Over the last few days, it has gotten really cold in Vienna.  (See, I knew this was coming when it got so windy the other night!)  We went from highs in the mid to upper 50s last week to highs staying in the 30s, and we got a nice, brisk winter wind right along with the drop in temperatures.  We’ve been relatively undaunted in our pursuit of outdoor fun (like all good Vienna residents), but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been chilly and shiver-inducing.

Saturday, we all got pretty cold while we were out at Schonbrunn, and yesterday, Dan & I were surprised by a bit of an unpredicted snow squall while we were out doing a bit of Christmas shopping in the evening.  Today, Liam, Jo & I cut our morning walk short for the sake of getting inside and getting warm, and B was so chilled after coming home from school (and, admittedly, after having an ice cream) that I bundled him up in fleece pants and a fuzzy robe and THEN snuggled him into a warm blanket before he felt warm again.  So, it’s pretty cold in Vienna right now.

This evening, I went to meet my German instructor for a lesson (at Starbucks, which, in my opinion, is the best place to have a German lesson) and while I was discussing the need for a big cup of warm tea with one of the baristas, I learned a great new German word — gemütlich — which means “cozy”.  I think it’s one of my favorite German words.  Because, although the weather may be frightful outside in Vienna right now, that just makes it the perfect time to appreciate how wonderful it is to come in from the cold and get cozy.