So last night they have this interview programme on TV, where a woman is introducing the Reykjavík International Film Festival, which begins today.

YT: [idly, to EPI, over dinner] That’s funny, I thought the film festival wasn’t until next month.

EPI: [idly, to YT, chewing] No, it’s tomorrow. It starts tomorrow.

YT: Hm. I could have sworn it started next month.

[Fast-forward about 20 minutes. YT and EPI have fininshed dinner and are online, trying to find film festival programme. YT accesses site.]

YT: See!

[Sure enough, up in the corner: Iceland Film Festival – 26 October – 14 November.]

YT: … I just read this morning, Quentin Tarantino’s coming and that was s’posed to be in November.

EPI: OK, but what about that Iranian director? Click on the programme link…

[Iranian director not found. EPI and YT stare at screen in sheer confusion.]

EPI: [Slowly] Could there be… another festival?

YT: Pfft! Another festival? Two international film festivals in one month? – Don’t think so.

EPI: Yes, but the other one was a Reykjavík film festival.

[Dum dum]

EPI: Do a search.

[YT obliges]

EPI: See!

Conclusion: there are two major film festivals on in the City of Reykjavík [pop. 179,000] within one month. The Reykjavík and the Icelandic. And not only that, but as regular readers may recall, there was also an Iceland Film Festival last spring. Count ‘em: three major international film festivals in one year.

Plus the week-long Reykjavík Jazz Festival is also kicking off today.

And the Iceland Airwaves music festival starts on 19 October.

And as we know, the Reykjavík International Literature Festival has just finished.

Is it all a bit much?

[I think I’ll go crawl into bed with a book.]

AND THE WEATHER IS?
At this very moment, godawful. Seriously. Rain hammering against my windowpane, stormy and dark, wind gusts coming off the open sea that is just a block away. Glad to be inside, uh-huh. Unlike AAH, who has gone off at this late hour to the sun studio that is next to the video store that is next to Dominoes Pizza, that is just a couple blocks away. She’ll get soaked. But should dry out on the sun bench. Temps at the moment 3°C and daybreak 06.43, nightfall 19.51.