and so, i think of somebody like te lawrence or...mpty quarter in the 1930s and 40s, and i think they recognise something that reflected a sense of their own sense of being marginal in british society. and so it was a form of escape. and yes it was exploration, they carried out these extraordinary adventures and, discovered routes across the empty quarter and peninsula that were unknown until then. but they were seeking some kind of comfort. solace of some kind? yes, solace. you talk about the empty quarter in the middle east, this vast, pretty hostile terrain. what was your own experience like when you first got a feel for it the first got there. what was your reaction? it was the most beautiful place. like entering the world of a dream another planet. it feels entirely unlike anything i've experienced. the shifting sands, the shadows. the grandeur, the enormity of the place. the sparsity of the plates. we come from a very relatively low—lying green island next to the sea. and this is another part of what i think appeals particularly

and so, i think of somebody like te lawrence or... was a form of escape. and yes it was exploration, they carried out these extraordinary adventures and, discovered routes across the empty quarter and peninsula that were unknown until then. but they were seeking some kind of comfort. solace of some kind? yes, solace. you talk about the empty quarter in the middle east, this vast, pretty hostile terrain. what was your own experience like when you first got a feel for it the first got there. what was your reaction? it was the most beautiful place. like entering the world of a dream another planet. it feels entirely unlike anything i've experienced. the shifting sands, the shadows. the grandeur, the enormity of the place. the sparsity of the plates. we come from a very relatively low—lying green island next to the sea. and this is another part of what i think appeals particularly to british explorers. it's completely unlike any environment we've experienced. you talk about the history of people seeking solitude. going to deserts, finding

te let's chat now with our chief meteorologist lawrence karnow.over the bay area tonight. lawrence karnow: it was a beautiful day all the way to the coast but tonight the winds are going to howl. a high wind advisory has been posted over the north, east and south bay mountains. some gusts could be as high as 55 mph. it will be windy at times in the valleys too with some gusts over 30 mph. the offshore winds will keep skies mostly clear with mild temperatures. a few showers continue to pop up over the sierra and will continue to do so this weekend. on the satellite image you can see the area of low pressure now east of california and high pressure building toward the coast. the difference between the two will make for a gusty night tonight. saturday will be another warm day with highs in the 70s and 80s inland, 70s around the bay and 60s near the coast. it will be a little cooler on mother's day with patchy coastal fog. there's a slight chance of toward the middle of next week. (ken)keep on top of the latest weather by downloading our mobile app...