From what my friends tell me, this weather is not really common. While we do have our share of sunny days in the summer, these days are few and far between and occur around June/July. I guess that would explain why us Londoners (notice how I include myself now) take advantage at the first sign of great weather.
Until a few weeks ago, I was on the fence about my neighborhood. It was recommended to me by my colleague, Patrick, at work. He asked me which neighborhood I liked in Chicago (he's an American expat from Chicago) and he would give me the equivalent in London. I told him I really liked the Bucktown/Wicker Park area in Chicago. I loved the little cafes, cool restaurants, and boutique shops that you could find there. Patrick recommended Clapham in Southwest London. You can read more about my town here - http://claphamhighstreet.co.uk/Content/chshistory.htm and http://www.loveclapham.com/clapham-common-guide/275
Patrick has made many friends here and really talked it up. He said that Clapham is a really cool place in the summer with outdoor music festivals in the park. He said that usually people just hang out in the Common and have picnics. People run and there are organized 5Ks in the Common. Moving to Clapham in Autumn and Winter months when people tend not to go out as much really didn't help give me the full appreciation.Clapham is starting to grow on me. Patrick has introduced me to some of his friends. We went to a neighborhood pub on a Monday night for a pub quiz. Once after pizza in Brixton, we headed over to this other pub and played card games. Over the last few weeks, I've been exploring a bit more. I love to have breakfast and checked out a French cafe. It was followed by boutique shopping where I bought this really cute dress.
The most recent highlight was this Sunday. It was an exceptionally beautiful day. I had taken it easy most of the weekend and it was more of a go-with-the-flow kind of day. No hurry to do anything. I decided that I would have enough patience to take Stanley for a long walk to the Common. The Common is not really far in terms of "human" walking distance but with a partially blind, small dog that likes to sniff and mark everything, the peaceful experience can become frustrating very easily.
Not this Sunday. I kept Stanley focused and we made our way to the Common. To my expectation, there were tons of people out. You would think people were queueing up to watch some event. I liken it to July 3rd in Chicago when people stake their spot along the lakefront and Grant Park to watch the firework display. The only difference is that people were just lounging around to enjoy the day. It was funny because you'd see people with orange Sainsbury bags from the supermarket filled with goodies for a nice impromptu picnic.
I couldn't help but feel like a tourist and document this for my friends back home. It was really cool.Stanley and I made our way through the Common and found a nice spot in the shade. We did our share of people watching.
I texted Patrick to see if by chance he was around because it seemed like everyone from the neighborhood was in the park. To my surprise, he was at the local Starbucks. We met him there and then found another place to relax. I let Stanley off the lead and let him sniff and mark to his heart's content.
It was a perfect day - eerily quiet and clear skies because of the flight restrictions in the UK caused by the Volcanic ash but perfect nonetheless. Life is really good. You have to seize days like this. Carpe Diem.
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