Winter is in full swing here in Vienna, the cars are snowed in, the children are having fun and my walks have a welcoming silence to them.
The world is calm and soft under a pristine blanket of snow, sounds are muted and speed is reduced.
Time to clear the air and the mind. Just let the white take over for a while.
Images: my own
Olfactoria's Travels 
It’s been years since I’ve been anywhere with snow. I used to love the muffled quiet that came with a snowfall. Thanks for sharing your photos and your experiences.
As often as I complain about the weather, I’d probably miss the seasons terribly.
Loving the snow today! I just cannot get enough of it. This is a proper winter this year. Wonderful pictures Birgit – they look so peaceful.
It is a proper winter indeed. I don’t get ecstatic about the snow in the city (my car is lost to the elements), but I’m trying to give in to the beauty of it all and just relax about the other stuff. 🙂
Sou, you’re snowed in as well? 🙂
I was just thinking how I wrote a post on the amount of snow we had in December that was a first for Zagreb, but now we have another record fall of snow. Not that I mind. I’m enjoying both the quiet you mention and the smell. 🙂
It won’t stop! It has been snowing non-stop for hours.
Well, the boys are besides themselves with excitement at least. 😉
We have snow to our knees. Only dogs and children are so happy about it. I would be happy to if I needn’t go to work.
It makes daily life harder, traffic is horrible. But it is so beautiful!
Living where I do, I hate snow. Maybe if I didn’t have to risk life and limb to get to work in the snow and ice I’d feel differently but when I’m out there at 6:30am shoveling it is hard to like it much. It’s okay on the weekends when I can just watch it fall and deal with it after. On days like yesterday I had to shovel out to go to work and then had to shovel my way back in when I got home because my driveway has just enough of a slope to it so you can’t get up it sometimes if there’s just enough snow. Work ruins everything. I envy people who get to stay home on those days.
Ah, Poodle, I’m sorry and I sympathize. For twenty years I worked at schools that were always a half hour drive or more and I had to be at work at 6 am. So many times I would slog away to get there and arrived to find school had been cancelled! The superintendents that made those decisions took their sweet time. The only good thing about unemployment is not having to get up at 4:30.
4.30 is cruel.
I hear you, poodle! The unearthing of the car is horrible! Thankfully here in the city we can also rely on public transportation, I would despair if I had to shovel every day. It’ll pass… and to find a silver lining – you don’t have to work out on those days. 😉
Lol. It is good for working the muscles, I will agree with that.
See! 😉
Here where I live also a lot of snow fell in the last few days, everything has a fluffy white cap.
The whole of Central and Eastern Europe is snowed under. Let’s see how long it stays…
I like the way it is now. And good there are mild cold temepatures out there.
That is true, it is not bitterly cold, which is good.
I remember the weather last year in January was quite harsh.
Not so much snow yet in london. Its all melted whatever fell at night.is very cold though!
Guerlain songe is keeping me warm though… the smokey myrrh… I’m hunting for more.
Guerlain is wonderful company in wintertime. Enjoy!
Beautiful pictures! I live in an area that gets a lot of snow. We had a big storm in December, and it’s rumored that may get one next week. I love the cold, quiet power of a good blizzard. I am reminded that even as we have such avanced technology, we can become powerless to mMother Nature’s wiles and be forced to slow down – at least for awhile. Here, there is a ‘we’re all in this together’ mentality when we get a big snow. Everyone and everything slows down.
Thanks.
That sounds really nice actually (as long as no one gets hurt by the storm of course!). But I’m also always reminded of Stephen King’s The Storm of the Century… 😉
Like Poodle I am not a big fan of snow for I am no longer playing in it but rather shoveling my very long driveway and it is exhausting! but thank you for putting it all into proper perspective for looking at the snow on the evergreens this morning outside my kitchen window was indeed a glorious sight!
I’m trying very hard to keep that positive perspective in sight, since I’m not overwhelmed with joy either, I’m freezing so easily and all I want is to stay in, but that does not fly with my children who want to bury themselves in snow for as long as possible. 🙂
I love winter and cold dry air and lots of snow. Sadly, we are entering the second year of drought where I live and while it’s cold we have little snow. Every time snow is forecast it seems to miss us which is disappointing. I love the smell of a fresh snowfall.
That smell is unique indeed. Puredistance I reminds me of freshly fallen snow incidentally.
Your photos capture the stilling qualities of snow so perfectly, Birgit. The choice of black-and-white was well made and really adds to that feeling.
Black and white is perfect for snow photography, since there is not much color left in the real world anyway.
Beautiful photographs, Birgit! I love black and white photography. I forget sometimes that you can still do it with digital cameras.
