Winter: the relativity of being cold

I don't think it's any secret to followers of this blog that I'm not a winter fan. The cold, dark days in these northern climes are an annual challenge and it's the time of year when I miss South Africa the most.

Winter on the Highveld (the area where Johannesburg and Pretoria are located) was as good as it could be for me. Although the nights were often very cold when I lived there, the daytime temperatures were usually between 17 and 22 degrees Centigrade. I loved being able to walk in warm winter sunshine with only a jersey or light jacket on. Rain was a rare event, if at all, and the length of the day wasn't as different from the summer as it is here. With dawn arriving before sunrise and dusk falling after sunset, the amount of daylight meant I always went to work and came home in the light, which made a huge difference to how I felt about the day, especially when the skies were so clear. 

The only downside was the intensely dry air, which made the grass crackle and our skin like parchment.  We would habitually get electric sparks from brushing our hair or touching metal surfaces, and even from each other. It gave the concept of 'feeling a spark' with someone a new and literal meaning.

Things may have changed in recent years with weather becoming more intense everywhere, but South African winters suited me well, and, of course, during our winter, it's summer there so I've been looking enviously at their wonderfully warm summer temperatures: rarely too hot (this week in the mid to upper 20s), rain in the afternoons, and then repeat. So yes, I miss my old home very much, weather wise. 

Typical Highveld scenery in the winter

Naturally, I don't miss the crime aspect of living in the country's 'baddest' city. Although I was used to it and learned to live with it at the time (and indeed, in the early 90s it was at its worst ever recorded according to Wikipedia), I would probably be more nervous these days given that I've been living in the relative safety of the Netherlands for so long. But it's all academic now. The prospect of my spending more than a couple of weeks in South Africa is unlikely, and a holiday is about the most I could hope for.

But what's this all about? I'm sure you're wondering why I'm reminiscing with more than a bit of nostalgia about Johannesburg. Well, that holiday is one of my aims this year and I'm shopping around to look for affordable flights in the autumn. Since the pandemic, the cost of flights has risen dramatically so I've started my search already in the hopes I can find a way of getting there.

As for the winter here, I am aware we've been lucky so far. The photos and posts I've been seeing from friends and family in the UK and the US tell me we've been favoured. Even though it's been extremely cold here over the last week, we've had no snow other than one morning last week when Koos and I went to Rotterdam to meet our friend, Stephen Powell, who lives in Portugal. He had to come here for a meeting and we were thrilled to be able to get together with him in the Oude Haven, where we had coffee, then lunch, followed by a walk around the harbour. Sadly, it was a bit too cold to do more, but it really was great to see him again. 

I regret now that we didn't take any photos of our get-together, but I still have one from the last time we met Stephen in Huelva, Andalucia, back in January, 2023. 

Meeting Stephen in Huelva, Jan 2023

Now I come to think of it, we always seem to meet up in January: the first time we met him was in January 2020 at a bus stop in Estoi, north of Faro. We've corresponded and remained in contact ever since. I hope I'm not talking out of turn by saying Stephen is a wonderful travel writer. As a former Reuters' journalist, his books about his journeys through the Caucasus and Portugal are fascinating, as he digs into stories with a skill and depth most of us don't have. I'm very much looking forward to his next book about a recent three-month trip to Mozambique although I'll have to be patient for a while yet as it's still a work-in-progress. Here's a link to his two published books on Amazon if you're interested:  https://www.amazon.com/stores/Stephen-Powell/author/B081B4JRB5

But going back to the snow the morning we went, the fall was quite heavy but fortunately short-lived or we might have been stuck. Even so, we had to take a slow and careful drive to the bus station where we could hand over responsibility for our safety to the professionals on our journey to Rotterdam. 

I should say that I do appreciate cold is relative and how we experience it is different for everyone. I've hated it since I was a child in London, and the winter of 1962 is imprinted on my memory as the time when I first registered how miserable it made me. If I were a Canadian, I'd probably consider what we have here to be very mild. In fact, for most Dutch people it seems to be perfectly normal too. Just the other day, I was walking Zoe when I saw a neighbour in his garden wearing shorts. It was -2C. I was wrapped up in thick coat, scarf, beanie and gloves, with snow boots on my feet. Even Zoe had her jersey on. There's no accounting, is there? He is obviously made of sterner stuff.

Here's a photo I took a few days ago when it was bitter but beautiful. The blue skies and sunshine with sub zero temperatures are infinitely preferable to today's grey mist and damp. That particular day reminded me very much of a Jo'burg winter morning. Right now, though? With a blanket on my knees, two jerseys and a dog by my side, I'm looking forward to spring. Not too long to go now...

Have a good weekend, allemaal, and I'll be back with more news soon.

PS As a footnote, I just want to say my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Los Angeles and its environs who have lost their homes and everything they own. I cannot imagine what they must be going through.