Subject: Visiting Southern England in February
Hi Ziners,

England is not an obvious choice for a holiday in early February but I just returned from a week there on a family visit. I was thinking about the pros and cons about the timing.

First the weather! Grey for the most part, a little rainy but more of a Scotch mist that made you wonder about putting up your umbrella. You can wander outside in relative comfort, even on muddy country footpaths. Temperatures are about 5 - 10 degrees C. (40 - 50 F) - Older homes can be cold and damp at night but coming from Canada or the northern US, the green hills and gardens and the flowers are a delight. I saw shrub roses in full bloom in London, primroses everywhere, daffodils starting to bloom and other flowering shrubs and trees. I feel lucky because I will have spring twice over.

There are fewer tourists especially outside London so you can meet more locals. The downside is a very short day, even shorter than Toronto. And most of the stately homes and gardens don't open until April. However town and city museums are open and not especially busy except for the dreaded school groups!

Frances Toronto, Canada