Thank you! It’s an Instagram filter, I love that app – it is idiot-proof, which makes it ideal for me. 🙂
And I’m snowed in at the Wienerwald…
Really? Can’t get out? If so, enjoy the captivity with tea and books and perfume (not work)! 🙂
Well, unfortunately I can get out, I wish I couldn’t 😉
It’s difficult though (the road is full of snow, no snow clearing sofar) and takes ages to get to Vienna. I decided it’s the right weather for Oud Ispahan…
Oh too bad! Drive safely, my dear! Oud Ispahan is surely good company today.
YAY!! See you SOON! We leave tonight!!
Portia x
Yay! Have a safe trip, see you soon.
No snow here yet, but I love new snow, I can stand and watch it fall for hours (preferably with something warming to drink and a roaring fire). There is also a wonderful smell just before it snows…
The pictures are lovely and I believe London is due to look something like that tomorrow…
Snow in London – I imagine utter chaos. 😉
Like Alex said, we are getting serious snow (to us anyway) tomorrow and Saturday. Like you and others I love the muffling effect it has and of course it’s gorgeous to look at from indoors. If it makes getting to work too tough I’ll re-direct the phone to my mobile and stay in, so I’m lucky like that.
I LOVE seeing pics of Vienna. It looks like such a beautiful city. Can’t wait to see more.
Lucky indeed! I’m glad you can stay home and work from there.
There will certainly be more Vienna pics, I’m enjoying seeing it through new eyes, so to speak.
Muffled, beautiful, and strangely sad.
True.
I’ve lived in the deep South all my life, and snow is a rarity, deeply desired but only a dream. Once I was on a trip to Chicago, and as we were nearing the airport you could see snow outside the little windows. “SNOW”, I yelled, excitedly, much to the amusement of the Chicago natives. To them it is a yearly challenge.
It must be strange to live without true seasons. But at least you also miss the negative aspects of lots of snow (as the Chicagoans undoubtedly would confirm).
May I add Anita that if you had experienced the two freak snowstorms we had this October and last October in the Northeast (we had no heat, running water or electricity for five days with two adults and three children in our house) you would be happy with just the beautiful sunny days in the South LOL! 🙂 !!
Yet I can understand your wanting to experience snow as there is something quite magical about it… as long as it does not take away the “luxuries” (heat, electricity, toilets,etc) 🙂 !!!
Beautiful pictures! For me it’s all the snow I’ll see until the end of the year when I plan to go to mountains for a couple of days – just to spend those days “in Winter” (last time I did it, I think, two years ago).
Where do you go? The Big Bear area or maybe Lake Tahoe? I love the Sierra Nevada so much, it is gorgeous there!
Lake Tahoe. It’s a beautiful place. Once every 2-3 year.
Lucky you! I want to go back soon!
Winter really can be such a beatiful season! Right now we have a lot of pristine white snow, and all the trees are completely frosted with it, the branches looks like perfect white lace. And we actually get a glimpse of the sun now and then to see it by! It makes up for the bother of taking a shovel and ice-scraper to the car, and -28 C.
Wow, -28 is harsh. I’m glad to be a bit farther south. 🙂
Can report snow in London! Slush now and I am PRAYING it does not turn to black ice. Wrap up warm girls and boys! Thank you for the thoughts Olfactoria.
Slush is awful, I hope it doesn’t turn to ice, so treacherous… Stay warm!
Send some of your snow here in down under. We are sweltering in record heat. A bit of Pamplelune does help though.
Ah, then I’m glad I’m here, I’d rather have the cold than extreme heat, at least you can bundle up, but once you’re hot, you’re hot. 😉
So interesting to see other people long for snow, it’s a helpful perspective that there is beauty in it as well. I’ve been feeling grumpy about January, but your simple comment about going for walks in it gave me an aha! moment. I’ve been fighting a nasty viral thing the last few weeks and haven’t been getting out, I think a walk in the river valley will do me some good. Thanks for that, Birgit. 🙂
Dear Dionne,
I’m sorry to hear you have been unwell.
I can totally understand that you have the more uncomfortable aspects of snow on the forefront of your mind, but giving in to the beautiful side can be very liberating (there is nothing one can do about it anyway, so one might as well enjoy it).
Hugs.
Lovely photos, all the more moody for being in b/w. We have snow here, and I am happy about it, because I don’t have to go anywhere by car for the next few days, and I can just stomp up to the local shop in my wellies. But I would be stressed to the max if I had to fly or drive any distance at the moment. : – (
It’s great when one is able to put life on hold for a bit and just go with it. I’m glad that not having to use the car is an option for both of us.