An Extremely Cold Start To Our Weekend.

Burgenland has morphed into a mini Siberia.

For once the weather vanes were right. Yes, the bitter cold only recently depicted on nightly weather maps has reached our neck of the woods. Who would have believed that at the end of winter ( I still believe it is ) such a bitterly and icy cold spell would arrive?

Minus 20 in some parts of Austria and about minus 10 in ours. It is so cold that going outside to fetch more firewood can be painful without gloves. Within minutes my hands were so cold that they started to hurt. Only minutes mind you.

Yesterday in a moment of idiocy I went for a walk early in the morning. When the treacherous gusts of wind decided to join my walk I realized my stupidity. Too late of course because either way-forward or return- were more or less the same distance. I put my neck warmer over most of my face and only had my eyes exposed. Must have looked like a bank robber! Oh well, done and dusted with a few lessons learned.

What I keep on reminding myself about is that fact that throughout history cold weather has been part and parcel of life yet people didn't have the comfort of central heating and wardrobes full of warm winter clothing. Often only a little stove in the kitchen would have to do and heat the whole house and its inhabitants. Seems to me that our generation has gone a bit soft, constantly living such a cushy and easy life. 

Paradoxically the sun is shining magically outside despite it being so bitterly cold thus making it quite refreshing to glance out the window. Remember, we've just survived weeks of dull grey skies day in and day out...

One great feat that this cold weather has made me achieve is the fact that I can rustle up a fire in our old aga with ease and speed. Small achievements actually aren't that small...

Biggi