Here comes the sun
“Here comes the sun
And I say, it’s all right”
Our last full winter was in Liverpool, 2006. We’ve enjoyed 13 years of warm weather since then, travelling to Sri Lanka and living in the U.A.E, South Africa, Kenya and Indonesia. We chase the sun.
That all changed with the Coronavirus pandemic.
We travelled to Italy last summer and were due to return to the Mother City at the end of the year. As with many people everywhere, plans changed.
And so we embraced our first ever winter in Italia. Inverno. We learned about mulled wine, Italian style, ‘Coccole D’Inverno’, or ‘Winter Cuddles’. I will never call mulled wine anything else now. We indulged in warm, winter foods prepared at Christmas, like ‘dirty almonds’. And we savoured Sagrantino and Montepulcianno wines, by an open fire.
A White Christmas was a treat. A snowy, spectacle of white arrived on Boxing Day. A municipality snow plough arrived an hour or two later, to clear the way. But the trees and the land were covered. We woke up to a winter wonderland, with wild deer footprints in the snow. It was magical, but lasted just three days. We received an extra dose of snow in time for Valentines Day. Romantico. This time it was more. It was part of a cold snap, Siberian weather, which affected much of Europe. We were thankful for the serious winter wear that we had bought in Norway last year; coats, boots, thermals and snoods. We were ready, as ready as we were ever going to be; two travellers who typically chase the sun.
In recent days, the daylight hours have become much longer, the skies are bluer and the temperatures are warmer. We dare to hope that this might be spring.
George Harrison was my favourite Beatle (most Beatles fans will cite one of the Fab Four as a favourite). And I’m thinking of the beautiful song that he wrote, Here comes the sun, apparently while sat in Eric Clapton’s garden, using one of Clapton’s acoustic guitars. Some years ago, sat with PKP’s family in Donegal, his aunt said to me “Mags, you need a song, your song”. This was the one that I learned and we’ve sung it since, with friends.
I remember reading somewhere that George Harrison was also not a big fan of winter. And I suspect that the song was about far more than just the weather. The song has been performed by many artists over the years. And in recent months, it’s even been played for surviving patients being discharged from hospitals, during the Coronavirus pandemic.
It’s been a long, cold, lonely winter for many, living with restrictions or in lockdown. With the coming of Spring we can feel brighter in ourselves, be energised by the warmth of the sun on our skin and look ahead to turning a corner. Hope.
And that’s our mood now. We’re looking ahead. “Here comes the sun”.
Buona primavera!
How are things where you are? What are you looking ahead to?
© Maggie M /Mother City Time
When I’ve read your post I feel very identified with your feellings.
Things, little by little are coming to spring, with joy, with hope…
I look ahead to live as well as we lived before this pandemic: with kisses, with hugs, and looking at the nice smile of people.
He comes the sun!!!
😃😘😘
“Na na na nananana, nannana, hey Jude… ” This song will forever make us think of you and Julian, and that time at the musical festival in Liverpool. I am pleased to read that you related to this. We really feel it. Everyone’s life has been altered in the last year. But now so many people we know have already had the vaccine, all over the world. And the sun is shining, which can only lift your mood. We too look forward to those kisses and hugs. “Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces”. Soon, we hope. Thanks for your comment, Paz. Gracias.