Vernal Helsinki

« Ice blocks emerging from downspouts and thick muddy grit on the sidewalks are the two most reliable indicators of the arrival of spring in Helsinki. »

Spring must be here as I walked around without my winter boots today. It always feels wrong, after dragging heavy boots around on my feet for six months or more, to replace them with light, normal shoes. I must walk a bit funny, too. Of course, my black pants are now brown and the shoes are slopped with muddy grit, but it's bearable knowing that summer is coming.