Day 134-Uppstigningardagur

   May 17-The Icelandic Constitution states that "the Evangelical Lutheran Church is a national church and as such it is protected and supported by the state."  Since Iceland essentially adopted the contemporary Danish Constitution when they declared independence in 1944 (except that the powers of the monarch were transferred to a President), this statement may not necessarily reflect a conscious attempt by Icelanders to  adopt a state religion.  Nonetheless, Constitutions have consequences, and the biggest consequence of this statement is that Icelanders get a number of religious holidays that are hardly noticed in the U.S.  Today is an excellent example of this as the government offices, including schools, shut down for Ascension Day.  From our discussions with locals, this is somewhat the equivalent of Memorial Day in the U.S. and unofficially marks the beginning of summer.  Instead of the flocking to campsites, though, this means that Icelanders start working on their gardens and yards.  However, the cool spring over here has put a damper on that activity for the people we talked to.

Clothes drying at 11 pm.  Nope, not dark yet!

   We all slept in and used the holiday for relaxation.  The weather was mixed with some sun and some clouds and rain, so the kids mostly stayed inside, but they also did get some outdoor activities in as well.  Sally worked on the final exam she would give to her class the next day, and Shan put the washing machine to use.  Its small size was a little frustrating at first: five bathtowels almost overload it!  Since there is no dryer and all we have is one drying rack, the small loads and length of the washing cycle (well over an hour) actually work out quite well.  Laundry should no longer be one intense day of work, but instead will be low-intensity work spread out over each day.  Fun, fun!