Pinot, Bretzels, and Cathedrals

Tuesday morning:  I’ve been pottering about the apartment this morning, taking in the music playing in the background (Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Swift- thanks girls for the new playlist to my life), cooking for dinner tonight and going through the washing motions, while trying to come up with a inviting opening line to a new wintery blog post.

The first one went along these lines:  “If music be the food of life, then let the minstrel play on“, be cause despite the preppy girl bands playing on my iTunes For You, I cannot deny that it’s a real feel good moment, and is incentivising me to keep moving.

The next option at an opening goes along these lines.

“Outside the double-glazed windows, the snowflakes whirled around, dancing, swirling and falling; falling down to the cold, slushy pavement.  They were bigger now, than 5 minutes before, when the more pleasant distraction was Kelly Clarkson belting out something familiar, and as I put the kettle on to boil for the second time, I was grateful for the new coat I picked up on the early sales”

Yes, indeed, this is a winter to talk about.  Well, for me anyway.  So far, its nothing like the famous minus 20 winter of 2012 but I can say definitively its the most wintery (read: snowy) of the 4 winters we’ve been here.  I think I have mentioned this before, that the French/Europeans say that it is not a proper winter if the temperatures are not sub-thermal enough for long enough.  They like to know the ‘bugs’ have been killed off…

Well, considering back in November, temperatures dropped below zero, I guess we foresaw a cold winter.  (It had to happen- summer really did go on a lot longer than usual this year, not that I’m complaining).

Since Christmas, I am not sure we have had a maximum temperature higher than 4, and most nights have dipped to a ‘feels like’ of minus 6, and the snow flakes have flurried around the atmosphere like a friend desperate for our attention- they just won’t go away. In fact, in the 10 days I have been back at work this year, I think it has actually snowed every day, although last week it was a little to wet for it to stick, and the rain melted the flakes before they settled.

Saturday that all changed.  Anton, Beth and I ‘went to the pub’ (according to LPM) to collect my wages while Alex was at a birthday party, and as we finished our pint o’ Kilkenny, a customer came in, her head and coat adorned with real proper snow flakes.  Since then, the city has been caught under constant snowfalls.  The snow seems to come and go, because occasionally it turns to rain, and as a result, the level of snow hasn’t reached more than 8cm in the open areas.

Yes, I know.  This is not as bad as Canada, or the other parts of the States and the Scandanavian countries that have a constant reminder of winter for 3 months, but for me, its quite unique.

( Tuesday afternoon…) And having just walked back in after work, I can now say that I have a new found admiration for northern-antipodeans (yes, I have researched this word,and believe I can use it in this context) who have to deal with snow to this extreme.  Consider the following that I have observed on just 48 hours of snow:

1. It takes at least an extra 5 minutes (per person if you’re a mother who has to oversee little peeps) to gather warm gear and get dressed- minimum of 2 layers of clothes at least;  buff; scarf; beanie hat; gloves…  Then to locate all your necessities in nearby pockets (iPod, phone, bus passes)  because you don’t want to fumble in handbags when you’re wearing snow gloves.  And when you get to your destination, you need to remove it all, and make sure everything stays together, because you don’t want to be losing stuff. Never before has the Tale of the Single Sock/Glove been more apparent than in the last 3.5 years
2. If you’re using public transport, check schedules (thank you Internet & Smartphones) because routes may be blocked and you may be late.  And kudos to those who try cycle.  I wouldn’t want to be the person who comes crashing off their bikes into that grey wet mulch on the side of the roads that is now melted and ‘slush puppy-like’.
3. It’s very helpful to have pavements scraped clean, because you can’t walk normally over the slush that accumulates. Can you picture me tip-toe-ing across streets while wearing these:

   

4. There must be an army of very hardworking civil servants dedicated to keeping the city running efficiently. 24 hours have passed without snow falling, and the streets between home and work are clean, and almost dry.  I simply have to say- Thanks!

   

   

5. La Petite Monstre has learnt to make a very neat compact snowball (after eventually persuading her to take the snow gloves to school), but I think she’s over this weather.  She’s announced we need to take her back to South Africa.

And that sombre note has crashed my mood.

Enjoy the pictures.

 

Much wintery love to all,

Chat soon,

Xxx