Hawksmoor

Hi,  nice to hear from you Gonariu! The North Sea never gets that warm but is easily accessible as our home is close by.  In the past I have had a quick dip on Christmas Day but it must be said I did not stay in for long!

Sad to say we have never been to Sardinia but have enjoyed swimming in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Caribbean all much warmer than the North Sea.

Regards George

Hi George, here in Sardinia and especially in Cagliari in the south of the island we are not used to the cold. In Cagliari in winter the sea water has a temperature of + 14º C, I have never considered swimming in that month, some “brave” do it. Surely it takes a nice bathrobe to wear in a rush as one comes out of the water! Having done it at Christmas means that you can stand the cold well. If you happen to come to Sardinia bring a travel telescope with you, in 24,000 km2 we are 1.6 million inhabitants (the classic 4 cats, as they say in Italian) so there is little light pollution; think that I was a few years ago in a farmhouse in the countryside near the village of Dorgali and I will tell you that I have never seen a sky so full of stars, I was lost in it to the point of not recognizing the constellations! I have traveled very little, it would be very nice to take a trip to the UK during the summer holidays both for the coolness that we envy you here (this summer was fiery) and for the art (your gothic churches, Stonehenge, to do some example).

Regards and clear skies.

Agostino.

Hi Agostino

Sardinia sounds great for swimming and stargazing. My great great grandmother was Sicilian and having been there on holiday I’m not sure why she left to come to a cold grey Britain. Sicilian cooking is also a favourite in our home!

I know what you mean by saying that the sky was so full of stars it was hard to pick out constellations. We have experienced this in our travels. The Sahara desert is a fantastic place to stargaze as is New Zealand. The skies are so dark that the colour differences of stars can be determined with the naked eye.

This years summer in UK has been particularly cold and wet and the contrast between winter and summer is reduced as a result of global warming. I’m sorry you have had such extreme hot weather and I hope you have not been adversely affected by forest fires.

I envy you having winter sea temperatures as high as 14degc! In colder winters we have had the fresh water Broad at Oulton Broad where we live freeze solid.

We do have plenty of museums , art galleries and architecture in East Anglia. Before I retired I was an architect and was actively involved in regional heritage architectural projects . I’m sure you would enjoy a holiday in the UK  but bring a warm waterproof coat even in summer.

best regards 

George