The Big Chill

I’m having a flashback to the beginning of May. The warm sunny days, the blooming flowers, the smiling people wandering happily through parks and lingering over lunches in sidewalk cafes. I remember that week where we all reached for short-sleeves and traded shoes for sandals and considered how lucky we were to be living in beautiful Belgium.

My gosh, what the hell happened? What did we do after that to incur the endless wrath of the Mighty Gods of Meteorology? All I know is that several weeks ago the wind kicked up, the clouds blew in, and the rain has been blowing sideways ever since.

We’ve all retreated to our houses and offices, our smiles sliding off our faces like the water on the windowpanes.

With much grumbling and grousing, I’ve had to retrieve my turtlenecks and sweaters from storage. My heavy leather jacket has cycled back into rotation in the coat closet, and I haven’t dared to leave the house without a scarf.

In the evenings I often sidle up to the radiators to see if they’re hot so I can warm my back against them. At night I’ve been pulling on socks before I climb into bed and drawing the red fleece blanket and flannel sheets up to my chin. My desktop is littered with teacups, and there are fresh ashes in the fireplace. Hello, is it really JUNE?

I haven’t lived in Belgium long enough to know what’s typical for any given season. All I know is that I’m sick to death of spending my days swathed in layers, braced against the elements.

I want to wait for the bus without huddling in the shelter, looking for a spot untouched by blowing rain. I want to go to the market and feel the sun on my bare arms while waiting to pay for fresh lettuce and tomatoes from smiling vendors. I want to set off for a long walk without scanning the sky for banks of ominous clouds or turning up my collar against the wind. I want to leave my umbrella languishing in the dreary dark of the coat closet.

Dammit, I want to worry about getting a sunburn for a change. I want to find a thin place in the ozone layer and huddle under it. Where’s global warming when you need it most? A little UV therapy would certainly lighten and brighten our lives in Europe right now.

Bring it on!

© 2006 Veronica McCabe Deschambault. All rights reserved.

June 1, 2006

Comments

[Flubberwinkle]

And here's me plastering my face with sunscreen and avoiding the sun... with temperature in the 30's (celsius) and ice tea in the fridge. I think summer came too quick here. How's that for unfair?

[V-Grrrl]

High of 10 degrees Celsius, 51 degrees Fahrenheit today. Low of 5 degrees C, 41 degrees F.

Wah!

[Ash]

Ours is also miserable! Since losing weight I have a summer coat that is miles too big for me and a winter coat that is in storage and so I was reduced to wearing this horrible looking fleece thing that I found for 15 euros at the market a couple of years ago. Its also miles too big, but at least its warm.

Today I went and searched for a summer coat - plus point is that I found one, big minus point is that its baby blue. Ick. Not my colour.

But considering there were a grand total of five coats on the rack in the shop that I like I think I did ok.

It's so weird to see all the short pants, strappy tops, mini skirts and swimsuits everywhere and then look outside and people are wearing winter scarves! It's freezing out there!

[Di]

Gert said, 'the general rule is that the cool and wet weather comes in from the Atlantic and if there's no high pressure zone to stop it it just rolls on in and over us.

So it all depends on one good high pressure zone to stop it, High pressure over Belgium preferably ... but over England or Germany is okay and brings dry weather.

However ... there is no rule about when this high pressure zone will form ... if it doesn't we just have 18-20oC and rain all summer. And if the high pressure zone comes and stays, then we may get 6 weeks of 25-30oC.

Just thought I would share the joy ...

[V-Grrrl]

Ash--Isn't it sad we have to HAVE summer coats? I own more jackets now than I can count--and I wear them all--year round!

Di, Last summer was mostly wet and cool, except for some hot weather in June....What does New Zealand normally get this time of year?

[mama_tulip]

Let's change places, okay? I'd be so happy with your weather, and you can suffer through the humidity over here. Kay?

[mrsmogul]

It's like the dark ages here in EUROPE/UK! Where is the sun?! I'm an American expat in London..been to Belgium (bruges in fact) GORGEOUS!!

[amber]

Oh man, that stinks to still have cold weather this time of year! I thought we were having a long winter! I hope the sun comes out for you soon!

:)

[Cissy]

Hey, where in Belgium are you? One of my best buds here (in OKC) is from Belgium. He's always thrilled when Americans actually venture to his native land. I'll have to send him a link to your site. (Got here via Wordgirl's site.)

[Shannon]

My parents are visiting for the summer here in Overijse Belgium. They arrived May 21, it's been cold and raining since they got here. They cannot believe it!!!! They asked " You do get SOME sun like in August, don't you?". 48 degrees F yesterday and raining, on June 1 !?!?! Unbelievable. I don't think they believe me when I tell them it was 80 and sunny and dry a few weeks ago.

Shannon

[V-Grrrl]

Mrs. Mogul,

After living in Belgium for 15 months, I now understand why you never see the natives wearing SUNGLASSES.

What I don't understand is what keeps people from jumping off ledges after the gazillionth day in a row of blowing rain.

I'm guessing they don't want to get wet....and really, one would have to be truly desperate to jump onto cobblestones....

[Di]

This time of year New Zealand is heading into winter, always the opposite however, in what can only be viewed as particularly bad luck, I do seem to have found a sister city for my 'Edinburgh of the south' city of Dunedin over here in Antwerpen.

NZ is just over 1000kms long, about 200kms wide ... we stretch across a few climate zones, and offer volcanoes, glaciers, mountains, lakes, rivers, hot pools ... so it's more a case of pick a climate and then live in 'that' part of NZ :)

Long answer ... erhemm.