lørdag, november 18, 2006

Darkness is just an absence of...?

This is a view out the window about 20 minutes ago, which is to say about 20 minutes before 5 in the afternoon. It could have been taken at midnight. It will stay this dark until well after 7 tomorrow morning. And the days will keep getting shorter and shorter for several more weeks. Something is seriously wrong with this latitude. Anyone looking for a reason to not move to Northern Europe, here you go.

24 kommentarer:

HB sagde ...

But the good thing is that you can stay inside with a lovely book and a cup of tea (or a good whisky), OR you can invite friends for dinner, have lots of candles, OR go for a walk outside and see how beautiful people's livingroom windows are in the darkness.. :-)

I took some pictures too, at around quarter past three today. The sun is setting. Go and have a look if you want to see a little more of Trondheim, kim!

erin sagde ...

And I thought that it was bad at the 49th parallel.

Devil Mood sagde ...

It is kind of scary. I've been freaking out myself because it gets dark at 5:30 (!) and I can't imagine what it must be like there. But the great thing is...from 21st December it will start to change - there's hope :)

Unknown sagde ...

That is bizarre, and I just learned something in geography..:-)

Anonym sagde ...

Scotland is just as bad.

Anonym sagde ...

Same here in UK, 4 in afternoon and starts getting dark...
When something like this time is going on I think of something positive so it doesn't get hold of me...
I focus on christmas around the corner and a bubble of excitment and joy pops out from inside me!!!
Cheerio darling!

Cathy sagde ...

We have the same problem here...we are probably at about the same latitude (?); I hate this about our winter.

jdbauer sagde ...

Oh jeez I know. And I get that Hygge thing going with the tea, whiskey as well, but it only goes so far. I'm not big on tea and you need to drink A LOT of whiskey really to combat the doldrums. Might I suggest 5htp?

Even before it gets dark isn't it just kind of dark all day? In that all day dusk kind of way. Inverted of the summer, when even at it's darkest is on the verge of daylight. I look at it this way. March will be here soon enough. 90 days right? *nervous laughter*

Anonym sagde ...

But what's wrong with the dark I wonder? I quite like the darkness.

Admin sagde ...

it's pretty dark here by 5.30...but not THAT dark!

Meow (aka Connie) sagde ...

In the middle of Winter, it starts to get dark about 5.30pm, and is fully dark before 6. I'm not a fan of the long dark nights. Prefer Summer, with it not getting dark until around 9pm. Much better !
Have a great week.
Take care, Meow

Stranger sagde ...

The worst for me with the darkness is that I walk around in a zombie-like sleepwalking trance. Does not impress my colleagues at work.

Daphnewood sagde ...

I remember those days from when we lived in Berlin. I actually liked it. But I am like a moth. I love lights and am inexplicably attracted to them. Lights are always prettier at night.

What's Haute sagde ...

wow, crazy! i won't be moving to europe anytime soon!

Scholiast sagde ...

It does seem almost as dark there in the winter as it does up north where I'm from... (The sun's actually gone from Svolvær for a month. But it seems like gone from Oslo too...)

On the other hand - Svolvær gets midnight sun for 2 months in the summer, and what do you get...? ;)

Anyway - how about the coming-over-for-cheese-visit you were talking about? There are ships daily, but you probably know that?!?

i'm marion sagde ...

My friend in Sweden goes to light therapy three times a week in winter. An alternative would be some sort of chocolate - tea - fleece blanket - book - candles - music therapy...

sophie sagde ...

YOU are the only reason i need to
move to Northern Europe:)

Chipper sagde ...

Ok, now that seriously does dampen my resolve to move there! Yeesh--now that's just a bit gloomy!

Lotus Reads sagde ...

It does look gloomy...but no less or more than Ontario in the winter. One just has to turn one's evenings into TV, book or boardgame fests, I suppose :)

Sadi sagde ...

WOW!! I get too much sun, youjust don't get enough. I wish there was a happy middle!!

David Edward sagde ...

i DO like southern Calif for the light we get and the moderate temps.
today I was splitting firewood in a T-shirt and shorts.

winter dark days usually make me a bit down. had to start on meds again.

x sagde ...

in Edinburgh the street lights were on at 3 in the afternoon.
But hey, you've got longer summer days too.

kimananda sagde ...

HB, I totally agree...in December. This was just in that initial adjustment phase, which seemed to be more difficult this year, for some reason. Now, we have the Julefrokost season, and it's a lot more hyggelig!

Erin, nope, it's bad everywhere equally.
;-)

Ms. Mood, I'm looking forward to post 21 December, though I'm more used to the darkness at this point. And, I'll be visiting my family during the darkest time of the year, and they're further South.

Day, yep, I've actually given up riding my bicycle because I hate biking in the dark, and it's always dark when I am off of work.

Tiffany, nope, not bizarre, just North. ;-)

Kunstemæcker, makes sense...I think that Copenhagen is about the same distance North as Edinburgh.

Angela, good advice. The light problem didn't bother me as much when I was living in London, but that could be just because I was doing more in the evenings, and so didn't notice as much. Oh, and welcome!

Cathy, I wouldn't be surprised. I always thought, when I lived further South, that the cold in the winter would get me down, but really it's the dark that does it, isn't it?

Mr. Heartburn, yep, grey all the time. Although I wonder if it's more noticeable this year because there hasn't been so much rain to take our minds off it? Which is not something I'd complain about.

Fly, I like the dark too, once I get used to it. But there's always that time of not being able to get up in the morning because there's no sunlight to wake you. Now I'm used to it, so it's not so bad.

Vesper, just wait, it'll get darker. ;-)

Meow, yep, the summer makes up for the darkness in winter...it's just hard to remember that in winter! How late is it staying light there in the summery Southern hemisphere?

Kelly, I think my colleagues could relate to your colleagues then, and trade stories!

Daphnewood, I love lights at night...part of problem though is that we are in a small suburb without so much street light. That could be why I notice the darkness more this year.

Haute Girl, welcome...and don't be scared, just move to Europe in the Summer, so you have some time to adjust!

Scholiast, I'd love to see midnight sun...as it is, I'm a total fan of light until 11ish, and then again at 4am (what we get here). And, when would you like a guest? Maybe in the Spring sometime? My one visit to Norway, Thor and I did the cruise to Oslo, then 7 hours in Oslo, then the cruise back. It was (expensive but) fun!

Marion, I've been going for chocolate. It works pretty well, actually.

Mr. American, yep, the Summer makes it all worthwhile, but the dark does take some getting used to.

Sophie, you are the sweetest! :-)

Etchen, welcome back! :-) And, nope, not gloomy, just dark!

Lotus, books are a blessing on winter nights. Or just the companionship of friends and loved ones.

Sara, welcome. I would like a happy middle in the winter, but in the summer, I'm glad that it's the way it is. It just takes reminding of this every now and again.

David, yep, I miss moderate temps. Enjoy them for me, yes?

Chloe, I'm glad to see you out and about. And definitely, the longer summer days are wonderful.
:-)

Anonym sagde ...

I am considering moving to Copenhagen from Dallas. This might be the most difficult thing to deal with.

I am Etchen's friend. I would like to exchange emails sometime so I can get a feel for what to expect.