OK, winter is already here, but that would make a less catchy heading, devoid of the reference to the yet-to-be finished series of fantasy novels. Which of course most haven’t read. But the corresponding TV series might be sufficient to get the reference. It’s not exactly a subtle one, right?!
Anyway, a few days to the solstice, when the sun hits the northern tropic (tropic of cancer). The shortest day of the year, about eleven hours of daylight only. In summer, on the longest day in December, it’s roughly 13 hours. Things are more balanced here, compared to Europe.
Perceptions shift with adaptation and adjustment, both mind and body. What makes people in Switzerland rejoice, or complain, namely warm nights with temperatures over 20 degrees Celcius, makes me unpack my warmer bed cover here, especially if it’s a bit windy, as I never close the windows. Well, I think I will close the windows when a cyclone hits, but that’ll be in summer. Things are different.
Wind sometimes also makes me wear long trousers in the evening, and even socks. Socks! Then again, it’s winter, so I guess that’s OK.
I live on the west coast. I hear that on the central plateau, temperatures can go substantially lower in winter, to ten degrees or so. People have fireplaces there. There are interesting micro climates on this island, within relatively few meters of difference of elevation above the sea level (about 500 meters for inhabited areas), practically always in sight of the tropical sea. Even on hot, sunny days, you feel the temperature difference when driving up to the plateau. After you step out of the air conditioned car, that is. They also have more clouds up there, and consequently more rain. The east coast gets most of the rain, though, as the clouds shed their humidity as they accumulate and press against and up the mountains.
I assume that happens on an island in the middle of the ocean, small, but not too small, with a substantially diverse topography. Not, for example, like on the outer island of the Seychelles, which are tiny, and flat, with a coral origin and foundation. Actually, the central, rocky Seychelles islands are more like Mauritius, thinking about it. I love island climate and weather. Fast changing. A heavy downpour is usually compensated by sunshine shortly thereafter. Unless it’s cyclone season during summer.
So, winter is coming, and I look forward to it with interest what it will bring. It’s my first winter here. Luckily, I don’t live on the Wall.