Sunday 28 April 2013

THE LOOONG GOODBYE TO WINTER


Meteorologists won't agree with me but, in my view, winter ends first when the trees acquire their first delicate greens. We are not quite there yet, spring still appears like a "lady in waiting".

It has been a looong winter, not exceptionally cold, just exceptionally long and it still refuses the right of way to a spring eagerly awaited by us suffering Swedes. You don't think this winter was exceptional? Well, look at the title picture above, taken yesterday around 15 pm and compare it with a picture taken the same day two years ago (SKIR GRÖNSKA).

I am just back from a three weeks' trip to Austria. The first days down yonder felt about the same as Stockholm does now; but since then spring has erupted there with a vengeance; the valleys have already turned into intensive green against the snowy white of the mountain tops. Day before yesterday, it was 28° C in Vienna, when I boarded the plane back to Stockholm.

It is wearing me down a bit to have to experience the whole sequence once again! But don't despair! In three weeks' time, all will be back to normal and I won't keep bearing a grudge against Father Frost any longer!

8 comments:

HC said...

Hi Emil,
A very funny post and an even funnier comparison between the two pictures. Same boat still tied to the same quay with the same little dinghy tied to it. Obviously, the skipper does not want to hoist the flag until the trees are green.
Perhaps you realise by now why Isolde and I live in Vienna where in winter there is more light and a few more degrees while moving to Sweden for the summers. By the way, thanks for your visit a few days ago and see you soon in Stockholm or on our island.
Hans Christian

Anonymous said...

Hello Emil,
Good essay and what an astounding difference between the two photos! Now you know what it feels like to be a veritable Icelander! While the sun is out the temperatures are still just hovering above freezing. I share your enthusiasm for the warmth of summer not being far off.
Cheers,
Thorsteinn

Renate Lohmann said...

Hallo Emil!

Vielen Dank fuer die tollen Blogs. Ich freue mich schon immer, auf text als auch auf the Kuechenfenster Fotos. Ich hoffe der Fruehling kommt bald. Die Bay Area hat eine sogenannte "Mini-Heatwave", erst ungewoehnlich kalt, dann ploetzlich heiss, mit Feuergefahr. Au weihja!

Bis bald, viele herzliche Gruesse von Berkeley,

Renate

Heidi Harman said...

Nice to see! Hope all is well with you!

Alice said...

Hallo Emil,

ist es wichtig wie lang es dauert oder wichtiger,dass sie wieder grün werden,die schönen Bäume am Kai?
Wir haben gestern mit Freunden auch über die Versätung in der Natur gesprochen und dann haben wir feststellen müssen - wir leben nicht von der Landwirtschaft! Schlimmer ist es für die Bauern - die können auch nichts tun!
Dies gehört mit unter zu diesen Dingen, die wir in unserem Leben nicht beeinflussen können, noch nicht und hoffentlich niemals!
Übrigens Österreich hatte nur 2 bis 3 so warme Tage, wie die in Wien, die letzten sind wieder kalt, aber zum Glück schon GRÜN!
In Erwartung noch die Eismänner..., aber der Sommer kommt bestimmt, auch wenn bei uns in Salzburg meistens im Schnürlregen ersoffen.

Liebe Grüße und viel Sonne Alice

Anonymous said...

Hej Emil, du har så rätt: våren kommer men den tar tid på sig. Detta är min tredje vår i år. 20 mars i Paris och 2 april i Prag var det precis som i Stockholm 1 maj. Efter en dryg vecka grönt och varmt, upp till 20 värmegrader. Underbara jämförelsebilder! Vårhälsningar, Gudrun

Unknown said...

Hi Emil, thanks again for this nice new blog entry !

Greets from Neudau,

Erwin

Anonymous said...

Hi Emil,
You in Stockholm don't seem to be the only "lady in waiting" for the spring and summer. Here in Helsinki, it looks about the same as in Stockholm. Just having returned from Paris, I realised that the spring does not come straight through in middle Europe either. The platans just started to make leaves and were only gray-greenish. We had two very nice days, last Thursday with a temperature of 28 degrees in the afternoon but the days thereafter were about 20 degrees cooler, at maximum 10-12 degrees in the afternoon. Nevertheless, the greenish incrreased! Soon we'll be in a deep green.
Aino