The morning view along Ellingham Road during summer

Summer in the United Kingdom falls on July and lasts until September. And when you talk about summer in this part of Europe, it is not the usual 38-degree tropical heat that could burn a fiery hole on your tin roof. The weather is still cold at 18 degrees during noontime and people are out on the streets bathing on cold sunshine, some wearing light sweaters or jackets, others go about wearing very light clothing.

This photo was taken with my phone’s camera during one of those 15-minute walks along Ellingham Road. I would take my niece to school as early as 8am and pick her up at 3pm. Most of the time, I walked my way home all by myself especially when Jackie, a Brunei national, was not around. I would spend those quiet moments immersing myself in that beautiful surrounding and wondered why we never had any of those here in Manila.