Endless summer

This morning's weather forecast was for cloud, rain and thunder. Leaving the office for a business lunch appointment just before 1:00 pm, the weather was still perfect. So a walk across Lazienki Park was in order. The park was still basking in a seemingly eternal summer; lunchtime strollers, foreign tourists, students with their books, and of course strutting peacocks and cheeky squirrels posing for the passers-by. The air smelt of pine resin and high summer. Just look at the greenery in the picture above; no trace of impending autumn.

It was still fine as I returned to the office (27 degrees on the car thermometer), but by 4:00 pm the sky had turned black, rain was pelting down like stair rods and loud cracks of thunder rumbled through the air. Is summer over? I'm certainly counting on some fine weather by the end of the week for my road trip to Luków (some 60 miles from Warsaw) on Friday.