Winter Begins

It's the solstice, the official start of winter but also the shortest day of the year – from here on out, the daylight (slowly) returns.

I'm having some friends over for a combined Chanukah and winter solstice celebration this evening, and just now I popped over to the Jewish bakery (just a block away! how lucky am I?) in the hope of picking up some of their Hefezopf (braided yeast bread) that's more or less like challah.

I left the errand until too late in the afternoon, and of course they were already sold out. But I got some raisin buns made out of basically the same dough, and the woman there gave me the bakery's business card, so that in the future I can call ahead and reserve what I want!

As I walked home from the bakery around 4:00, true to shortest-day-of-the-year form, it was already practically dark. (Official sunset: 3:54 p.m.) Also true to Berlin winter form, it was spitting down with nasty, cold rain.

But today is the SOLSTICE and yesterday evening we even got the first little flurries of real SNOW, and I will not be deterred from being happy about all this!

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By the way, dear readership, I'm still meaning to tell you about an exciting weekend away (past) and a super exciting next big trip (future), and I promise I haven't forgotten!

Starting tomorrow, I'll be away visiting friends to celebrate German Christmas (the only kind of Christmas I know), so maybe there I'll find the time to write a bit. Or not, we'll see.

For now (because I seem to be having way too much fun spinning out teasers), I'll give you hints about the upcoming trip:

1. Starts with "S"...

2. I already mentioned that French course I took in preparation...

3. And recently, my doctor told me I was a little low on vitamin D and should take higher dosage supplements "unless you'll be spending a month in Africa this winter." And I said, "Actually..."