#43 Watch the sun rise over my city

I knew in advance that I would be completing this challenge at the top of Portsdown Hill, as it has the best view over the city. It is also the home of the famous Mick's Burger Van which gives a little extra incentive to an early morning alarm call. 

I set my phone to wake me up early on Saturday morning and then dawdled too long and opened the bedroom curtains in time to see that I had missed the whole thing and the sky was already pink.


I checked Google to find that the sun would rise at 6.43 the next day and I reasoned that, if I waited until next month when the clocks changed, I would have to get up much earlier. So the next day I dragged myself out of bed just before 6 on a Sunday, on possibly the coldest morning of the year so far, and drove to my chosen view point with one flask of coffee and one sleepy dog.

There is something special about being awake and outdoors while most people are still in bed. The ground was white with frost, the air smelled of bacon sandwiches and the only people around except this crazy woman and her reluctant canine companion were the fella in the burger van and an ambulance driver grabbing breakfast.



I have seen more dramatic dawns and more beautiful views but this is my adopted city and on this day it felt like I was one of very few people who saw the sun rise over it.


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