Now where was I before I was interrupted, ah yes I think I have become one of those ?
Well travelling is over for a month or so which affords me the luxury of being at home in 100 degree heat. Before you all say “you should be here its stifling where I am”. I see the world is in the process of melting with warnings popping up everywhere but being English this heat is somewhat of a new experience for me. Normally once the temperature reaches 85 degrees I think I am on vacation so my attitude changes. T-shirt shorts and flip-flops.
Moscow in general has good summers and 85 -90 is not unusual however the trouble is that is never stops it’s relentless. Our bedroom faces east so by 4:30 in the morning the sun is shining straight through and the day arrives hours before necessary. Judi has taken to wearing an eye mask for the light and ear plugs for no reason at all which at least helps her stay asleep. My problem is that once my eyes are open and there is light I have to get up. Ok not a real problem except at 5:15 you don’t need to get dressed so I wander around the flat starker’s scaring the cat in the process.
This brings me to the title, remember last year me commenting on people on balconies who might be naked well as you see I have assimilated very well and now I am “one of them”. Wandering around the flat with as little on as possible so maybe someone is at this very moment blogging about naked people wandering around their flats in Moscow.
Whilst one should not be alarmed as we are not overlooked and anyway nobody else is up. Only me and the cat which approaches only with caution and the desire for some morning milk that is so ingrained in her that it overtakes any fear she may harbor.
My daily routine requires me to go out every day and exhibitions and churches are now welcome even if they are not particularly exciting. The one thing you can guarantee is that they will be cool. Planning the route so I can stay in the shade is a little more difficult. A far cry from my youth when I would brave any sunshine and scoff at the heat. Now a little more cautious I am quite happy avoiding the searing sunshine and the associated heat. This is not due to any warnings about UV radiation or skin melanomas it is just because it makes me feel uncomfortable.
I was trying in broken Russian to tell my language teacher where I had been recently and her response was “Вы не очень коричневый which is “you are not very brown” and I have to agree I was not, but I am now after a couple of weeks wandering around Moscow. I did not try and explain the perils of sunbathing (so I have become one of those people as well giving advice on avoiding skin cancer) given that she is setting off to Majorca next week. Oh to be young again (not).
The flat has air-conditioning in the bedroom and the office but not the lounge / kitchen and opening windows does nothing to create a draft and only serves to let in the biting things so tomorrow I am going out to get a fan. I know we have passed the longest day but summer here will last for several more months and I have no need to be uncomfortable for that length of time. Winter is not a distant memory and then I could not see the grass for snow now it is because it has all scorched and died. Well hey that’s life.
Nice to be back by the way