Yes, winter is done differently here. It doesn't stop normal life. The bikes have studded tires; the paths are cleared before the roads; instead of salt, everyone spreads little granite gravel bits (somewhere between the size of rice and a soybean) which get swept up in the spring and reused the next year; and people are just more cautious. Jenn and Richard loaned me a set of walking poles which have come in very handy in the spots where there is ice, just to keep me safe. They recommended that I not ride a bike on the ice as it is quite tricky even with the special tires.
So I walk. Today it was to Hemlingby, the outdoor recreation centre at the southern part of the city. It was tricky in spots, but the 4.4 km only took an hour. Lunch was amazing as always -- mushroom soup that definitely did not come out of a can. I walked back to the shopping centre close by and found that ICA Maxi had not changed much since I was there 8 months ago. But laden with groceries, I opted for the bus, even remembering that I wanted the 4 bus, not the 14 which came to the bus stop first. Evidently, you can get different tickets -- some one way and others where you have 2 hours to ride wherever. Convenient!
The hens laid their eggs outside.
The sun did not rise above the trees, even at mid day. And this is already significantly more light than a month ago.
Rich and Jenn went for a cross country ski this afternoon while the girls and I played games and Lego.
There is lots of skiing planned for the weekend. Embrace winter!
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