Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

How Cold is Cold Enough? When Brocanting seems Impossible?

Sacha called to say that he was cold, bitter cold, and that with his heater on full blast his studio was only at 42 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Provence has been a imitating Siberia this last week. Snow remains on the roof and mountain tops, the Mistral (wind) adds an extra chill factor. The weather reports (6 Celsius) 12 degrees Fahrenheit this morning but feels like 2.

 

I tell you snow gear never looked so beautiful.

 

In the photo above of my son Sacha I asked, "Do you have every single item of your wardrobe on?" I could see he had on his two jackets. He had left his ski gear at his Grandmother's apartment last weekend.

 

 

 

Blue skies– that is one of the beauties of Provence. Very deceiving these days. As I look out my window the sun is shining, the skies are crystal blue, snow is stacked on the roofs and when I walk outside to gather wood for the fireplace I am instantly frozen in place.

 

French Husband like a Prince in shining armour, his armour being the heater he grabbed, drove late last night to rescue our son from turning into a popsicle!

 

 

Snow in provence

 

 

 

 

 

I am really glad that I am not so caught up in brocante that we own heaters and not just coal carrying buckets. Our house is heated by a fireplace and I am Cinderella with thick socks and a wool scarf.

 

How cold is it Chez vous?

 

 

 

Comments

41 responses to “How Cold is Cold Enough? When Brocanting seems Impossible?”

  1. M in Vienna

    Blue skies and icy temperatures, -6°C as I type.
    I feel grateful, considering that the furnace is working and I can look out at the white wonder outside from the warm comfort of my home. So many people are literally freezing. I hope the weather gods have mercy and send warmer temperatures to people who are suffering.
    Stay warm,
    Merisi

    Reply
  2. christine

    We have -14°c at the moment – no idea what that is in farenheit, but it’s pretty d…d cold ! Blue sky though and if you’re dressed correctly and don’t stand still then it’s gorgeous. Chilly feet in bed, so cashmere socks, or a hot husband……(or both). Warm hugs from Burgundy xxx

    Reply
  3. Irina

    Wised I had a fireplace. I look like a bum, a cute version I hope – pj pants, sailors stripy long sleeve t-shirt with a Fair Isle sweater on top. It’s a chilly weather in HK this winter too and I feel it’s enough already 🙁

    Reply
  4. Jackie

    We are having an unseasonably warm winter. Which is a welcome change to last years record breaking snowfall totals. I’m happy when it’s 30 degrees, which is “mild” in my neck of the woods (in February.)

    Reply
  5. kim

    Same here over in England — only no blue sky! It’s gray and bitter cold. But I keep warm with a hot water bottle.

    Reply
  6. Chris Wittmann

    New Englanders are a tough breed, and having lived here over 32 years I’ve learned to dress in layers, wrap the foundation of the house in plastic, and shovel snow up against that to further insulate. Snow is your best defence, it insulates the ground. And we’ve had precious little of it here in the Lakes Region, which is very odd. It’s been milder than normal, 30s much of the time, but lately dipping into low teens. This morning it is 9 degrees Fahrenheit. Sunny and no wind, thankfully.
    When I lived in England we had no heating system in the cottage, just a tiny fireplace on the first floor. I had arthritis at 21 from the damp! I’ll take dry cold over damp cold anyday. Eventually I talked my husband into installing a gas central heating system.
    We use both oil and wood here in New Hampshire, I cook on a 1928 gas stove and an antique woodstove, and we have a soapstone stove in the living room. That, coupled with those fabuloud goose down comforters and several cats on my head at night and I’m as warm as toast!
    Don’t you folks have any other form of heat over there??

    Reply
  7. Bev

    It has been a warm winter here in Virginia, although there is the expectation of snow (possibly) today. Do you have any wool socks?

    Reply
  8. Kristin

    I’m sorry to report Corey….. it will be 62 here today and 69 tomorrow in Sunny San Francisco! Pray for clouds…. clouds should make it warmer….usually keeps the temps up, no clouds the heat escapes!

    Reply
  9. Cheryl ~ Casual Cottage Chic

    So. California….what can I say 🙂 Lows in the 40s and highs in the 70s. Do you have electric blankets in Europe/France?

    Reply
  10. Dianne in Boston

    Here in the Boston area we are enjoying the best winter ever. We missed the huge snow storm in October and have had only a few inches of snow all season. What a change from last year when I missed 5 days of work and the snow was piled higher than my car at the end of the driveway. We are looking for 35 – 45 degrees for the next few days. Nice!

