Le Grand Froid

This weekend would have to have been one of the most surreal since moving to the northern hemisphere some three years ago. It snowed for almost 72 hours, sans interruption.
It had actually started snowing early last week, intermittently, through the night, all traces gone by the morning, like a hazy one night stand. However, late Friday night when it was realised that the snow wasn't going to turn into an icy drizzle and slowly, surely, started turning all manners of motor vehicles and street furniture white, did everyone fully rejoice that the snow was here to stay.

Waking Saturday morning to snow

And was it ever! By Saturday morning Paris had turned into a winter wonderland. Snow covered every exterior surface. The parks and gardens were full of families, trying to find a spare square metre space to build their first snowman for the year. Teenagers were sliding down streets on garbage bags. And snowball fights broke out left, right and centre. I felt like I was back in Stockholm, or Norway. It was pure magic.

The Mairie deemed the Square des Batignolles too dangerous under ice and closed it to the public. Les enfants and their Papas had to make their snowmen in the street. It was so sad to see!

It is surreal to think that in 6 months from now this stretch of lawn will be covered in people with their tops off, sun bathing!

And now it's Monday, and the magic has tuned to dirty slush. Back to work, back to reality. We'll be super lucky to get another weekend like the one we just had, but with Spring still a couple of months off here's hoping.