From Ambassador (June in Iceland)

The number of infections of the new coronavirus in Iceland has decreased further since May, and the life seems to be almost back to normal for now. Roads in Reykjavik, which had been completely empty before, are now getting congested during the peak hours in mornings and evenings.
 
As of the 15th of June, the Icelandic government eased the restrictions that allows the residents of the U.K., EU and other Schengen states to enter Iceland by either taking the PCR test at the airport or observing self-quarantine for 14 days after the entry. This new option, the PCR test at the airport, will be offered free of charge until the end of June (15,000 ISK per person after July 1st). It was a necessary decision for Iceland to start accepting foreign tourists before the holiday season starts in order to maintain tourism as one of the most important industries. The result of the new measure came rather quickly and as many as 900 inbound visitors were recorded in just one day, on June 15th.
 
The day is getting longer and longer in Iceland and it is bright even at midnight now. The midnight sun peaks on the summer solstice, the 20th of June, and you can even enjoy playing golf under the midnight sun. The temperature goes up to 15 degrees Celsius on a sunny windless day, but you would feel even warmer if only Iceland did not have constant wind all around. Iceland is often described as a land of “No Green”, but apart from the inland, we see grasses everywhere and people enjoy growing tulips and other flowers in their garden in Reykjavik. Summer is the best holiday season for Icelanders, while the dark long winter is spent for longer workhours and readings.

On the 17th of June, Iceland celebrated its independence day. It is a birthday of Jón Sigurðsson, who led the Icelandic independence movement in the 19th century under the control of Denmark, and the day was made as an independence day in honour of Jón Sigurðsson after Iceland gained the independence in 1944.  All the diplomatic corps were invited to the independence ceremony. The ceremony was divided into two parts; first, there were a mass and preaching at the church next to the Parliament (Althing). After that, Mr. Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, President of Iceland, devoted flowers in front of the statue of Jón Sigurðsson, and Ms. Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime minister of Iceland, gave a speech praising Jón Sigurðsson’s achievements and mentioned that he would be proud of Iceland knowing that we have handled the corona virus pandemic with the united efforts of the people. She also claimed that it is necessary to pay close attention to the risks of opening the border on the 15th of June as Iceland is still suffering from economic losses and unemployment from the hardship in March and April. In the end of the ceremony, we enjoyed a choir singing the Icelandic national anthem and a band with brass instruments performing from the second floor window of Althing. Unfortunately, due to the current situation, there was a limit on bringing a guest to the ceremony so I could not bring my wife with me. I enjoyed the ceremony and the weather nevertheless.
 
It seems like Iceland's height of summer is coming shortly.