And now here's the weather...

For all my British friends, today I am going to write about the weather. For those of you not British, the Brits can talk about the weather forever. Really.

Today's weather in Helsinki, is light grey skies, and a lot of wind with the occassional passing fit of light rain and possibly something that looked like sleet.

This is one of a few "bad weather" days since this trip to Finland. And I think it's important everyone knows that. Since March 8th, I can count on one hand the days where the sky has been grey. Most mornings I have been startled by blue skies and, while there was snow on the ground, piercing bright sunlight.

In the latter half of January in Rovaniemi and Sotkamo, I enjoyed blue skies and sunlight flickering through the pine trees. There were gorgeous sunsets and allegedly nice sunrises too! No I witnessed the morning sun streaking the Lapland sky orange and it was truly breathtaking.

I do hope that dispels everyone's notions that it's always so cold here. Sure, it's cold in winter and I wore clothing in ways I would have never anticipated (dead animals on head, shirts tucked into underwear) but it's a manageable, fairly constant, and beautiful cold. A cold for being outdoors in, snow for rolling around in and icicles who dangle in perilous beauty above your head. At least that's my Australian perspective. I'm sure for kids shovelling footpaths and dads scraping the ice off cars, it's not a lot of fun. But as a pedestrian I love it.

I also want to dispel the 24 hours of darkness myth. Not down here in Helsinki. True, I have only been here on the up side of the winter solstice, but it does not go totally dark this far south. I enjoyed light in January from 9 till 4 without looking at my watch. And it's definitely still light here at 8pm now. Don't think it is in London!

Finally, I love that Finland gets 4 seasons. And not in one day. The crispness of Winter gives way to a sloshy starting Spring. The ice cracks, smell comes back and all around is the sound of snow melting. The roads run like rivers. It's amazing how soon it all goes. As it goes, you realise you miss it; "I wanted to play, ski, make a snow thing"... but it's gone.

And as it goes it leaves behind well preserved dog turds from the Autumn, like tiny fossils or petrified elves, frozen in time, trapped in the Winter snows, until now, when they can resume life as a steaming animal mess. Or get back to whatever elves do.