Weather. What a refreshing, interesting concept.

We have it, halfway down Italy’s coast. All sorts. In the same week.

A day or two of limited clouds and lots of sun. Then a day or two of occasional sun interrupted by mild storms scudding in from the west, pushing the surf up on to the little beach here at the hotel. A night with a powerful storm, punctuated by rolling thunder, winds gusting to 30 mph and rain beating on the window of the hotel room.

And then the cool clear night when the full moon looks like something not much higher in the sky than a kite, and it is bright enough to light up the restless silver sea.

And the afternoon when you look up and see nearly 180 degrees of rainbow, clear as day from your balcony.

This does not happen in Abu Dhabi. Where we have warm and clear weather … or scorching hot and clear weather. (Except during sand storms.)

Weather is fun, if you haven’t been living it. You find yourself studying it, appreciating it, mulling it. “So, during the rain … you just carry on with your business, except you get a bit wet?” … “A rainbow? I know someone wrote a song about being somewhere over it.” … “A cold wind; you do some layering and take a scarf?”

We have valued our time in Italy for the unpredictable weather, and enjoying or being impressed by whatever comes in on us. Maybe if we stayed long enough, it would just seem capricious and arbitrary and annoying.

For two weeks, however, it seems like nature’s gift.