Arctic Dispatches: Heat Wave

Last week there was a heat wave in the UK. Temperatures rose to the high 30's in London. I was not complaining. Nice to be in plus 30 instead of minus 30. I decided this was a good time to visit the seaside city of Brighton, just about an hour's train ride away. It was nice to smell the ocean and hear seagulls. I wandered around the back streets and Brighton Pier. A really lovely day. I haven't had time off during the summer for about 18 years. I worked for a non-profit agency for many years whose busy time was summer and then I ran a bed and breakfast in my house for the past 5 years. It was an amazing feeling to enjoy the pleasures of a summer day by the sea.

I have been greatly enjoying the sights of the markets around London. I went to the Borough Market for the first time the other day. Quite a contrast to the Northern Store in Clyde River. My time in the arctic has made me re-appreciate so many things. The easy availability of such glorious food seems miraculous to me now. I also revisited Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill, five minutes from my flat. A great place for practising photography. I am discovering that I love photographing food (well, fruit and vegetables at least - so far).