The Changing Seasons #2

As Year 2 here in Florence progresses, the seasons have changed from late Summer to Autumn to Winter.  The two most notable changes are the trees and the temperature. 

With the arrival of Autumn and then Winter, many of the trees had leaves that turned golden yellow and then fell.  Fortunately, the many evergreen trees provide green landscape and keep the city and hillsides from looking barren.  Two views from our apartment window--one in November and another in February--help tell the story.

The other change, the falling temperature, was a bit of a shock but not too much of a shock.  Because of Florence's location in a valley and its proximity to the Tyrrhenian Sea, the weather during Autumn and Winter is not unpleasant.  While the rainy months of October and November brought a lot of rain, it has rarely rained the last couple of months and it has not snowed in Florence, except for a few flurries.  The temperature has dropped to 0 C and even below zero at times but not lower.  (0 C is 32 F.  Everything seems colder in centigrade.)

Nearby in the hills, and farther away in the mountains, a lot of snow has fallen.  The snow has caused many problems for people and also caused the tragic avalanche in Rigopiano. 

We are thankful for every day here in Florence, whether the Tuscan sun shines or whether clouds and rain darken the sky.  Indeed, we are thankful for every day wherever we might be.     

View from our apartment window in November.  Some trees are changing color while the evergreens remain just that.(11/19/2016)

View from our apartment window in February.  Some trees are bare and you can now see the tops of buildings that were previously hidden by leaves, but the evergreens are still green.  (2/14/2017)