Writing for Fun
Winter in Beyern - Diane Silverston
December 2014
Since 2007 (September . . . when I retired from teaching), I have been lucky enough to spend my Christmas with friends who live in Niederding, near Munich Airport. This is quite a rural area of the region,. The people here are very proud of being Bavarian, then German. They look forward to snow and know how to deal with it. The young farmers are obliged to go out and help clear the roads, and everyone is responsible for clearing their own yards and pavements in front of their buildings. Temperatures of -10o or -15o are common, and people dress in an appropriate manner.
The first year I went out there I was told to buy ski gloves . . . no, I don't ski! . . . but if you wear ordinary woollen gloves then your hands stick to the frozen metal staircases; not a really good look. As photo below shows, they clear the snow from the roads but pile it up at the edge, so you can't see the kerb - very tricky.
In 2007 there was an incredible hoar frost, everywhere in Niededing looked so beautiful, the trees looked as if they were covered in blossom and the sky was so blue and clear.
We also visited Oberjoch, famous for ski resort. The icicles on the building were fascinating. My friends and I had WALKED UP the ski slope, had our coffee and Gluevein and were on our way back. I was following Mike (6ft 10½), he stepped slightly off piste and sank to his knees in snow . . . I, (4ft 10) sank almost to my waist . . . HELP! 'You got me in this mess, now get me out.' Some lads were nearby with their skateboards, so Mike borrowed them, dug into the snow, used them to make steps, so I could walk up and out! A scary moment that ended well. Everyone was having a lovely time, little children with no fear dashing around on their skis.
Not every year has been as crisp and snow-bound as 2007 but most years they have had snow, even if you have to go to the Bayern Forest or Mountains to find it.
The snow looks lovely when undisturbed but like here it can become muddy and mushy, although their low temperature tends to keep it crisp for longer. Looks lovely but it is hard to walk around safely . . . definitely need snow boots and I'm thinking I may need those special poles soon.
But this year, 2014, I'm off to Italy (Trevio and Rome) instead.
