An Unusual London Forecast: Snow!

View from our balcony near Canary Wharf

London's winter weather is typically a given:  it's cold and wet.  And that wetness is generally in the form of rain or mist, as the air temperatures rarely dip below 0 degrees C/32 degrees F.  So when we woke up today to a winter storm, we were quite surprised, while Londoners were gritting their teeth.

You see, the UK, at least in the southeast, is not kitted out to deal with snow.  The trains cease to run on time when the rails are dusted with the stuff.  Roads become slippery, as they are not cleared.  Motor vehicles slip and slide on the narrow streets, and accidents DO happen -- many of them. 

And while the average Brit would love to stay home with a hot pot of tea and a good movie on the telly, today is Friday, a work day, so they must carry o.  So off they rush to try to get to work on time and slip and slide their way there, all the while wondering how they will get home in one piece.

Here in the Canary Wharf area, we have it easier.  The office is a short, 5 minute walk from the flat, and the noise of the workmen preparing the new restaurant adjacent is muffled by the blanket of snow that is growning thicker and thicker.

Ice Fairies on Stilts



It's little details like this that you have to take care not to miss here in the city:  nature is still around us, you just have to pay attention and allow it to help you to stay calm.

On a brighter note, last weekend was the London Ice Sculpting Festival.  We attended this event, which was actually an international competition of professional ice sculptors, the evening before the final, so we were able to see the artists at work.  There were also snow fairies on stilts with lighted costumes that changed colors, fire jugglers and a winter market that served a variety of international foods.  It was a chilly, fun time.