What happened to Autumn?

I remember long leafy autumns in East London, Victoria Park in the rain, a slow gradual slide into a winter not particularly cold. Dark evenings when the shops light up the dim streets with colourful displays and living room windows give us an eye into the lives of people returning home after work.

Here in Lodz we plummet from the high temperatures of summer to just above zero almost overnight. Unprepared and unwillingly to succumb immediately to the start of another long and bleak winter, I freeze in light tops with no hat or gloves. They tell me that until the snow falls we are indeed in autumn but I find that of little comfort when I'm shivering at the tram stop. It's easy to spot the British here in Poland as they too are still wandering around in t-shirts apparently oblivious to the chill.

Word of the week: Jesien meaning autumn.

A few days in Dusseldorf.

I saw out the last days of the summer in Dusseldorf with my Big German Friend, his wife Chrissie and their adorable seven month old baby. They have a beautiful apartment above a trendy coffee-shop in a pretty tree-lined street filled with luxury cars. Chrissie's artistic eye ensures that every corner of the flat is deeply pleasing and a joy to be in.

At the weekend classic cars are brought out from their dark hiding places and paraded for all to appreciate while sipping caffe lates and peeking out from the Rheinische Post. Laid back and unpretentious, Dusseldorf exudes relaxed confidence and wealth and I imagine is what Monaco feels like without the gauche and suntans. Even the wide Rhine gliding through the middle of the town has a serene tranquility which the Thames and the Seine lack.

We soaked up the sun in their garden which is a 10 short stroll from the house and a stones throw from the river. I was impressed with their friends, interesting and interested, well-travelled and fun, warm and well-informed. This is what I miss most in Poland.

There is always a part of me that wants to stay in Dusseldorf. Buy a pretty period house in a leafy street with an old Jaguar parked in the drive and BFG just down the road. Another of Dusseldorf's attractions is it's size... it's surprisingly small with a population of less than 575000. It feels like you can get anywhere in the city within the space of 15 minutes.

BFG works long and hard and he was rundown, when I left he was about to jet off to Ibiza for 5 days of golf and leisure... although he told me golf also has it's stress!