66 Comments
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Klamo's avatar

Oh yes, I'm all for slikke solskin, but then I'm what they call in Flemish "een zonneaanbidder", someone who likes to sit in the sun and soak up its warmth and light. And yes, even the tiniest ray of sunlight makes me happy.

søren k. harbel's avatar

Hey Klamo! That is definitely the right attitude! When from the north, you take what you can get!! Thank you for reading.

Holly's avatar

Give me allllll the sun.

Lost in your photos and writing once again…in the best way.

søren k. harbel's avatar

Thank you, Holly! I am so grateful to see you here…

Juliette Mansour's avatar

Hi Søren! It took me a while to finally read this. The timing was excellent! We just landed after a nice week of vacation of licking sunshine!!☀️ As we sat on the plane due to a delay in getting us a proper exit ramp, they turned off the air-conditioning so we were sitting here sweltering tin can. So I pulled this up … my partner and I read it together and both thoroughly enjoyed it! What a lovely post and thank you!!

søren k. harbel's avatar

Hey Juliette, I am honoured to be joining you in what passes as transportation these days. I hope you had a great trip, and thank you so much for the lovely comment!

Ruth Stroud's avatar

"Licking sunshine"--that is quite profound, as are your photos. I just love them and the words and philosophy behind them. Living in almost constant sunshine here in Southern California, I might not appreciate the sun as much as those who live in colder, cloudier places, but the magic connection between the faces and the sun that bestows its blessing is so beautifully rendered in your photos that you can't help but be moved. Thanks, Søren.

søren k. harbel's avatar

I hear you, Ruth! Those of us less shun upon tend to crave it. It is the break from the dark, which is what makes licking sunshine so attractive. I am so grateful you like the photos. I smile when I look at them. Many thanks for the wonderful comment, Ruth!

Andrea Eschen's avatar

I love these photos. I'm surprised you haven't caught me in a pose like that for a photo. I find myself in that position almost whenever the sun is out on a cool day. One time my race toward the sun caused a near disaster. When I was living on a farm-commune in New Hampshire, I was put in charge of supervising the maple sap boiling on the stove. I stepped out on the back porch to catch a ray of sun on a cold May day and I got a little carried away. The owner found me on the porch eyes closed. She told me the maple sap had boiled over and the sap-syrup had covered the counter, stovetop, and floor. I spent the rest of the day cleaning up.

Those poses can have perilous consequences but mostly pleasurable ones :)

søren k. harbel's avatar

Ohhh no! And maple syrup , sugar? The worst to clean!! But I bet the warm sun was nice. Many thanks for reading and your lovely comment, Andrea, I chuckled 🤭

Manuela Thames's avatar

As I am currently sitting in an air conditioned home while it is almost 38 degrees Celsius and 80% humidity out there, I so appreciate this post. : ) I love summer, but sometimes the heat does get a bit much, although I am determined to embrace this season with all I have got until we get to below zero temperatures again.

I also really appreciate the introduction to this fun expression "slikke soskin". It makes me smile and it is honestly delightful to think about it this way. As someone who loves languages and the origin of words, I appreciate this educational essay. The images are so lovely as well as they truly express the delight of "licking the sun".

I know the word "hygge" is so common nowadays. I would be curious to know how it is misunderstood and how best to actually understand it. If you want to write about this at some point....

søren k. harbel's avatar

Hey Manuela, thank you so much for your great comment. These temperature extremes are something. I lived in Toronto for a while and Spring was 2 hours on Thursday. It was like someone flicked a switch and we went from deep frost to high, humid heat! Growing up in Scandinavia, licking sunshine is truly a thing! Many thanks!

I am happy you like the term. I will write to you separately about 'hygge'.

Stella Kalaw's avatar

Love these, Søren! So incredibly grateful to live in the Bay Area where the temps through the summer hover in the mid 70s. And your pictures reminded me of the moments where I used to spot many folks soaking in those last bit sunshine sitting in park benches or lying in grassy areas beside their discarded lunch before heading back to their office buildings.

søren k. harbel's avatar

Hey Stella! You have the same temperature profile, as I do these days. But back then, up north, it was most definitely a thing to look forward to, those first rays in the spring.... Thank you for reading and a great comment!

Anne Silver Mondinot's avatar

Thank you for enriching my vocabulary in such a delightful way!! What a blissful thing, licking sunshine as the world starts to shed its winter skin.

søren k. harbel's avatar

Thank you, Anne! I am glad. I grew up with it, and it is an everyday expression, but I think it really works. Thank you for your kind comment!

Leon Goossens's avatar

Tak Søren! Wonderful and I love this photo series

søren k. harbel's avatar

Thank you, Leon! Many thanks.

Todd Haughton's avatar

Wonderful photos, Søren! I can feel contentment radiating from each person as they soak in the warm rays. Thanks for sharing!

søren k. harbel's avatar

Thank you, Todd! I do think they are content. There is a joy, I find, which is contagious.

Marcel Borgstijn's avatar

I will add that word to my dictionary.

søren k. harbel's avatar

Thank you, Marcel! And, thank you for reading and commenting, as always!

Juliette Mansour's avatar

I can’t wait to read this one when I get back on the road!

Ruben Vicente's avatar

Always learning through your articles. I confirm we have no similar expression in portuguese but we do the same thing, normally in winter. The Lisbon spring sun, at least for me, tends to be too strong to handle.

søren k. harbel's avatar

Hey Ruben, I had to laugh… where I come from, there is no such thing as sun in winter! But, I completely get it. Thank you for reading and your great comment!

Ralph Turner's avatar

A great set of images, Søren - very fitting. Licking sunshine - what a wonderfully quirky, but apt term for this little ritual that I suspect many folks engage in. I know I do🌞. Your little poem at the end captures the essence of it beautifully. Thanks for sharing.

søren k. harbel's avatar

Thank you, Ralph! I am no poet, but I was trying to come up with some kind of definition that didn’t sound too encyclopedic. Anyways… 😃

Many thanks for the lovely comment!

J. Ashley Nixon's avatar

A lovely set of solar observations.

søren k. harbel's avatar

Many thanks! J. Ashley Nixon! (sounds very formal!) 😃 Thank you very much for reading and the kind words.

Janet Brown's avatar

Slikke solskin is perfect, and I speak as someone who used to live 100 miles from the Arctic Circle. What’s the phrase for winter darkness?

søren k. harbel's avatar

Mørketid, or den mørke tid (either is fine, the second is more formal). It literally means the dark time. In the fall you will often hear 'gå den mørke tid imøde' which directly translated mean to be 'walking towards the dark time'.

Janet Brown's avatar

“Walking toward the dark time” is absolutely true and poetic.