Life Lately: Summer is Over

 
Summer is over…

Well, August is almost over. And although the weather may be summery, the sun is shining etc, September is the beginning of autumn (at least in Finland).  

Is it just me, or has this summer gone by so fast? I mean, I feel as if I’ve barely had time to realise it is summer… Or maybe I’ve been so busy with all sorts of things that I haven’t really had time to just stop and enjoy the summer? Quite sad, really, if you think about it…

So, what have I been doing this summer, then?

Well, I’ve continued my decluttering marathon (seriously, how much stuff can we have in a tiny one bedroom flat???). And I’ve travelled a bit. There was the brief trip to Barcelona for my birthday in early June, for starters.

Other than that, June was just work, work and more work. Till Midsummer, that is. That’s when all Finns go on holiday. Well, maybe not all Finns, but the city always seems a bit empty suddenly: all you see is lots of tourists, wondering what happened to the locals as there are so few people around…

Right, let’s move on to July… That seems like such a long time ago. What was I doing in July?

Oh, yes, I spent a few days (or a week, whatever) in the U.K., where we have a house (as my husband works there). I had all these plans of decluttering the house etc. Needless to say I did nothing of the sort. Didn’t see anybody either (except our lovely neighbours, of course). Brexit Britain is so depressing: full of raving maniacs and xenophobes. To be honest, I prefer to stay away as much as possible, and whenever I’m there, I tend to stay indoors rather than risk meeting the above-mentioned raving maniacs or xenophobes…

So, we escaped the Island of Lost Souls (a.k.a Brexitania) to the safety of the ‘free world’ (a.k.a Germany) as soon as hubby’s holiday started. 

Why Germany, you might ask. Well, it is Professor M’s native land, and summer is a good opportunity to see some of his relatives, or just tour the country a bit.

This time we spent a few days in Munich before going to Dortmund. It was awfully hot, which made sightseeing a bit challenging… OK, I admit: I did everything possible to avoid spending time outdoors. I even went to a museum.

It’s not that I hate museums; I just like them in small doses. More to the point, I prefer smaller, well-curated museums. For me, an hour in a museum is enough; after that I can’t focus on anything anymore, and it just becomes too much. Apparently, for me,  less is more when it comes to museums, too…

Anyway… In Munich we visited the Deutsches Museum. Yes, the largest science  and technology museum in the world…  Not a good idea. After the first couple of rooms I was exhausted, and ready to leave. Or at least find the coffee shop. Which isn’t easy, by the way: you have to tour the whole damn building to find the exit…

But the first couple of rooms were interesting: old boats and airplanes, and wacky demonstrations with loud noise and crackling electricity. Very steampunk, mad scientist stuff…

But that wasn’t the only museum visit: there was also a fantastic Carl Strathmann exhibition in Munchner Stadtmuseum (Art Nouveau paintings). It was very interesting, and so much more manageable (= you could easily spend and hour looking at the paintings and leave feeling invigorated and inspired instead of overwhelmed and exhausted).

And then there was another Art Nouveau exhibition (sorry, no pictures) in Riga, Latvia, where we spent a day before returning to Finland. And it was awfully hot in Finland, too. And we needed to escape it somehow.

Hmm, there’s a theme emerging here. No, not the hot weather, but my new-found appreciation for museums… So, back in Helsinki I finally had an opportunity to visit a small museum I’ve been wanting to visit for ages:  Didrichsen Art Museum: 

Looking back it seems my July was indeed busy.

And August… Well, August has been busy, too, but with work. I usually teach an intensive course in August, which means that the whole month seems a bit of a blur… But that’s what work is like, anyway, when it gets busy.

So, summer is over… Autumn means of course a busy work schedule, some more decluttering (will it ever end?), and a gradual transition to cooler weather. I don’t miss the summer heatwaves, but do feel that summer went by so incredibly fast. Is that what it’s like getting older? Time seems to speed up? Or maybe it’s me, forgetting how to slow down…

How was your summer? 

Tiina

PS: Have seen the latest Dilettante Artist post?

Linking up with:

Not Dead Yet Style, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, High Latitude Style, Style Elixir, A Labour of Life, Curly Crafty Mom, Fashion Should Be Fun, Color and Grace, The Wardrobe Stylist, Not Dressed As Lamb, Style Nudge, Living on Cloud Nine, A Well Styled Life, Elegance and Mommyhood. Posh Classy Mom, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Shelbee on the Edge, A Pocketful of Polka Dots Style Splash, The Fashionista Momma, Tina’s Pink Friday, Away from the Blue, Mummabstylish , Mutton Years Style and I