My first and (so far) only trip to England and Ireland, like Mary's, was also in August, and we also enjoyed sunny weather, no rain at all for two weeks until the morning of our departure.

The specific August in question was in 2004, and our trip coincided with a record-breaking Europe-wide heat wave. Of course, to us New Orleanians, the temperatures were unremarkable and the humidity was a bit lower than what we're accustomed to back home ~ but for our hosts and for the entire local population, the heat was quite exotic and nearly unbearable.

I did come away with the nagging doubt that our trip had any relation to what life in that region is really like, even in summertime. One would think that a fair measure of rain and dismal skies would have provided a truer perspective. Of course, weather or no [sic], the people/scenery/food/drink/music etc. were all wonderful, and would have been just as awesome in any climactic conditions