Meri does Europe - Dec 2019 edition

[Richard Hakluyt]

The odd thing is how warm a lot of the winters are here, especially on west coasts. Some winters I never put my coat on even though i live at 54N.

It is more like the dark season than the cold wintry season.

[Malthus]

Yes, Edinburgh is a great city for tourists; relatively small but still a capital and very scenic. Not much daylight in December though.

It always freaks me out how far north the UK, and particularly of course Scotland, actually is.

People think of Canada as "the north". But by comparison, Canadians are southerners.

Southern Ontario are southerners.  Toronto is south of the 49th parallel even - apparently down at 43 degrees latitude.

Edmonton is about the same latitude as Edinburgh.

And of course there's much much more of Canada further north than that.

The vast majority of the Canadian population lives within 100 Km of the US border.

Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa are all below the 49th parallel.

There is lots of Canada that is up north, but few Canadians, percentage-wise, actually live there.

[Valmy]

I can't blame you. Montana and North Dakota are frozen tundras so I cannot imagine how much fun Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan are.

[Barrister]

I can't blame you. Montana and North Dakota are frozen tundras so I cannot imagine how much fun Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan are.

All three are absolutely delightful!

Really you just have to try and embrace winter, rather than hide inside for 5 months.  Go out there and ski, skate, toboggan and the like.  All things you can't do if it's warm.

Personally, I can't wait for the outdoor ice to be back.  I want to work on my stick-handling and shot.

[Malthus]

It's actually not merely a matter of temperature - it's also one of geography. Go north, and in much of Canada you hit the Canadian Shield, a set of rock formations where the bedrock (scraped by the glaciers in the last ice age) leaves a landscape very hard to live on.  Everywhere there os shield, there is very low population density. For good reason.

Alberta mostly avoids this, just one corner of it has Shield on it.

[mongers]

The odd thing is how warm a lot of the winters are here, especially on west coasts. Some winters I never put my coat on even though i live at 54N.

It is more like the dark season than the cold wintry season.

Yes when I lived at 52.5N I found that, though being Wales it should be the 'dark WET season'


And Lancaster in your neck of the woods, was just that extra bit too dark for me, that time of year.

[Tonitrus]

The odd thing is how warm a lot of the winters are here, especially on west coasts. Some winters I never put my coat on even though i live at 54N.

It is more like the dark season than the cold wintry season.

That's what I noticed coming from even Alaska...how oppressively dark it gets here.

In Alaska at least, once the snow hits, and stays, it is actually rather "bright" despite the lack of sun (with the transition period before that being quite gloomy, of course).

[Valmy]

It is what gives the Scots their cheery disposition.

[Malthus]

It is what gives the Scots their cheery disposition.

That, the constant drizzle, and the English. 

[merithyn]

Okay! Dates are solid now!

Barcelona Meet-Up: December 13 -
Time: 1900
Place: TBD (Celed, suggestions??)

Preston Meet-up: December 28 -
Time: 1600
Place: TBD (RH??)

London Meet-up: December 30 -
Time: 1900
Place: TBD (Sheilbh? Tamas? garbon? Anyone??)

[Richard Hakluyt]

I thought I could meet you at the railway station and go for cocktails then my family could join us for a meal (maybe at the Indian vegetarian place we all like?) and then we could take it from there?

Unfortunately it will already be dark when you arrive......and probably raining 

[Sheilbh]

Yes, Edinburgh is a great city for tourists; relatively small but still a capital and very scenic. Not much daylight in December though.

Honestly think it's the most elegant capital in Europe.

People think of Canada as "the north". But by comparison, Canadians are southerners.

I grew up in the North of Scotland. We were at around the 59th parallel, so the top of Quebec/Nunavut level

[Sheilbh]

30th should work for me

Anyone else?

Should probably think of somewhere indoors.

[merithyn]

30th should work for me

Anyone else?

Should probably think of somewhere indoors.

Berry will be joining us.

[merithyn]

I thought I could meet you at the railway station and go for cocktails then my family could join us for a meal (maybe at the Indian vegetarian place we all like?) and then we could take it from there?

Sounds perfect! Tonitrus and I will be taking an afternoon train, planning to arrive at around 4-ish. Will that work?

Unfortunately it will already be dark when you arrive......and probably raining 

I knew this going in. Not my first December in the UK. It'll be a lot like Portland, I'm sure.