I realize that in many places in the world Autumn means snow, but it has never meant that anywhere I’ve lived, including here in Brittany. Usually, winter doesn’t even mean snow in Brittany. And if it does snow, it scarcely ever sticks around long enough to make an impression…it’s just a fleeting sprinkling on the ground that’s gone a few hours later. Three years ago when I first came to Brittany it was an exceptional winter; it snowed several times and the snow not only stuck but it was so deep that it went up past our wellies. We made snowmen, had epic snowball fights, ate snow ice cream and I had my first ever snow day where I stayed home from school (I was doing the TEFL certification at the time, which is what first brought me to Brittany).

Ever since that winter I’ve been hoping for a repeat performance. Sadly, the last two winters have brought hardly any snow at all. But maybe this year will be different…this morning we woke up to a snow sun shower. And then as it often does in Brittany, the temperamental sky changed instantly from powder blue to charcoal grey and the snow thickened. It wasn’t enough to stick, but it was enough to give me hope. It’s only October and already it’s cold enough to bring snow. If the weather continues it this vein it will most definitely bring another snowy winter. But hopefully it won’t be so snowy that I can’t make it home to California in December. Charles de Gaulle Airport is a nightmare when it’s snowing…

On this cold day that started off with snow, we’re warming up with chestnuts roasted on an open fire.