Enjoying the summer...

We have been enjoying the summer here in Oxford a lot. I could get used to this charming, light summer.  I must confess I hardly missed the long oppressive Indian summer with its relentless scorching sun and soaring temperatures. And thanks to global warming summers are getting worse in India. Anyways to get back to the summer in Oxford, it is really pleasant and we have had sunshine and clear skies, also the occasional rains to bring down the temperature. The days are really long and sunlight till 9 in the evening makes the evenings really enjoyable. Also sunset from our windows is a real treat to watch. Sunset in India that is in the tropics is a real quick affair, but here it is slow and lingering and I love the way the sky changes colours from orange to varying shades of pink before finally getting dark.

The town looks really pretty with flower pots everywhere and people dressed in casual, colourful clothes. Pubs and cafes all have tables outside in the pavements and it looks really festive.A lot of tourist everywhere.  And I am  in love with long refreshing glass of Pimms.

One thing that I did miss was the mangoes. Mangoes here are no match for those back home, neither can you find even one percent of the sheer variety that Indian markets have. Indian summers are synonymous with mangoes and they start flooding the markets from March and are available till September.  As the summer progresses varieties keep changing. So by the end of summer Indians eat so many mangoes that they are happy to give it up till next summer. My parents were saying that this has been a year of plentiful mangoes and they have been enjoying all the different varieties. We tried a few shriveled up mangoes from the Indian groceries and then some dried one, just to be disappointed.

Though my husband is busy as ever, we still managed to spend some time out and explore Oxford and around. Also our rate of socialization has definitely increased, which is great. Lets enjoy whatever is left of summer and soak up all the sun before the long dreary winter sets in.