Walking around in Birmingham on 23rd of May made me realise how important is the SUN in contributing to open spaces success and to our lives. I was happy and could feel others happiness. Esplanades, lawns, water features and trees shades, sleeping, sunbathing, reading, eating, drinking, talking… or just being there… in the SUN!
A few would say that it’s all about the place but maybe it’s all about the SUN. … What do you think?
Fortunately, I had my camera and was able to shoot a few of those moments.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Brindley place
Canalside and Malt House
Victoria Square
St. Philips Cathedral
Narratives and Well-being Experiences in the Landscape 
Well, maybe it’s not ALL about the sun. More of a balance sun/rain (and many things in between) like the one expressed by the Portuguese saying ‘querer sol na eira e chuva no nabal’ – in a ‘wild’ translation something like having sun where the farmer leaves the corn drying and rain where the crops are growing (at the same time, on the same farm, not on different regions/countries). I know, kind of tricky but one can always dream (or at least Portuguese farmers seem to do it…)
We need ALL of it – rain, sun, heat, cold and so on. Just at the right level and at the right time – whatever that may be. It’s good to feel the rain on your face and the sun on your back (not at the same time – I’m not as ambitious as Portuguese farmers). So, for now, let the sun shine in!
It’s all about the SUN! but not too much… I am sure in northern countries these radiant and precious moments push people to have experiences outdoors more often than the glumly weather for the better part of the year. But in hotter climates, where the sun is present, one could even say, in excess during most of the year, people still love to be outdoors. But in this case they tend to seek for the amenities. Shade, water… Its more than just the sun. Its the need for contact with something more than the controlled environment of buildings, where we tend to spend nowadays most of our time and have a breath of fresh air, a chill or a sweat, an extended view to the horizon not constrained by four walls or a window frame and its where we feel less of a “machine” and more like a biological organism connected to the unavoidable essence of life.