Four seasons
Where I come from, we have four seasons. They are all seasons of cold and downpour, just different kinds of precipitation and with varying degrees of cold. And in between the seasons there are sometimes short periods of what we call nice weather. The lack of days of nice weather is what leads my mother to say that we can’t complain about the sun, no matter how warm it is. Complaining about the rain and snow, however, is not only acceptable, but a vital part of the Norwegian national identity. If you think this is strange, then don’t go to Iceland.
Syria, on the other hand, has two seasons as far as I know. There is the hot season, and the cold season. It would be nice if there were a transitory period between them, but it appears that the weather just decides one day to become cold overnight, and so it does. Without warning. I promise that when you arrive in August, it is hard to believe that in a few months’ time Damascus will be so cold that you will feel that you are never going to feel truly warm again. And in December, the heat of the summer months seems as remote as a distant land. Until it suddenly is upon you again.
But if you want four seasons in Damascus, you can check in at the Four Seasons downtown by Jisr al-Ra’iis. It has both four seasons and four sides. And if that is too expensive for your taste, you can settle for four flat seasons on a Damascene pizza, from any restaurant or pizza place. The four seasons of Damascus are tomato, green pepper, olive and mushroom.
Four seasons that don’t change.