    Reply
  11. Beatnheart

    CALIFORNIA BABY!

    Reply
  12. Kathie B

    We’re having an unusually mild winter by northeastern US standards, although right now it’s below freezing — cold enough for 1″ of snow (as opposed to 0.1″ of equivalent rain) to have fallen already this morning. One major difference between our house and, e.g., Sacha’s apartment, is that most homes here are pretty well insulated, so not as much cold can leak in nor heat escape as at his place (poor baby!); it also helps that we have a new roof.
    Corey, did you mis-type the temperature? The former math teacher in me — who will go to her grave remembering, inter alia, the Celsius/Fahrenheit temperature conversion formulas (LOL!) — is a bit confused, because +6°C = 42°F (not 12°F), while -6°C = 22°F. Which did you mean?
    Fun math class puzzle: At what temperature do Celsius and Fahrenheit read the same number of degrees? Hint: brrrrrr!!!

    Reply
  13. Kathie B

    P.S. All you folks in California are making me so-o-o-o homesick! Wish I were there…

    Reply
  14. Tongue in Cheek

    Nothing new under the sun…yes.

    Reply
  15. Tongue in Cheek

    Yes.

    Reply
  16. Brenda L. from TN.

    It has been in the high 50’s and really high 60’s here in Tennessee. My front and back yards are FULL of small wild purple crocuses. My camellias think they are in south Georgia and blooming like crazy!…Lots of pinks and reds. Daffodils are blooming too! Everything thinks it’s spring!…And we still have the rest of Feburary and ALL of March to go! Usually our worst weather!!…Last year at this time we had 8″ of snow on the ground…higher on Lookout Mtn. and Signal Mtn…so all in all, it’s been NICE!

    Reply
  17. Chris M.

    When I left for work this morning, it was 17F. The forecast is in the 20’s later on. (I live is WI)
    I remember reading about the Mistral in “A Year in Provence”. I’ve only experience the “mistral” that comes from Canada 😀 Keep warm!

    Reply
  18. Jillayne

    Chez moi it is about -11C, but then, I’m in Canada and we’re used to it…mind you, having central heating makes being used to it a whole lot easier! I grew up in the Yukon though, where temperatures can get pretty ugly. The last winter before we moved we had a cold spell where the average temperature for a six week period was -33C! Ugh! For one week it was -45 to -49 every single day….now that was cold!
    Stay warm Corey, and cozy by your fire…

    Reply
  19. martina

    42 degrees in Seattle at 7:57 a.m. The sun is coming out but rain is forecast for the next few days. We had snow etc. a few weeks ago. The bulbs are leafing out, neighbor’s daffodils are in bud in their front yard. I hope you get warmer weather soon!

    Reply
  20. everton terrace

    It will be another beautiful sunny day here in Arizona – around 70F I think. This is our best time of year. Come June, I will be melting!

    Reply
  21. Zosia

    Oh, today balmy -4 Celsius, but it’s been up to -30 at night and -18 during the day over the past several days.

    Reply
  22. Stella

    -13 C and much warmer than usual. Normally, we are looking at -20 at this time of year. We hardly have any snow…

    Reply
  23. Paivi Vaisanen

    It’s about -30 Celsius (-22 F) up here in The North of Europe. We’ve had it even colder last week. Snow layer about 80 cm – very beautiful and freezing cold. We’ve got thick walls, central heating and fireplaces, thank God for them!
    Keep your wool socks on, gals!
    Paivi

    Reply
  24. Joy

    I’m living at Tours right now, and it is snowing outside! I’m from Florida, so I’m pretty much a popsicle even with the heater 🙂 Still, I had never seen it actually snow; I’d only seen snow already on the ground. So it was a magnificent child like experience for me. Still, I do miss sunshine and warm breezes!

    Reply
  25. LieseLotte

    Had to leave the house at – 20°C this morning, but it didn´t feel too cold cause there was no wind. Got floor heating and all 3 furnaces in the house on … keep carrying firewood inside,an activity that keeps me warm; surfing the net only with wooley socks and turtle neck wooley pullover incl. ten cups of tea every day – that´s what it´s like chez nous 🙂

    Reply
  26. Rhonda P.

