When the Sun Comes Out

When the sun is shining, and it's warm, this country could be one of the best on earth. At least this city.
The sun was out all last week.
It's gone now. It's gonna rain all week.
So before I forget, I gotta tell you about it.
Went for two long afternoon bike rides around the neighborhood when the sun was out. Down by the River Thames and cruising around all our nearby parks.
We've got this rambling historical property near here -- an 18th century Royal house and gardens -- that is simply astounding.
They've just completed a multi-million-pound renovation of the house and gardens too.
It's all just pristine now.
Like only the English can do.
The lawns a carpet of green, the hedges perfectly trimmed, the flowers in harmonious symphony.
And everyone's in a great mood when the sun's out, everyone outside in every combination, doing everything you can think of. Most people live in small places here, so they gather on the greens when the sun comes out.
Which are all beautifully maintained.
And there's lots of them in London.
Women strip down to their underwear to get a bit of sun; guys throw frisbees; families play football. Dogs run without leashes. Kids romp around.
It is so chill.
Nothing like this in Italy.
The councils wouldn't keep up the greens, the Italians wouldn't pick up after their dogs, so many reasons this can't exist there.
And in the States, everyone lives far from each other, and goes everywhere by car. People don't gather together like here.
And they're so many rules there.
Chill, it's not.
London is an urban planner's dream.
Live, shop, play, all nearby.
If only the sun would come out more.

Rainy London

It's been raining. Along with that wind, we had a helluva lot rain this weekend.
Pouring really.
It ruins stuff when it just keeps raining.
We were going to walk to the movies on Saturday night. It's a nice, half-hour walk to our local cinema, all flat, all along the high road.
London's pretty much all flat, which is really good for walking and cycling.
Anyway, couldn't do that, had to drive and hassle for a parking space, because it was just coming down in buckets when we went out to go.
And then it proceeded to come down pretty much all night long.
The last two mornings when we've woken up it's been pouring too. Rain pelting our attic bedroom windows.
This morning, not wanting to get up and not having to work, I worried about my son walking to the Tube station since all he has is one of those small black, collapsable umbrellas (the kind I keep losing ) -- and he's a big guy.
But then it actually stopped raining for a few minutes right when he had to walk to the station, so he was good.
And then it finally cleared up this afternoon. After two solid days of rain.
That's the thing here.
You give up hoping that it will clear up.
You don't give it a chance really.
Once it starts raining like that, you just think that's it.
And giving up hope is never good.
Because at a certain point, it actually does stop raining.

Il Sole

The sun makes everything good, doesn't it? Makes almost everywhere beautiful.
That's why people flee to places with sun -- to retire there, vacation there, just GET IN THAT SUN for awhile.
There's a show on TV here called Places in the Sun, which features a British couple each episode who are considering buying a property in a sunny place -- usually in the Mediterranean -- or one in England.
They say what their budget is, and where they're considering, both here and abroad. Then a real estate agent in each place shows them three properties in each locale -- and they decide by the end of the half-hour.
They're always lured by the sun, these folks, but they often decide to stay at home.
The comfort and familiarity of home. Versus the soothing and healing powers of the sun. Makes for good television.
What makes the show interesting to me, besides seeing all the properties and how much they cost of course, is watching the couples, often retirees, work through their dilemmas, their desires, their life plans, and then coming to their conclusions. And why they decide what they do.
Back to the sun.
It's so damned important.
It's been sunny the last two days here, just clear and bright and sparkly autumn. And it's supposed to stay sunny and warm all week.
How gorgeous. London is so beautiful in the sun.
I wish it was always sunny. It's so much easier to be happy.
Yesterday, before my old ladies Pilates class (which is really quite good), a group of us were standing around talking about the weather. As one does here.
I was saying how gorgeous it was.
A woman chimed in, saying, yes, but where's the rain? We haven't had enough of it. It's gotta come at some point.
Bummer.
Another woman remarked that she thought the weather had actually changed in Britain.
Liked that.
She said that when she came to London from Croatia 17 years ago, she didn't see the sun for the first two years. That she was so depressed, she could barely leave the house. She comes from the sunny Croatian coast, she explained.
Didn't like that.
She said it's been changing though. It just doesn't rain anywhere near as much as it used to.
I thought back over the past eight months. There hasn't been a huge amount of rain, she's right.
We had a gorgeous spring, I remember that.
The summer wasn't that great, but I was in Italy for a lot of it, thank god.
So far, autumn hasn't been too bad.
I'm scared of winter, I won't lie.
But maybe my new Croatian Pilates-buddy, who sounds more British than anything else (I guess she got over her depression), is right.
Maybe the weather in Britain has changed.
I like that, even though, I know any weather change is scary.
Anyway, gotta go out for a walk in this dazzling afternoon sunshine.
Before it becomes a distant memory.

What to Wear?

Nobody knows what to wear in this country.
Today, when I was leaving work, I saw women in sleeveless tops and summer skirts with sandals (and goose bumps), walking alongside women wearing leather jackets and Uggs.
Not that it's their fault.
When I went to work yesterday, it was chilly and overcast. When I came out, it was hot and the sun was blazing.
This morning, I felt overdressed in my cardy. It was kinda humid outside, and hot on the Tube. I almost stripped down to my sleeveless t-shirt.
This evening, when I came out, it was freezing. A brisk wind had come up. Although the sun was shining.
I feel like I need my entire summer and winter wardrobe with me every time I go out. (Would've loved to have my leather jacket this evening actually). I do carry my little portable umbrella in my bag now. But that's not enough, I'm realizing.
Maybe it's so changeable because it's summer. (ha). Maybe when it's actually winter, it'll just be cold, and that's it.
A lot of the women in the office wear leggings under their summer dresses. That's the only sure way to wear a summer dress, I'm finding. It's definitely a London look. I thought it was just trendy, but nope, that's a look borne of necessity.
Need leggings.
Tomorrow's gonna be good, though, I heard on the weather forecast.
Just windy and rainy all day.
Cool. I can dress for that.
It's the four seasons in one day that screw me.