Sunday snapshot

It was warm when I went out this afternoon, no need for a jacket. The sun was shining, the birds chirping. Five deer bounded in front of me as I marched to the vines. A basking lizard scuttled away as I passed. When I got back to the village, I swear I smelled flowers.

My first winter in Europe, I was warned about these kinds of days. We were sweltering at the office, jumpers off, sleeves pushed up, windows wide open. It was a Friday afternoon and it didn't feel like the middle of winter, it felt like we were getting released from something. Like the last day of school felt when I was a kid.

Days like today can make you crazy, my supervisor warned. You think winter is over but it's not - and when the cold and grey come back, it hits you hard.

He was right.

So I keep telling myself there's bound to be a cold snap, reminding myself that the north wind, la bise, can bite well into May.

But unlike this time last year, it's hard not to get caught up in the promise of Spring.