Sunshine!
When I first arrived in London, all those months ago, Londoners were still basking in the shade of one of their longest and hottest summers on record. Areas like Richmond, situated on the Thames and known for its parklands (and deer), were filled with people jogging and taking long walksEenerally doing all that stuff I usually associate with Haberfield and Drummoyne in Sydney’s inner west.
On my first day in London, as I walked up to Hamstead High Street even I was surprised at how hot it was. On my first weekend in London I did the touristy things like walk around Westminster, Trafalgar Square etc and obviously ended up in St James Park, where I was amazed to find a pod of Londoners stripped to the waist, renting deck chairs and sunbathing in the park Etrying vainly to catch the last of the sun they would experience for months. The day was sort of early autumn warm but no where near warm enough to be exposing yourself, while sober and in the company of children in my mind.
Needless to say October turned to November, November to December and so on and so on. Culminating in me getting up in the dark, having lunch in the dark and genuinely wondering how it is that the Brits survive without sunshine. I have since had it explained to me that some people buy synthetic full spectrum light boxes to mimic sunlight. The London Science Museum has a cafEwhere you can sit for 20 minutes in such a synthetic light atmosphere. This is what my life has become, researching ways of finding synthetic sunshine to trick my mind into believing that I don’t live in weather conditions similar to a cave!
However, today I woke up and the sun was up and the sky cloudless.
Indeed, looking out from my window to what can only be described as a sunny and warm day I suddenly got why Londoners strip off their clothes at the first sign of sunlight. The cafes around my house are positively brimming with people all eating al fresco. Parks are filled with children playing football and people reading their papers on park benches.
I spent 4 hours wandering around with no particular purpose or destination, just wandering to absorb some much needed vitamin D. As a consequence of this day of meteorological beauty my vitamin D stocks are again normal and I have that slightly manic high that comes from having your serotonin levels readjust.
So manic in fact that I began to convince myself that the weather’s not so bad and maybe my plans to travel the entire of March and half of April to anywhere sunny was a bit of an over reaction. However, I have just checked the weather forecast and can look forward to 10 straight days of solid rain. Given the site only projects as far out as 10 days, I may in fact have longer to live my entire life inside.
Needless to say, tomorrow I’m going to find the science museum and I’m going to book trips to Egypt and Morocco!
On my first day in London, as I walked up to Hamstead High Street even I was surprised at how hot it was. On my first weekend in London I did the touristy things like walk around Westminster, Trafalgar Square etc and obviously ended up in St James Park, where I was amazed to find a pod of Londoners stripped to the waist, renting deck chairs and sunbathing in the park Etrying vainly to catch the last of the sun they would experience for months. The day was sort of early autumn warm but no where near warm enough to be exposing yourself, while sober and in the company of children in my mind.
Needless to say October turned to November, November to December and so on and so on. Culminating in me getting up in the dark, having lunch in the dark and genuinely wondering how it is that the Brits survive without sunshine. I have since had it explained to me that some people buy synthetic full spectrum light boxes to mimic sunlight. The London Science Museum has a cafEwhere you can sit for 20 minutes in such a synthetic light atmosphere. This is what my life has become, researching ways of finding synthetic sunshine to trick my mind into believing that I don’t live in weather conditions similar to a cave!
However, today I woke up and the sun was up and the sky cloudless.
Sunshine in London!
Indeed, looking out from my window to what can only be described as a sunny and warm day I suddenly got why Londoners strip off their clothes at the first sign of sunlight. The cafes around my house are positively brimming with people all eating al fresco. Parks are filled with children playing football and people reading their papers on park benches.
Thornhill Green, Islington
I spent 4 hours wandering around with no particular purpose or destination, just wandering to absorb some much needed vitamin D. As a consequence of this day of meteorological beauty my vitamin D stocks are again normal and I have that slightly manic high that comes from having your serotonin levels readjust.
So manic in fact that I began to convince myself that the weather’s not so bad and maybe my plans to travel the entire of March and half of April to anywhere sunny was a bit of an over reaction. However, I have just checked the weather forecast and can look forward to 10 straight days of solid rain. Given the site only projects as far out as 10 days, I may in fact have longer to live my entire life inside.
Needless to say, tomorrow I’m going to find the science museum and I’m going to book trips to Egypt and Morocco!
Australian Traveller
Flashes of memories
Enjoy your travels - the place grows on you and one day you will find it difficult to leave, even if it is cold and rainy