The best way to cope with a Polish winter…

…is to leave Poland. That’s what Eldest Daughter did four weeks ago. She graduated this summer and decided to take a gap year. This has transpired to be a prudent choice. After years of mild winters, with no more than a few frosty days in January, this winter is a little more like the old days. Temperatures have been below freezing for most of the last two weeks and are set to stay there.

Meanwhile, Eldest Daughter fell in with the crew of a Polish sea captain whose job is to sail the playthings of the ultra-wealthy to whichever agreeably exotic port they would like them delivered to. (I’m talking catamarans for which, brand new, you don’t get much change out of a million euros.) They started from Portugal and are currently crossing the equatorial Atlantic Ocean, having stopped in the Canaries and at Cape Verdi. Their destination is the British Virgin Islands.

So, here is what the outside of my house looked like this morning:

And here are the pictures of Eldest Daughter’s first stop in the Canaries:

And here are the pictures of their second stop at Cape Verdi. I’m sure you will join me in sympathising with Eldest Daughter as she struggles to cope with 30-degree sunshine and a diet of salads and freshly caught seafood. Take care, peeps, it can be tough out there