When most people think of London, they think of fog and rain… but that’s not very accurate. For the time I’ve been here, I think it has rained for maybe ten days out of three months. I’ve been told it’s been a dry winter so far, but still. The temperature has been decent as well; staying in the 50’s mostly.
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| Entrance to Hyde Park |
Yet this last week, it got all the way into the 70’s! Oh man, as far as Londoners are concerned, that’s summer weather. As I walked through the Oxford Circus Tube Station, this message played: “Due to the hot weather, it is suggested that you carry a bottle of water with you at all times. If you feel unwell, tell a member of staff.” Now I am still wearing a spring jacket over my T-shirt and trousers, but most people have gone so far as to be in shorts. To me, this is perfect weather because it’s not too hot or cold. The wind is cool instead of chilly. Sitting outside doesn’t make you desire a warm blanket and a cup of tea.
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| You could rent these chairs for a couple hours. |
So what do Londoners do when the weather’s so nice? Well, there isn’t an ocean nearby (don’t even think of the Thames. The color could scare you away), so no one goes to the beach or anything. Instead they head out to the parks. I myself wanted to take advantage of the sun instead of locking myself up in my room, so I went to Hyde Park. It’s close to where I take my classes, and since I had just turned in most of my assignments, I felt like relaxing on grass. I never thought I would miss little blades of foliage, but being surrounded by concrete definitely does that to you.
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| So... many... people! |
I was far from being alone in Hyde Park. It was the afternoon on a Wednesday, but that didn’t matter. All different people sat on blankets or in rented beach chairs. Children and young adults alike passed soccer balls between each other as solitary people (such as myself and a few others) read quietly, with their backs against the scattered trees. It looked to me like there was a festival or something going on, but nothing was. We were all just getting away from the bustling city, if only for a few hours of peace.
