November and March are in my opinion the most boring and dull months of the year. I have to admit that November has the edge on March as a long Winter dawns, whereas in March it´s a case of only a few more weeks and then….. I should point out that my perspective is from a position along the 59th parallel North which when referring to weather in Sweden or the country´s climate for that matter is of importance. The country stretches from Treriksröset (Triple frontier) in the North to Smygehuk in the South. In navigational terms this is between the 69th parallel North and the 55th parallel North. By road a distance of some 2050 kilometres. My point is that it´s a lot colder up the top than down the bottom.
This becomes abundently clear when you become aware that this distance is only just short of the distance between the United States border with Canada and that with Mexico. Expressed in European terms Copenhagen to Naples. Unfortunately the climate variations in these distances are not on a par with the Swedish equivalent or if so only at the northern end. Putting it another way there are no palm trees in the South of Sweden, it is just less cold than the North. This area of less cold has now spread (by now I think everybody knows why) further North. I am no fan of long Winters with the accent on long but have fond memories of what the Swedes call vår/vinter or Spring/Winter. Basically a battle of the Seasons, with Winter despite daily temperatures still below zero relinquishing territory during the day to an ever warming Sun as it melts snow and ice on rooftops, pathways and roads. The gurgling rivulets of water and the drip drop of melting icicles is the voice of Spring.
Whatever, vår/vinter or no the season of the long nights with only one or two exceptions, family Christmases and family holidays in the UK, is our season for travelling. Needless to say intercontinental travelling as most places in Europe during the Winter at best match a Swedish summer and who doesn´t like a change?
The point I am trying to make here is that Covid19, Happy Birthday by the way, has thrown one gigantic spanner into the works of our lifetime routines. The digital world with its mobile phones, IPads, computers, social media, chat sights, Messenger, Twitter, Facebook, bank apps, Swish ad infinitum has served us well as, or maybe even almost as good as, substitutes for physical social interaction, shopping and banking and so on. In fact it is exactly 1 year since I paid for something in actual hard cash.
One very important element of our lives that has come to a complete standstill with really no ”Ersatz” (best offer looking at old pictures) is the ability to travel abroad. In the first instance some might say, ”you should be so lucky, many people can´t afford luxury travel, so just shut up and stay at home.” I have no case for disputing that argument although in the second instance in this world of refugees, what if I want to get away from not only Winter but from a virus gunning for people my age?
The answer is staring me in the face. There is no running away. From a pandemic today, from climate tomorrow.