Snow in Muenster

I'm still marveling at snow's ability to transform the landscape, the objects, the people, the air.

And it's funny to observe the different practices of handling snow. In Vienna, an armada of snowworkers, gritters, snowploughs, sandspreaders, saltspreaders marches out at the first sign of a few snowflakes - here in Muenster I've seen two small snowploughs so far, and I'm not even sure if the main thoroughfares are salted. The small streets most certainly are not.

And despite the fact that it so seldom snows here, all the families seem to possess sleds which are proudly used on the smallest of hills. Very nice.


Dust of Snow
by Robert Frost (1923)
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.

And Muenster is the world capital of cyclists (500.000 bikes for 273.875 inhabitants). Ok, the picture below makes you believe all the bikes look like this, but I've actually seen quite a few people biking and gliding on the streets. That's the spirit!