Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog!
This week I’ve been dressing warmer and warmer, since the temperature has dropped and it has been snowing. Honestly I’m really excited to walk through all this whiteness and to feel the snowflakes fall on my skin. In my life I’ve had to deal with this atmospheric phenomenon only a few times, and each time it was never enough: the snow melted after a couple of days and it was never more than twenty centimeters. I don’t know if you have heard about the book called “The Chronicles of Narnia”. Well, I often feel as if I were walking among those pages, in a boundless, cold and magical nature. It is as if the trees were sleeping a deep sleep lulled by the wind; the lake is still and silence seems to reign around us.
When I arrived in Finland I really felt the difference in temperature from Italy.
Just today I spent a few minutes observing how the snow has beautiful shades in both shade and sunlight; it shines like it’s made of tiny diamonds in a white paste. I also love sinking my boots into it and hearing the noise it makes when I walk. These are new sensations and images that I put in a special drawer of my memory. Winter has always been my favourite season; what could be better than a soft blanket in front of the fireplace with a book and a cup of coffee while it is snowing outside? For me this is pure happiness! It’s as if this white colour caresses you and makes you feel safe, like in a mother’s arms.
When I arrived in Finland I really felt the difference in temperature from Italy. I left when it was about 25* and arrived here when it was 10*. Fortunately I had ready a nice warm jacket that I immediately put on. But after a few weeks I got used to it and now I feel the cold less and less. (Although I’m a bit afraid of freezing in a couple of weeks >.< ). The sauna also helped to warm me up. It has a regenerating effect on the body, especially when you jump into the ice water afterwards!
Dear readers, today I would also like to tell you about the climatic and environmental differences between our countries. As you know, Finland is far away and much further north than Italy, and for this reason their climate and environment are different. My country, although smaller than yours, has a high biodiversity (the largest in Europe) and a temperate, Mediterranean climate. In December, January and February it is rare for temperatures to fall below -2/-3* unless you are in the mountains in the north or in the Apennines. Where I live, winters are very wet and humid; spring arrives in March/April and ends in early June. Temperatures fluctuate between 15* and 25* with nice sunny days that are not too hot, and rain especially in April with meadows and forests filled with flowers and scents. Summer, on the other hand, is very hot and often unbearable, with temperatures reaching 40* in August. It’s not a dry heat, but a sultry one; it rarely rains and periods of drought can be encountered, especially in the south. Finally, autumn is refreshing and colourful: we have beautiful forests where you can walk and enjoy nature as it prepares to sleep. September, October and November are fascinating months that give us back our energy after a long period of heat and temperatures don’t fall below 10*.
Depending on where you are in Italy, you may encounter different landscapes and temperatures, in fact in the north it’s colder than in the south: there’s snow with fairly cold winters and warm summers, never too hot. In the centre-north, on the other hand, the climate is somewhere between northern and southern. It doesn’t usually snow, it rains, it’s humid and it’s hot in the summer months. In the south, of course, winters are quite warm, especially on the islands, and summers are scorching. As a result of the different territorial peculiarities, my country has an intense and varied nature. We go from trees such as firs, maples, birches, alders or willows to olive trees, palms, vines, oaks, figs or cacti.
Our land is also very fertile and gives us fruits such as tomatoes, lemons, oranges, pomegranates, peaches, apricots, pears, apples, kiwis, bananas and many others! Honestly, I’m very happy to always have fresh and healthy food on the table. Another very nice thing about my country is that we have both plains and hills or mountains. Wherever you go, you will find a different landscape, even if it’s only a few kilometres away. An amazing variety that leaves me breathless every time just like your mysterious land! Every day I let my imagination run away with me and as I walk I get lost in my thoughts. I feel really free and happy to be in such a ‘wild’ place. You are really lucky to live in a country of such beauty and promptitude; always carry it in your hearts, as I do with my beautiful Italy.
I say goodbye for today, inviting you to reflect on what is wonderful around us.
A big hug,
Your Bessie
Pictures are Bessie’s own pictures of the nature in different parts of Italy.
