London in the Summertime

Georges Seurat's impressionist painting in London's National Art Gallery

Before I step outside of Lain House, cross Cresent Road, and enter the paradise of Regent's park, I wanted to record on this blog a notion that's been going on in my mind for sometime since returning to London from Cairo a week ago.

My father asked me, as we sat in Egypt's unparalled sun, "Do you miss London?" I instinctively blurted out, "No!" London, up to that point, had been a dull city... grey, gloomy, and cold. At times, I felt like it had taken my away from the comforting warmth of my mother Egypt.

Never could I thought that a city so frigid become so gorgeous. This time, my return to London was quite surreal. The notion of a "sunny London" almost seemed oxymoronic to me, and yet...here it was before my eyes. London was blossoming in Spring with all its beauty.

Since the sun used to set around 3:30pm in the winter, it had become a habit for me to wake up before sunrise to make the most of the city's daylight. Now the days feel twice as long with the sun setting at 8:30pm, and what excites me even more is that everyday the sunset keeps getting later and later.

I've never appreciated sunlight and nature so much until I experienced winter in London. Despite its plethora of parks, the bitter cold made any outdoor activity uncomfortably unpleasant. But now, all of the city's treasures have unvieled their magnificence.

I had planned on visiting Tate Britain last Friday, but after walking through several Southbank parks, I couldn't help but continue strolling outdoors. Musuems are only sufficient on rainy days...

London's Royal Parks are superior to all! Sprinkled with the most exotic botany from around the world, these parks offer some of the most eclectic wildlife a city can offer. Swans, ducks, storks, geese swim over the most peculiar fish in the ponds enveloped plants that must have been sent down from the Garden of Eden.

My first exposure to the English garden was during a visit to the British Consulate's palace in Istanbul. I was highly impressed by the orderly, well-groomed, meticulous nature of the palace's garden. Never would I thought that the Kingdom's capital would offer more of this beauty than one could possible fathom.

What's absolutely brilliant is that these man-made parks each have their own charm. St-James' is perfect for sitting on a recliner and reading, Regent's is sitting on a bench and watching rowboats go by followed by ducks, and Green Park is great for a quick stroll.

Enough said. Time to shun technology for the rest of the day and enjoy nature's beauty.