Before I left Singapore, I'd been getting word from Zagreb that snowfall was forecast for the coming days. I was in a bit of a panic: how much snow would there be? Do I need to pack more clothes? More importantly, will I withstand the cold?
Regular checks on the weather assured me otherwise. The mercury would not dip below 7 deg C for the most part. Plus, since I've experienced temperatures around that figure, it shouldn't be too unbearable. When I got into Zagreb, it was 15 deg C. Perfect.
The very next day was dulled at around 5 deg C, and it rained in Belgrade the day after that. On the third day, I decided to go out for a walk at around 7am because I could not sleep anymore and breakfast was only going to be served about 2 hours after that. I stepped out of the building into a chilly street, eyes darting this way and that, before I turned the corner to walk down the slope in the direction of Kalemegdan Fortress. Very quickly I fixed my gaze to something floating in the air. The faint white specks themselves looked confused as they fell erratically and disappeared as immediately as they appeared. What is this, I asked myself as I took slow measured steps. I looked around me and it seemed it was only I who was disoriented. This is it, I beamed -- snow! I ran back to my room in the hostel to add another layer of clothing (I'm sure if I had run down the stairs afterwards any sooner my vacation would have taken a dramatic turn). Back on the street minutes later, I walked calmly with a regular pace. It's only snow, nothing extraordinary to be excited about. But the child in me was thrilled, of course! I tried several times to capture the sight with my camera but the white stuff was too mild. The next best chance was when a blizzard occurred while I was walking along Knez Mihailova Street, but I did not want to risk damage to my camera.
When I returned to the hostel, the receptionist look at me in complete shock.
'Where were you?'
'Oh, I'd gone for a walk!' I beamed.
She raised her eyebrows. 'In the snow?'
'Yes! It was my first time!' It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that she was disgusted. 'I'm sorry,' I continued, 'it's just that I come from a city where the average temperature is 30-33 deg C virtually every day of the year.'
She looked at me as if to say 'that's no excuse', but finally said: 'Please take me back with you!'
Post script: I may not have managed to take pictures of snow in Belgrade, but I had ample opportunity to do so in Timişoara, Romania. Attached below is one such photo.
Regular checks on the weather assured me otherwise. The mercury would not dip below 7 deg C for the most part. Plus, since I've experienced temperatures around that figure, it shouldn't be too unbearable. When I got into Zagreb, it was 15 deg C. Perfect.
The very next day was dulled at around 5 deg C, and it rained in Belgrade the day after that. On the third day, I decided to go out for a walk at around 7am because I could not sleep anymore and breakfast was only going to be served about 2 hours after that. I stepped out of the building into a chilly street, eyes darting this way and that, before I turned the corner to walk down the slope in the direction of Kalemegdan Fortress. Very quickly I fixed my gaze to something floating in the air. The faint white specks themselves looked confused as they fell erratically and disappeared as immediately as they appeared. What is this, I asked myself as I took slow measured steps. I looked around me and it seemed it was only I who was disoriented. This is it, I beamed -- snow! I ran back to my room in the hostel to add another layer of clothing (I'm sure if I had run down the stairs afterwards any sooner my vacation would have taken a dramatic turn). Back on the street minutes later, I walked calmly with a regular pace. It's only snow, nothing extraordinary to be excited about. But the child in me was thrilled, of course! I tried several times to capture the sight with my camera but the white stuff was too mild. The next best chance was when a blizzard occurred while I was walking along Knez Mihailova Street, but I did not want to risk damage to my camera.
When I returned to the hostel, the receptionist look at me in complete shock.
'Where were you?'
'Oh, I'd gone for a walk!' I beamed.
She raised her eyebrows. 'In the snow?'
'Yes! It was my first time!' It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that she was disgusted. 'I'm sorry,' I continued, 'it's just that I come from a city where the average temperature is 30-33 deg C virtually every day of the year.'
She looked at me as if to say 'that's no excuse', but finally said: 'Please take me back with you!'
Post script: I may not have managed to take pictures of snow in Belgrade, but I had ample opportunity to do so in Timişoara, Romania. Attached below is one such photo.
 |
| the snow settles for a bit and the pigeons come out to socialise at Piaţa Victoriei |
No comments:
Post a Comment