The clocks have gone forward and the March equinox has passed, apparently heralding the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. That and a recent post on the wonderful blog, The Snow Melts Somewhere, have got me thinking about the changing seasons.

I’ve been fortunate enough to spend a lot of the past 18 months either in Barcelona or travelling elsewhere. That is, avoiding the UK and its miserable weather.

Today is the 28th March and in Barcelona the sun has been shining in a cloudless blue sky. Accuweather tells me the current weather in my UK hometown is 7 degrees, (with a “RealFeel” of 4 degrees), with rain due to start in an oddly specific 42 minutes.

The next week promises more rain, cloud and general dreariness. (I’m not even exaggerating there, Accuweather has genuinely described Sunday 1st April as “dull and dreary”.) The sun does look set to make a cameo appearance on Thursday 5th April though, so presumably the good people of Britain will be out in droves to capture that natural wonder.

Two weeks ago, I returned to Barcelona after a month in Brazil. As it was summertime in Brazil, the weather was hot and beautiful. When I came back to Spain, I promptly turned into an icicle. (Ok, that one is a slight exaggeration, but I was really, really cold.)

I’m back in the UK again in a couple of weeks. Needless to say, I am feeling slightly concerned about the prospect of losing my extremities to frostbite. (I’m not writing any more exaggeration disclaimers now.)

Something which the UK does boast over Barcelona in terms of climate, though, are the seasons. Barcelona enjoys long, hot and sunny summers, and fairly short and mild winters. Autumn and spring, though, are not really a thing.

One of the benefits of constantly travelling between two (or more) places is that you can appreciate the things in each. When I’m in Spain, I try to be grateful for the sun. When I’m in England, I try to appreciate the multitude of green colours splashed across the landscape.

Even in winter, the stark outlines of the trees against the snow (or, more commonly, against the grey sky) are a beautiful sight in the UK. More stunning, to me at least, are the colours of the intervening seasons: spring and autumn. Autumn may not last long before the biting cold of winter arrives, and spring may inevitably lead to a disappointing summer, but both seasons are a pleasure to witness, however fleetingly.

Here in Barcelona, I guess that “spring has sprung”. The sky is blue, and it’s fairly warm, but I could have said the same in January. Some of the trees are blooming in beautiful shades of pink and violet.

For now, I’ll have to make the most of the sun. I’m due back in England on 10th April, by which time (I hope) spring will be showing off its colours. By the 14th, Accuweather promises me that the “clouds will give way to some sun”. A truly exciting prospect.