Winter like we haven't had in a long time. A short visit by the Snow Queen to Kraków.

Unfortunately, the temperature has been slightly positive for the past two days, and this beautiful winter is slowly flowing into the Vistula. Christmas will be grey and wet 😔 However, for ten days, it was downright fabulous. Knowing that warming was coming, I went for a long walk on Monday to enjoy the pure snow one last time. I don't know if there will be another opportunity to do so this season.

I went for a walk to the Bagry reservoir. In the summer, it serves as the city's bathing area. Usually, I avoid such places because of the crowds, but now it's almost deserted.

It was very cold and the snow was creaking under my shoes - I love the sound :) Last week I bought disposable hand warmers and had a chance to try them out for the first time. They passed the test! I was taking pictures with thin gloves and was able to warm my hands quickly after that. The warmers are small sachets you can keep in your pockets or put in the second pair of gloves. I activated them just before leaving the house, and they emitted warmth throughout the walk, which lasted about 5 hours. I don't know why I only came up with this idea now since freezing hands were always my nuisance. I saw that there are also reusable warmers that look like small power banks. Perhaps I will buy one next season.

Let's take a walk in the land of the Winter Queen, in a quiet corner of Krakow at this time of year.

I had trouble orienting myself because gps in any application didn't work - maybe because of the freeze. Although it wasn't that terrible, about -8°C. I was in this place for the first time, and the paths were covered with snow, so it took me a few minutes to get to my destination. Finally, I found water, or rather a vast sheet of snow-covered ice :)

Incredibly peaceful place. Right next to it runs a railroad line, so all you can hear are passing trains from time to time and a single bird's voices here and there.

...And the creak of snow under your boots :)

The sun glistened in the specs of snow; everything else remained still. Unique moment.

All the birds living at the reservoir gathered in the small ice' hole at the bank. They swam lazily, unconcerned about the cold.

It is the kind of winter I love! For now, she's moving out of the city, but maybe she will still come back this season :) I refer to winter as "she" because that's it in Polish. As many as three seasons in my language are feminine gender - winter, spring, and autumn. Only summer is neutral. Nature is also "she"... it's no coincidence 😉

_{--- Thanks for stopping by! --- @astinminI'm the only author of the text and photos}