This is for Tomas, and anyone else who hasn’t actually seen snow falling anywhere. The view is from our lounge window. The odd bicycle going by – everything becoming slowly and surely white. It has been a beautiful, crisp, white white winter, wonderful for us from Auckland, New Zealand.
It has not been so wonderful for those who have slipped on the icy paths, or those who have fallen off their bikes because they hit black ice. Best Beloved’s boss did that. A youngish fit Man – crashed off his bike and made a bit of a mess of his face. The hospitals have had a huge increase in injuries caused by accidents on the icy footpaths, bicycle lanes and roads.
The photos are in colour and if you click on them they will be much clearer – it is a trick of the wintery light.
We have loved the winter season, the white, crisp snow and the gluhwein, soups, stews, and walking in the park, looking at trees with scarves on them. (well one tree with one scarf). We have loved the lights that have lit up the town so beautifully, and having a Christmas that looked like all those Christmas cards we have seen every year since we were very young. Being here you can understand better the celebrations that occurs in the dark of a winter. All that food has a relevance here in the extreme cold, all the candles, all the decorations – it has been a wonderful experience.
The shops (winkels) have really interesting Christmas windows, and before that windows for Sinter Klaas and Zwarte Piet.
We have loved every bit of this winter season here in the Netherlands apart from the slippery icy paths.
Tags: Birds, celebrations, Christmas, Haarlem, house, snow, tree with scarf, weather
