Having been here a year and borne witness to various weather effects, this was the first time since leaving England that I had felt the chilliness of "snow"- save for a touch of it in the mountains of Gramado.
After the pelting had abated, I wandered through the park and along past the shops, revelling in the shivering cold that my light hooded jumper failed to keep from me. It was so reminiscent of being back in the UK.
As a result, Pricila and Joca are now wearing their winter coats- Pricila in pink, with a skirt attached and Joca in a fluffy blue number.
A far cry from the week prior, when Clarissa and I had sat in the central park, read books, bathed in the sunshine and generally enjoyed the summer.
We chose to sit near a group of teens/early twenties, playing guitar and singing various Beatles melodies. They were pretty good, although an 8 year old on her bike didn't agree and kept her fingers inserted squarely in her ears throughout the entire performance and as if that weren't enough, screwed her face up to emphasise the feeling.
A little later we strolled around the park and came across a small poodle, wearing a day-glow poker visor and a set of trainers, one for each paw. Sometimes I think the Alegrense like their dogs a little too much.
This week I'm dividing my time between giving feedback to students (very respectable teacher) and overseeing workmen in the apartment (as ever), this time they're sanding the wooden floors that were scratched and scarred to death by previous workmen. It's a vicious cycle.
