My Coldest Damn Winter in Spain

 I have been such a whiny little bitch the past two weeks as we've experienced what I think is the longest cold snap of my time here in Spain. Low temperatures are below five degrees and daytime highs are around fifteen. As you can see in the photo above, there is no end in sight.

In the street, I'd never complain about the cold because it isn't that cold. The problem is my drafty, un-insulated apartment with no central heating. I have a couple of butane gas heaters which do a good job, but if they aren't one, the place is colder than it is outside.

In an effort to make my life a bit more comfortable, I bought an electric blanket. It's no substitute for spring weather, but it makes being in bed more tolerable. I feel like a cold-blooded lizard in this cold and have so little motivation that my bike must think I filed for divorce, although I am making it to the gym to lift.

I'll survive, maybe, but I'm not going to take it like a man or whatever. This is why I never complain about about the heat in the summer. I'd take that seven days a week over these frigid weeks. For me, the cold is like a low-level and constant pain.

                                                15FEB23

 

Feliz Año

 

I took advantage of the gorgeous weather to have a great bike ride with my brother who is visiting for a few months. I never get tired of these rural roads and city streets.

09JAN23

The Last Half of October Looks Like The Last Half of a Great September

I normally jot down in my journal the last day that I wear shorts in Valencia which is normally on this day each October, or sooner. It's not that it's too cold to wear shorts, but simply because everyone else has made the transition and I don't want to look like a tourist. This year, more people are still swimming in the Mediterranean than wearing long pants.

 

...But at Least the Weather is Good

 I just read this bit of terrible news this morning. It’s one of those life events that we’ll all remember where we were when we heard about it. I hope that it doesn't spoil your day. I'm trying to move past it.

 

Canícula sin Tregua

They are saying this is the hottest summer on record. It has been a relentless torrent of sunshine and heat, not even cooling down in the evenings. The Mediterranean had reached a surface temperature of 30° which scientists say will cause weird weather this autumn. We’ll see.

Update