After an unusually warm, humdrum winter in Romania, bereft of snow, we finally had some fairly heavy snowfall these past few days! I drove through a snowstorm the day before yesterday and when I got home, I got to enjoy the beautiful winter weather from inside our house, safe and warm.
I made a short vlog about this which you can watch here or on YouTube. Enjoy!
Glad to be back home!
This is a timelapse video shot in the Bucegi mountains in Romania in spring (14-15 march 2017), more specifically in Fundățica village, Brașov county. The Bucegi mountains are part of the Carpathian Mountains and yes, they are near Bran Castle, which we all know from Bram Stoker’s novel, blah-blah-blah, vampires, blah-blah, winter snowstorm, nightfall, blah-blah, blood-sucking and all that jazz, yes, this text is intentional, hope you find it as funny as I do.
I have a sneaking suspicion winter read my last post, because we got an April snowfall. It wasn’t an insignificant little weather fluke. It started snowing mid-morning and it went on through the day and the night, with little breaks here and there. The ground was warm so we didn’t get a proper snow cover but the next day, there was a fragile, melting, little blanket of the white stuff in the garden — proof that winter did its best against the warm weather.
Enjoy these photos. I took them a couple of hours after the snow started coming down.
It’s been snowing today. I woke up to little snowflakes dancing in a light wind in our courtyard. It’s been like that all day. Every time I looked out the window, it put a smile on my face.
There’s something so beautiful about a February snowfall. It’s one of winter’s last few efforts before it gives way to spring. This sort of snow doesn’t ice up the roads. The weather isn’t so cold that it’s unbearable. It’s not like the frosts of early January that put icicles in your marrow should you stay outside too long. This is soft, warm snow that blankets the gardens and the patches of grass, sits every so gingerly on the branches of the trees and nestles inbetween the needles of the evergreens.
It’s like winter’s saying, “It’s been fun this season, I really enjoyed your company. Here’s a parting gift to remember me during the warm seasons.” I love this sort of snow. I love winter. I love a crackling fire in the fireplace, a warm cup of coffee or tea in my hand and the dance of snowflakes outside my window. These sorts of experiences are the high points in our busy lives, and we should enjoy them more.
Well, a blond little girl named Sophie is tugging at my sleeve, I guess it’s time to go.
One thing about winters is they don’t like to leave. Just when you think they’re packing to go back north, they settle back down for at least a few more days. And they’re not shy about it, either. They’ll let loose and bring on a bonafide winter storm.
This particular one happened just about six years ago. The set of pictures you’re about to see were taken in Grosvenor Park and Cabin John Park, MD, and in Tyson’s Corner, McLean, VA.
Things can start out picturesque in the morning…
… and turn into this by evening.
By morning, things are back to picturesque — a beautiful, white winter picturesque.
Sadly, that doesn’t last long. In a day or two, rising temperatures melt it away.
By the way, there are few things that cheer me up better than warm miso soup and veggie sushi after exploring in the snow.
Raoul Pop 