The Big Freeze.

You are probably aware that the weather these days seems to be a little out-of-control.

It seems that facebook status updates are about little else...

We are being indundated with snow, freezing temperatures, rain and T even read today that South Australia is battling a plague of locusts!

Unusual!

What is Traveller thankful for?

Despite having to wear thermals and woolly socks to bed whilst gripping a hot-water bottle with icy fingers, T remains upbeat. This is quite possibly due to the frequent use of her very own fireplace!

This evening was spent drinking mulled wine {provided by lovely flatmates}, eating yummy cheese and relaxing in front of a toasty fire.

The negatives?

The flames seem to lure Traveller into a very unproductive bliss-coma; T's washing basket is very full, her room is increasingly messy and her list of administration chores is growing wildly out-of-control, not to mention that she hasn't blogged in a while!

Miraculously, the fireplace hasn't yet affected her exercise regime which is lucky because Traveller certainly seems to be eating in preparation for hibernation!

{those three-course hot school meals really aren't helpful!}

Fireplaces are a definite novelty for this sun-worshipping Aussie and they (almost) make the short days and freezing temperatures of the UK seem worth it at this time of year!

{image}

Taking to the skies.

In just over a week, Traveller {and husband} are going on their next European adventure!

Husband's parents are arriving on Monday from Australia and whisking us away to Prague, Vienna, Salzburg and a little Austrian ski resort!

Traveller is {to use a North London expression} well excited.

It has been almost a year since we have seen them, so husband and T can't wait to show them our little London home and fave hot-spots.

photo via weheartit

Teachers have all the luck.

Both Traveller's husband and flattie had to work today because the snow wasn't quite heavy enough to deter London transport {shocking, T knows!}However, both her and Kiwi friend's schools were closed!
Yippee!
We had a lovely day trudging through Primrose Hill and Regent's Park and also enjoying a nice hot drink at a Primrose Cafe. And it gets even better... school is closed again tomorrow! The snow is still falling really heavily and as Traveller works out in Zone 5 - it's even heavier there!
The holidays continue....

Let it snow.

Today, London was put on a severe weather warning. It is, hopefully, going to snow more than it has since 1962! Now, you should know by now how excited Traveller gets by the snow. Apparently it will keep on snowing all day tomorrow!

{ so, so excited}

The only negative in this extremely positive situation is that husband was told {half an hour before he finished work} that he has to stay in a hotel near work tonight! Apparently everyone at his newspaper company will be working from home on laptops and, as he is in I.T., he has to stay to make sure the computers are working! He is a little glum that flattie and T are going to be playing in the snow tomorrow while he is at work. Poor hubbie.

Still, nothing can hinder T's snow-filled-excitement.

The snow is just starting to come down and a few gleeful rounds of applause have already filled their cosy, London flat.

Something scary.

While in Switzerland, Traveller went paragliding!!
T paraglided from Schiltgrat-Stechelberg which was right near where she was staying in Murren. T had to take a ski-lift up to Schiltgrat which was 2150m above sea level! Traveller is a wee bit scared of heights, and hadn't even been on a ski-lift before, however, she decided to simply grin and bear it!
The most terrifying part (after the ski-lift!) is the running. You have to run 20 metres towards the edge of a hill and hope for the best. The paraglide is supposed to lift you up once you reach the edge. Husband went first and everything went according to plan. As soon as he was flying, my paragliding instructor yelled, '3-2-1' and we were off! However, because we had received a lot of snow the night before, the top of the mountain was covered in powder. This slowed us down and caused T to lose her shoe! T kept running, not wanting to ruin the experience, but then a few steps later, she completely face planted! Her whole head was under snow just before the edge of the hill!
T's instructor helped her up and we made our way to the running point again. Believe it or not, Traveller actually felt good by this stage. It seemed she lost all of her fear after the face-planting and was ready to run!
'3-2-1' and we ran again, and this time had the most stunningly beautiful {and cold} flight over Murren and down to Stechelberg. It took 20 minutes.
It was one of the best experiences of T's life so far and she really wants to go again {perhaps somewhere warm this time}!

I'm dreaming of a ....

..... white Christmas.

The good news is that Traveller is going to experience her first cold, snowy Christmas!

T recently booked tickets for a five day trip to Switzerland!

T can't wait for all that this encompasses;
the wondrous white stuff, tobogganing, mulled wine, fireplaces, Christmas markets, the alps.

Any snowy Christmas tips?

{It has to be said that T does sometimes wish for a day on the beach in a bikini though. Mmmm... sun. Oh well, one day she will be back in the land of the constant sunshine.}


photo via flickr

Did Traveller say it was getting warm?

Merely hours after writing her previous blog about the last snow of winter - Traveller and her hubbie awoke to a blanket of snow over sweet 'ol Maida Vale. Not only did ice cover the houses, the trees and the cars, but the snow was still falling really heavily outside. Traveller loves snow! It's so beautiful!

Of course, we did what all of the Aussie's in London did that morning, we ran out and played in it! (There were plenty of snowball fights happening around the streets). Sadly, there wasn't enough for a snowman where we were, but there was plenty to look at and take goofy pictures of. Hubbie also decided to video call his family and show them. Traveller was shocked that Hub took his computer outside in the falling snow! You think you know a person.........

Following the video call, T and her hub got yummy croissants for breakfast from the nearby deli and enjoyed them, looking out their window at the gorgeous surroundings. Ah, bliss.

Let it Snow....

During Easter weekend when Traveller and hubbie went to Belgium, it was forecast to snow in London and its surrounds. For this reason, Traveller was a little hesitant to leave London simply because she had never actually seen snow fall from the sky before.


However, all was forgiven when the morning after flying back from Brussels, they awoke to find pretty snowflakes falling from the sky. Alas, it was too warm for the snow to actually stick, but boy did it look beautiful on its way down. Traveller and hubbie were very excited, and promptly jumped out of bed and danced around in it. We tried to take pictures of it..but of course you can't really see it, unless it was against something black like Traveller's hair or coat. Ah well - as the weather is starting to slowly warm up here, we won't see anymore of this for a while, but we will look forward to the time when we can frolick in the pretty white stuff again.



- You really can't see it, can you? You're just going to have to trust Traveller - it was beautiful!