English: Parliament Hill, London. View over central London from Parliament Hill in Hampstead Heath, North London, the highest point around London. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have just returned from a very brisk walk over Hampstead Heath, London, in the middle of Winter,and to my surprise it was thoroughly enjoyable! I am more used to warmer climates. Yesterday, I was in shorts and a T-shirt in Cyprus, enjoying the Winter sun, so the most obvious thing that I noticed in London was the complete absence of sunshine. Actually, I was fascinated by the absence of bright color. Everything seemed to be a patchwork of green, brown or grey.

I was armed with an umbrella and padded jacket but no hat nor gloves. When I started walking, I felt the cold but after I had briskly climbed Parliament Hill twice, I was feeling too warm in my  jacket. “The Heath”, as it known affectionately by Londoners is always full of life.

Irrespective of season, there are always dogs having fun on the Heath, and beckoning their owners to hurry-up. Actually, the dog-owners seemed to be congregating in bigger packs than the dogs. I wonder what the dogs thought of that? The owners were thickly insulted against the elements; I suppose that they, viz. the owners, were more concerned with their dogs’ excercise than their own. There were couples out walking, enjoying the fresh air and busy joggers, in their Winter outfits.

Apart from the dogs, the birds seemed to be enjoying themselves too. Many were actually hunting for food. Swans in the lakes were attracted to children and their mothers, hoping for tit-bits. A couple of small dogs were cautiously playing with the swans.

I so much enjoyed my first morning back in London.

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