DAWN ON THE LONGEST DAY

Sunrise in Tuscany today was at 5:36. This photograph was taken at 6:00. I stepped outside to take of shot of a nearby house. I planned to describe the people who live in it but then I saw this. It's a familiar sight and I've posted it before, but now I have a lens that will reach all the way to Lucca which is about 10 kms away.

The sun was shining through gaps in the hills and -- it wasn't raining.

If you live in the UK for some time, which I did, you become able to discuss the weather at great length. That's because there is so much of it and because people have long memories. They can speak of "the summer of '76" or "the year it rained every day from March to October," the "big storm," and so forth. You can add wonderful words to your vocabulary, the Scottish word "dreich" being the most eloquent to describe a really dreary day. I understand that the Gaelic has more words to describe the weather than it does affection. The one I disliked the most was "the sun is trying to come out." A better one is "It's a fine drying day."

In Italian, and other romance languages, you get hot (caldo) and cold (freddo) and that's your lot. There is no warm or cool or chilly. You can say it is fresh (fresco) or use the word brutto (ugly) but 20-minute discussions about the weather are not possible.

So then, today it is meglio (better) because it isn't raining but it is fresca and not caldo. It's certainly a bit parky especially for the time of year. By now, dark clouds are gathering over the mountains and it may yet bucket with rain but at least we have had a glimpse of blue skies. Woot!

jellycat72 has reminded me of "It's affie close," a good one. That would be umido (humid) here, also a cooking term. And from Chamberlainjohn, a Scottish comment on a reasonable day, "Aye, but it'll no last."