Cooler.

Things have… changed. That would be the weather, to say the least. We have at last entered November. The cool and the grey have begun to surround Szeged. I don’t mind it so much. At some point it cools off and you notice the chill. Then winter sets in. I won’t soon forget the minus thirties (or more) in Sapporo, Japan when I lived out there . . . Cold is just cold. You get used to it.

Here in Szeged, I look out the rear windows of our apartment and see the courtyard below. I see bricks. Bricks seem to have their own language here. They come in different shapes and sizes. I bet some are much older than me. Some of these bricks make up the back wall of our courtyard. On the right side is a low row of outdoor storage units. They are made of dark wood. They are capped off by a roof of red clay tiles. To the left, the single story semi-detached units that make up the ground level. Then there’s our wall of apartments making up the street-facing side of our dated 1950s housing complex. There is history everywhere. I love it.

These days we also wear masks. Whenever we step outside we mask up. Also, these days after 8 p.m. in the city we have a curfew and have to be home. The cold, the buildings and the history (and the curfew) are simply a part of life. We don’t mind. In fact I support the preventative measures in hopes that things will change–if not tomorrow, but soon. There will also be no Christmas market at Szeged Dóm tér church this year. But that too is okay. The local shopping mall has made room for various indoor vendors. Things change and people adapt. I like that.

The outside cold continues to creep. We ended up buying a radiator for our tiled bathroom. It’s been like a refrigerator in there otherwise. It’s toasty now. We’ve bought a string of warm coloured LED Christmas lights and strung them up around our street side windows. We’ve even cut out some paper snowflakes. The season is upon us and we’re enjoying the festivities maybe just a little early, but we’re having fun nonetheless.

Another week, and another day. We settle, listen to some vintage Christmas music and keep brewing tea. Tis’ the season, it’s almost time to say . . . but it may be a little more fitting to say so after American Thanksgiving.

Hoping you’re keeping warm, reading lots and trying all sorts of new coffee and tea. Grab your favourite blanket and cozy up. You never know when you’ll have to head outside for some unexpected errand. And if you do, remember, warm is best.

Wishing you an otherwise toasty November Monday.

Salve!

P.s. Hope you enjoy the website refresh!