The Four Fabulous Different Seasons.

Another treasure of Europe.

Having lived in South Africa for thirty years was great, yet one of the things missing, was the changing of the seasons. The weather there is mostly sunny and hot, with a few colder months interspersed. Somehow I never saw the point of buying a winter wardrobe. Throwing a jersey and a scarf into the mix, usually did the trick.

Of course, now that I think of it, there were extremely cold days. Most of the houses don't have any type of heating ( the selling point is the air conditioning ), so in the few winter months, you do huddle a lot under numerous blankets while watching TV. When it gets more colder than normal, most people rush out to buy electric heaters ( or bring them out of the cupboards ).

This of course, can have alarming effects. In the last few years, the electricity grid collapsed under the onslaught, and some neighbourhoods would have no electricity for the night. Most TV programs would have a ticker tape running, asking people to switch of non-essential electrical equipment. Now that can be an experience ! Everyone in Europe has central heating of some sort and I think they would never understand even living one or two months without it, especially when the temperature hovers in the teens. They would call it " Indoor Camping " !

We have been here over a year and for me it is so nice to experience the different seasons. Almost to the day the different seasons appear. At the moment the leaves are changing to those beautiful autumn colours : Gold, yellow, orange and rust laced with browns and reds. It is a feast for the eyes and I would prefer the autumn as a holiday time.

There is this hint of winter in the air, but only in the mornings and evenings. The air is definitely crisper and clearer. We in Burgenland are spoilt with a warmer climate than the main parts of Europe. There is not so much rain as in England and our temperature is usually about 5 degrees warmer than the northern Europe. But it is cold enough for me to need a separate winter wardrobe. Thermal underwear, warm socks, bulky jackets...real romance enhancers...!

Biggi

The vines are starting to turn colour.

The tree almost could be saying..." Wow, look at me ".