So instead I went walking around 11pm through Nyhavn, following the scent of smoke coming from the harbor.

Indeed there were bonfires in the middle of the water on Nyhavn, so it was a sight to see. People drinking and eating on the harbor walls, and boat owners having a party of their own on deck. The dusk colored sky illuminated the city with a soft golden-blue hue, while the sun slowly began to tuck itself away from the earth.