    We here in Phoenix, Arizona are a balmy 72 degrees with partly sunny skies.
    We’ve had a very mild and warm winter.
    Stay warm, Corey. Bake all day, it will heat up the house and keep you warm.

    Reply
  27. Sara

    Today in CA it is 68 degrees F. We were supposed to have rain yesterday, and we did, but very little. It is the driest winter I have seen in a long time! I bought rain boots for the very first time and I am dying to wear them, but it is not looking good. I’m worried this will lead to drought later on. Knock on wood! Maybe we’ll be flooded in Spring?????
    How very sweet of FH to take the heater to Sacha. What love!

    Reply
  28. Laurie SF

    The blossom trees are in full bloom.

    Reply
  29. Victoria Ramos

    High today is 68 degrees and sunny in Sacto. It rained a bit yesterday, which we need…..has been very dry so far. Seems everyone else is getting our weather but us! Hardly any snow in the Sierra’s.

    Reply
  30. Jody

    It’s cold here in Northern MN, but not as cold as it was last week. It is -10F today, and is bright and sunny which helps! We heat with wood, but have a gas furnace as a back up. Stay warm!

    Reply
  31. Sally

    Today it’s about 8C and cloudy – typical almost-Spring weather on the wet west coast of Canada. This is after about 5 days of beautiful blue sky but temperatures around freezing. Yesterday went to a bird sanctuary and saw cranes, an owl, and miscellaneous small birds in the brilliant sunshine, along with photographers with camera lenses like cannons – real paparazzi (sp?).

    Reply
  32. Violet Cadburry

    Brrrrrr…42 degrees with the heat on…quel horreux! Unless you are having a hot flash. San Diego is mild this winter, we never get really cold, but sometimes experience wet windy winter storms that batter the coast and destroy stupidly situated expensive real estate. If you have a cat or two, they make toasty foot warmers at night.

    Reply
  33. Sue Morris

    And today – Thursday 9th February in Western Australia, our forecast is for 36degrees Celcius….That is hot, hot, hot. and I have to go to a Funeral which will be a graveside service…..will be standing in the hot sun for an hour or so…..

    Reply
  34. momof5

    Dianne, You just wrote my post…lol. I am NOT missing last years record Boston Snow craziness. It was piled as high as our roof and no place to throw the snow we shoveled as the piles were just too high. This year is positively balmy.
    Stay warm Corey.

    Reply
  35. Marilyn

    Oh I hope it warms up for you soon. Your temperatures are not good. No snow on the ground here and just about 40 degrees, colder at night but then we are cozied in bed.

    Reply
  36. Claudia

    -10 °C (approx. 14 F) at the moment, in the middle of Germany.
    But it has been down to -17 °C (Approx. 1.4 F). No snow, however. Mostly blue skies, but an unpleasant Eastern wind…
    Every workday morning, my hubs turns on a small fan heater in his car before he drives to work, so he won’t have to scratch the frost or ice from the windshield – and to warm the car, of course.
    Thank God our house is warm, but the humidity is down to 23 %, in spite of evaporators…

    Reply
  37. LibbyWNZ

    Chez moi it’s 24C, a very pleasant summer in our region of New Zealand, at long last…. Hopefully spring is just around the corner for all of you in chilly places ???

    Reply
  38. Linda

    Really, really, really cold here. I even snowed yesterday. I always think it feel colder in a city with all of that asphalt. We had wind too on top of it and, according to my weather report, it was like 6 degrees F out there. I had to get out there and was so glad I had my snow boots. Blue skies though.

    Reply
  39. Minodora

    Today is warm -10C,last night-20C!
    Really cold,lot of snow in all country,and the
    last 3 days with blizzard!Not my kind of weather!

    Reply
  40. JudyO

    You are getting the cold and snow we haven’t had this winter here in New England, USA. I haven’t even worn socks to bed once.
    Right now it is 30 degrees F and it will go up to 45. The skies are blue. So strange not to see snow on the ground in February but I’m not complaining. Hope it warms up soon for you and all in Europe.

    Reply
  41. Stubblejumpin Gal (Kate)

    It’s 30 below!!
    Here in Saskatchewan (Canada) we have had a very warm winter with very little snow.
    I try to walk every day, but yesterday, even wearing all my warm gear including a balaclava, I cut my walk in half, down to one mile only.
    That’s because of the wind. They say, when it’s 30-below, that there is then a windchill that makes it feel like 45-below or something. Exposed skin will freeze in 5 minutes or so.

    Reply

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