November to April I give up on the weather. I live in Amsterdam, not on an island in the Mediterranean, so better have no expectations. I set myself to hibernation mode, a book, a movie, or a notebook always at hand, and I resist. If it rains, too bad. If it’s sunny, how nice.

Sometimes I dare leave the house and go for a walk in the city. I grab a cup of coffee or a soup and I might even be as lucky as to enjoy them while sitting on a bench in the sun. Vitamin D and other blessings come also at minus two.