Abroad thoughts from home

The way of the world nowadays seems to be to return from a holiday in the sun spent sitting outside an idyllic stone built ‘rustica’ dreaming of a life changing move. Could it really be so hard to buy that elusive pile of rubble and change it into the mystical dream property where all lifes pressures melt away and days were spent whiling away the hours quoffing local wine while the children played in dapple sunlight. Does the sun always shine and do all members of the extended family never issue a cross word. I feel maybe not but I belong to the growing band of people that has a tiny nugget somewhere in the brain that would love it be so

I am in the dubiously lucky position of living in what would be classed as a desirable part of Englands green and pleasant land, North Yorkshire. Pleasantly rural but not isolated, striking distance of sea and hills. Less than an hour from city life if required and tourist centres. Sounds like a travel brochure In fact hoardes of tourists from USA and Europe do tend to converge in the area that I live. One would wonder why then this need to up sticks and get a better life. Is it only the weather, or distinct lack of what could be called good weather. Maybe I should set my mind into the thought that I am on holiday when at home, I mean surely the fact that I can speak the language and try and concentrate on the good parts of the weather, glasses of red wine or Baileys around roaring log fires would help. I think that we probably do winter spring and autumn rather well but fall down on summer. Our psyche is tuned into dreary cold weather, scutting clouds, damp drizzle, and frosty mornings. For some reason we expect more in summer, balmy long evenings, feeling heat through to your bones and we feel cheated when this doesn’t happen. What we must remember is that we live on a northernly island and celebrate this and not expect what isn’t really possible. We do get good weather but not extended period of it and this is normal.

To get that fix of heat that the human body craves we need to travel to different climes for a few short weeks and that’s probably enough for the average person. After that we should rejoice in the diverse and wonderful weather that is always a talking point on our islands.