Is this the longest winter EVER?

Actually, it’s questionable whether we’re even still in winter anymore – technically, March is spring, and the current climate (sunny, chilly days, and the sensation of a face rub from the Ice Queen when the wind blusters) seems to back up that assumption. 

What is certainly true, however, is that England has been consistently cold since early December.  That’s 100 days of tight-scarfed, eye-runningly polar dashes for the tube, impromptu ice skating on the way to Tesco and shuddering, foul-mouthed mutterings after every shower. 

Recent news suggests we’re not the only ones suffering inclemency, though.  First Monaco suffered a snowstorm (above and below), as reported by our client the Monaco Tourist Authority and on Monte Carlo Daily Photo. 

Then, earlier this week, Ian uncovered pictures of an unexpectedly blanched Canal du Midi and Languedoc region. 

And the news this morning suggests that the white stuff has now spread as far south as Catalonia in Spain (below), and east to Switzerland.  A 25-year-worst snowfall in Barcelona in mid-March?  It hardly seems feasible.  In past years, it’s around this time I’ve been discussing with Real Holidays which warm parts of southern Italy might be suitable for a March visit.  This year, only the inside of a cosy villa with a decent fireplace and hot coffee sounds appropriate. 

All of these Arctic overtures in Western Europe’s traditionally hot spots encourages one singular question: what on Earth is life like in Scandinavia?  (Our clients include the West Sweden Tourist Board and Sunvil Holidays, which has a detailed Scandinavia programme.) 

Similarly bizarre is the answer.  Such has been the proliferation of powder snow this year that West Sweden briefly introduced skiing options onto its website for the first time earlier this month.   The Baltic Sea has frozen, trapping ships.  From Sunvil’s account holder Sarah come stories of the seas being frozen between some islands outside Stockholm.  Where normally you sail from one isle to another, at the moment one can ski or ice-skate…

Part of me relishes hearing these stories – there’s a certain open-mouthed enjoyment that comes with seeing pictures of a whitened Barcelona, or through learning of unique ‘walking on water’ possibilities.  But the other, sunnier side of my personality recoils: it really can’t wait for summer to start.  Happily, it seems the wait might not be a long one… check out next Monday’s forecast (c/o BBC weather):

Richard