Left: Okecie airport, six am on Thursday 19 March. The last day of winter. It snowed overnight. No frost, though, so it didn't settle on the ground. My plane needed to have its wings de-iced before take off. Heavy overcast skies made spring feel months away; not a trace of new life bursting forth anywhere.
A thousand miles and five hours later I am in Ealing, in my parents' front garden. The sun is shining (as it has done all week). Flowers are in bloom. The streets are full of people in t-shirts and convertibles driving about with their tops down.This is the one time of year (late winter, early spring) when London has the edge over Warsaw when it comes to climate.
The economic contrast is the other way round. At the social event I attended in London this evening, all the talk among the business community was of a long, deep recession. Not a glimmer of hope. A fatalistic cynicism abounded. How different to the can-do attitude I'm picking up in Poland.
This time last year:
First day of spring, Warsaw, 2008
The meaning of equinox
What's happened to spring?
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