We are having another heat wave. The heat is most unaccustomed for mid-September when, traditionally, we would have been topping up the anti-freeze in the car and thinking about turning on the heating at home. Anyone dismissing the present conditions as “just a blip on the chart” is living in cloud cuckoo land.

The temperature in London this afternoon stands at 25-26 deg C (78 deg F). That is the temperature expected in Perth, Australia, today.

This morning, while it was still relatively cool, we breakfasted at Pret and then did our weekly shop in Sainsbury’s.

Having whiled away the rest of the morning restfully at home, we went out around 1 pm to look for lunch and pick up a couple of things that Tigger needed.

Though it is Sunday, most of the shops are open and the streets are busy, perhaps more than they are during the week. The atmosphere is different from the week: there is an air of fun and enjoyment.

For lunch we went to Gallipoli, a Turkish restaurant in Upper Street that I mentioned in a post of that name on July 27th. Being Turkish, they had a good range of cool dishes suitable for hot weather.

For drinks, Tigger had ayran, a Turkish yogurt drink, and I had my favourite, Turkish tea! (Photo by Tigger.)

People in Britain tend to choose cold drinks in hot weather as this seems the obvious choice though there is some evidence that hot drinks cool you down more effectively, however counterintuitive that may seem. Such thoughts were not in my mind, though: I just happen to love Turkish tea!

From the restaurant, we called in at one more shop and then made our way home. As I write this, we are reclining in the cooling breeze of the electric fan and I rather think that that is where we shall stay!