The Sun Also Rises

But when is it going to make its presence known? I didn’t expect Spain to be a tropical paradise, but I certainly hoped for a hint of spring by mid-March. According to what all the Spaniards I’ve spoken to about this issue tell me, this has been a very uncharacteristically long and dreary winter. We’ve been bombarded with frigid rain in a typically dry and reasonably mild region. The past few days have finally been without precipitation, but I still haven’t found the sun’s warmth over here. I blame the North African Arab influence throughout the country for my quixotic expectations. I cannot describe what it does to one’s mind to be surrounded by vibrantly colored palm trees and Arab arches but simultaneously still need a heavy coat. Perhaps it is also difficult not to associate Spain with its old colonies in Latin America and subconsciously half expect more similarities than are present. I thought I escaped ceaseless winters when I left Massachusetts, but I’m still anxiously awaiting a much-needed change in temperature.