9 posts tagged “snow”

Is it worth to wait an entire night, awake, to see a snowfall?
I bet you think it is insane. I bet in fact every one thinks it is insane. Well...not me...!
No one can understand...I know...but this is something that really gives me emotions...big emotions...
You can give snow a few hours of your sleep, cos what you get back is priceless...
The days before...the beauty of the wait...checking weather charts, checking every possible update, looking for confirmation from different models... until the hours before the events come, when it is time to look at satellite images and rainfall radar...and eventually out of the window...in silence...concentrated...ready to spot the fist flakes falling from the sky...and then another one and one more...and a smile appears...and you feel happy...I just love all of that...
It started to snow at around 5.20...and stopped at 7.15...Minutes before 6 the snowfall was impressive...really really heavy...Roofs and cars turned white in few minutes...not the streets and pavements unfortunately.As soon as it started I took my camera...and in few seconds I was walking around Clifton...smelling the snow in the air...feeling flakes brushing my face...

My little Twingo made it...! Today just off Monmouth, South Wales, she (yes because it is a she) reached the 160000 km...amazing...!
In 11 years she brought me everywhere really...! A lot around Italy...a lot in the UK...and hopefully there is more in the future...!
I remember many great drives with her...Of course the main is the one that took me here...from Grassina to Bristol...all in a go, with no stops...23 hours and 15 minutes...to go for 1785 km across Italy, France a England...Few years before I drove to Zianl, on the Switzerland Alps; an 8 hours drive with 4 people on board and luggages for 4...The Twingo is never too small and always comfy...she is surprising every time...! Another good one was when me and my friend Antonio went up to the Abetone, 1388 m over sea level, at 2 am, in icy and snowy condition with no snow chains...crazy! And how to forget when we went to Venice to watch Fiorentina, and she almost lost the number plate, or when I took Dao for the first time to Trento and the next day we went for an amazing tour on the Dolomites, just after a massive snowfall...Stunning!
I could tell lots of stories, lots of drive...lots of little nice anecdotes from 1997 to today...most of them are in my mind anyway...and there they stay...and I will not forget...!
I love my car...I say thanks every time after a demanding trip...and she appreciates it...I think she likes me as well...and even if she doesn't say it loud I am sure sometime she thinks Cheers Drive :)

 

I survived the first two days of mum's attack...but there are still 5 to go...The house is already clean...
washing machines done...we had to go to the bookshop to buy her a book...otherwise she would have get bored...
Dad meanwhile took possession of my armchair and my TV...hard to have it back until next Wednesday... :)
Time's passing by quite rapidly...Yesterday I went to work...so we spent only the evening together...
Today it was bank Holiday (Good Friday) therefore I was the whole day with them...
We went a bit around Bristol...a bit by car and a bit by foot...It is very very cold in these days...we have not been lucky with the weather...In the evening we had also couple of wintry showers...it wasn't proper snow...it looked more like icy water...no hail though...

Around lunch time we stopped for a cappuccino in Whiteladies Road...before wondering around the afternoon...until 5 o'clock...
Dinner was a cooperation between me and the boss...but the kitchen "is to small" for two cooks...
Nevertheless...we managed to prepare a great fish dinner...Prawns cocktail and Avocado as starter, Seafood Tagliolini, and Salmon in the oven with potatoes.
I wanted to take some pictures...but I miserably forgot...!
I am quite happy to have them here...cos at the end of the day, in the last 7 and half years we haven't lived together...while in this week we have time to talk a lot, to go out together, make the shop, cook together...and stuff like that...which is a bit unusual...but really funny...It's only matter of a week...not too much...definitely feasible...
Today mum said that she would like to move here for a months or two...cos she loves staying here, and she could help me out with everything...
Dad was enthusiast of the idea...
I was not.

These are the words that Cesare Prandelli, Fiorentina's manager, told us when we thanked him for a picture taken together...
just outside Lerkendal Stadium. He attended the press conference, and was coming back to the hotel. What a man...genuine...simple...just able to find always the right words in the right moment...
We said "Thanks Mister"...he replied " No...! Thanks to you...".This is something that makes me feel saying it was worth to spend time and money to come over...
Anyhow...this is just a flash of this first day in Norway...started at 7 in the morning in Stansted Airport with an interesting meeting with John...an Everton supporter on his way to Bergen, Norway.
He's a really nice guy, we had a good conversation...and we agreed that in case Fiorentina is playing against Everton we will meet at Goodison Park, at least for a pint before the match...
The flight was OK...not even too long... It was stunning to see how basically  Norway is all covered by ice and snow... From Oslo to Trondheim, from the window you could see only white stuff...
and they weren't clouds... All the little internal lakes are icy, as well as all the fields, roofs...trees....really everything...
Here in Trondheim it is quite cold...but not extremely...it snowed most of the day...and it was quite windy as well...Streets are covered of ice and snow of course...not many people around...
The accommodation is alright...room with intl. TV, free internet access...the right size for the two of us...The funny thing is that the reception is at the gas station down the road...and when we found it out we were just a bit worried...at least until we entered the room...
In the evening we went for a short walk in the city centre, and then to visit the stadium...The stadium is really nice...tomorrow we will find out more about the city...

While the week is flying quickly towards the end my mind is already miles away...is already off to Trondheim, Norway. On Wednesday then...I will be there as well...When in December the Uefa Cup draw , said that Fiorentina would have played against Rosenborg the 14th of February, I made the connection straight away... "that's an occasion I can't miss..."Going to Norway, in February...Fiorentina and snow...what better...!!!
However this winter seems not to be a good one... I have checked the charts for a week by now...always the same output...it's not gonna snow...it's not gonna be cold...temperature are expected to be 6-7 degrees above the average...sky will be clear or cloudy at the most...unlucky...! It can still change...but I would be very surprised...
It doesn't matter though...does it?

As I said couple of days ago the MetOfiice issued a warning for heavy snow for Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and West and South on England. The warning has been updated and was extended to the Midlands and also the eastern part England. However, tonight there has been quite a clear downgrade, especially for south of England. Latest models' runs don't foresee that much of snowfall.The snow is always hard to predict...in England it is twice as much harder.
Nevertheless, even if the snow will not be on its way to Bristol, tomorrow night I will be on my way to Stansted Airport...to catch the Ryanair flight to Pisa, Saturday, early morning...

Friday 11.01.08 h 14.00 - I can't believe it...!!!!!!! It's heavy snowing...after all day of heavy rain...!!!
The temperature dropped from 4.9 to 1.2 in just 2 hrs...
And now it's snowing very heavy...
OK...everything is wet...so no chances to settle...but it is a nice view out from the window...

Being a snow lover it is almost an insult calling it snow...nevertheless when it is not expected it is a great emotions...Here is a picture done with my mobile today during the snowfall...

So...as I said yesterday some snow was forecasted...but unfortunately it only was... No snow...no rain...overcast all day long, very cold, light easterly wind. Max temperature +2.0 C° at around noon...! I am not disappointed as I didn't expect that much...but also the MetOffice forecasted snow until yesterday night...
Hopefully there will be some other chances to see some flakes...!

Back to Bristol...and back to work today...It's never easy the first day...but having things to do the time goes by faster...
And it was nice anyway to see some friends after 2 weeks...
 

Some snow is forecasted for tomorrow morning in Bristol...Will it snow?
I think it won't be a big snowfall...but we will see some snowflakes...
It will turn into rain by the evening though...
I just landed in Bristol, +0.9 C° moderate easterly wind...very cold...
A long monitoring night ahead...I'll let you know tomorrow...

...Touch wood...