goodbye to winter

last weekend, we had the final snowy and sub-zero temperatures of the winter. as winter isn’t quite over yet, it seems rather presumptuous to assert this, but a good look at the ten day forecast gives me reason to believe that the spring rumblings have officially begun.

so what better than to do all the best winter things?
after waking up in flannel sheets with doggie cuddles and a long leisurely breakfast of omelettes, we headed out to buy ice skates. as this was the last cold weekend and the rivers (malše & vltava) had frozen, i was darn well going to get myself ice skates as i had promised myself a year before.

unfortunately, the price was not right and i walked away empty-handed, but we stopped into costa to sit and relax with lattes. we’ve now had a big beautiful costa coffee cafe since november and i am pleased to announce the baristas have got way better since then. as they offer david rio chai (my absolute favorite forever), i typically get this, but alex got some kind of caramel latte that came out just gorgeously. of all my past years of working at a starbucks, i ain’t seen a caramel macchiato to match the beauty of this one. micro-foam for days.

next year, i shall have my own skates! i will not be foiled again!

after, we went home to get our pooch, it was time to take to the river! we let ferdie run around off-leash and it seemed that the entire town was enjoying the frosty day on the firmly frozen river. once again, i have to state that i am from a place that never freezes for more than a couple days. to see a frozen pond, lake or river is like something from beyond my imagination.

the next morning, i awoke to a text message that our friend would unexpectedly lend me her ice-skates! i had not planned to go back out to the river again as i had a lot of other things to take care of that day, but you do not. refuse. the last chance to skate on the river for an entire year.

there is something about ice-skating on a frozen river. last year i dipped my toe into the outdoor ice-skating pond (literally, because it was on a pond) but this year, the ice on the river was even better. i am not even a strong skater (before last year, the last time i had skated was in my late teens) but there is SOMETHING about soaring on an icy river. watching the trees woosh by, the white sky… maybe it’s the fact that for most of the year, this river is inaccessible (except by boat, of course). but that day, it was all mine.

well, and ferdie’s. as he was running along behind me the whole time as fast as his tiny legs could move him. this is the same dog that cannot step out onto a marble floor without freaking out. hooray!

“i could skate to vidov! i could skate all the way to PRAGUE!” i exclaimed to alex. it definitely goes down as a purely joyous “living my best life” moment.

it’s not a bad way to wrap up winter. maybe next year i will skate to vidov! but until then, later, winter. we’ll always have those magical days of the frozen river.

tell me your best magic winter moment! do you skate? what are you looking forward to with the coming of spring?