Today is the 2nd February, the days may be
getting longer, but temperatures are still very low, (minus 11 in Oslo today whilst
a couple of weekends a friend went to Koppang, 250km north of Oslo, and it was
-30!!!) and at least a small smattering of snow most days – even when none is
predicted. Winter has most definitely set in.
This will be my third winter in Oslo having arrived on
January 29th 2011. I think I have pretty much got used to it,
although the cold still occasionally takes my breath away and it´s that point I
wish ski masks were that much more fashionable! So I feel in the position to be
able to talk about how to deal with winters that can be long, dark and grey.
I decided to write this as the UK has recently seen its
first significant snowfall and it reminded me just how useless the UK is at
dealing with snow. Norway unlike the UK does not panic at the first sign of
snow. Norwegians instead of hoping for a snow day, hope that there is a good
enough snowfall to allow for cross-country skiing.
However I will write about why the Norwegians love snow and
winter in another blog, todays blog is a few tips and my own advice on how I
have learnt to deal with it.
1) There is no such
thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes…
This is a Norwegian saying and it is very, very true. I will
state however that Norway is nowhere near as humid as the UK and as such unless
it gets less than minus 10 it never actually feels (at least to me) that cold!
FOOTWEAR
I am and always be a lover of heels, bright and high, I
honestly can´t have enough. One of my perks of travelling to Heathrow and
through Manchester Terminal 2 is that they both have Kurt Geiger outlets and I
have bought many a pair in the last couple of years from there. They are my
treat. My aim in life is to own some Louboutin and Jimmy Choos before I´m too
old and my feet are crooked and bunioned! However in Norway in winter, heels
are just not practical. I see women wearing high heels and I am in awe of them.
Flat is largely the way to go when it comes to winter weather and its best if
you have a few options!
First up, the snow boot. Before I moved to Norway I bought a
great pair of faux sheep fleece lined leather Timberland boots, they cost me,
well my boyfriend (as they were a Christmas present) well over £200.
I wore them when I moved to Oslo and they absolutely cut my heels to bits, so
badly in fact that when I transferred from Heathrow I went and bought three
packets of Compeed! So they took a lot of Vaseline on the heels (brilliant
advice from a friend) and a bit of wearing in and they are now my go to, its
been snowing and there is now ice everywhere, boots!
Secondly Wellington Boots. Wellies in Norway are COOL. Hunters
are the ultimate fashion statement and I have some very fetching Aubergine
Hunters a friend brought across to me when she visited (significantly cheaper
that way). Wellies are perfect for snow that has yet to be cleared from the
roads and pavements that is up to your ankles. They are not great on icy
surfaces even though they are rubber soled but combine them with some welly
socks, maybe the best invention ever (I own three pairs now!), and they are
toasty and keep your feet dry. Also great for when it’s tipping it down the
rest of the year and the best thing is that no-one bats an eyelid. They are
more likely to question your ability to dress properly when you have sopping
wet feet!
Thirdly, the “its not snowed for a while but may still be
icy boots”. These are the ones where you have a little more free rein. I
personally have three pairs of boots I would put into this category, all of
which are leather and have rubber soles. Knee high flats, ankle high faux sheep
fleece lined and fleece lined 4” wedge heels – which only get worn when I know
the streets are pretty clear. For someone that loves heels, wedges are the
perfect compromise, that or a low 1-2” fat heel works well too.
Walk like you have a purpose, watch wear you put your feet,
watch out for the white lines on zebra crossings (usually SUPER slippy) and don´t be afraid of
falling, because if you are your body is too tense and you will probably hurt
yourself (advice from a Swede!). Yes, I still fall, and so do the Norwegians,
but Im not afraid of falling and that makes a big difference. Always wear wool
socks, maybe even wear two pairs, and if you´re still struggling buy yourself
some Yak Trax or similar. I used some for my first winter, and I sometimes
still do, but they are mainly for “old people” as my colleagues told me!
UNDERCLOTHES
Before moving to Norway I don´t think I had worn a vest on a
daily basis since I was about 6 years old, and I thought if I were to wear them
they would be confined to outdoor activities such as skiing and hiking, but oh
no. They are a staple in my everyday winter wardrobe. Merino wool is best if
you can afford it but its not that expensive even here so shouldn´t be an
issue. I even have some very, ahem, attractive, merino wool shorts for when its
REALLY cold with thermal long johns being reserved for the slopes (for now!)
COATS
Canada Goose Down Jackets are everywhere in Norway. They are
incredibly expensive (upwards from £350 even in the UK) but they seem to do
the job. Me, I have a North Face synthetic down jacket and I love it! Not too
bulky, smart and should last a few years. I also have a Rab down jacket, a ski
jacket and for when it’s less than -5 a couple of normal winter coats.
ACCESSORIES
Hats, gloves and scarfs are essential. Mittens top trump
gloves, and wool outer, fleece lined mittens trump all! Leather is pretty good
if lined with sheep skin too. Again mittens are something I thought I´d left in
my childhood, but I wouldn´t be without mine, they´re the best thing for cold
fingers!
Natural fibres such as wool and fur are always much warmer
than synthetic. Not that I would ever wear fur, fur to me will never be
fashionable and I still can´t get over seeing people wearing it in Norway,
where you just know its real.
2) Taking care of
your body… you can never have too much oil (I can´t believe I just wrote
that!)
SKIN CARE
Winter HATES my skin. Going from cold to heated and back really
screws it up, and I travel quite a bit with my job so lets just add airplane
air conditioning to the mix! I´m spot prone, and talk about scaly. I´m surprised
I´ve not been used as the latest leather in a designer handbag. That is until I
was told to use face oil.
Oil on an already spot prone face… hmmmmm I hear you
thinking, are you sure? Yes I´m sure, it works. It´s better than Elizabeth
Arden Eight hour cream, which is also awesome but smells like horse medication,
and any moisturiser I have ever tried! I have been recommended this by a friend
and by my beautician back in the UK. I apply it under my moisturiser at least
once a day, leave it to soak in before applying moisturiser and voila
scale-less skin!
I also use shower oil for the same reason. Shower oil does
tend to be a little expensive, so you can always resort to that old faithful –
Johnsons Baby oil for after shower care. A decent thick but absorbable
moisturiser is another must, I personally really like the Body Shop Body
Butters, they last ages J
If you´re struggling with scaly, flaking skin, trust me, oil
is the way forward
HAIR CARE
Again, oil is a godsend. Either a shampoo with oil
incorporated into it or a hair oil for post washing, pre styling. I used to be
a “wash my hair every day” girl, but since changing my shampoo I can go every
other day with no problem
HANDCARE
To avoid the “old lady hands” look, you really need to look
after your hands. In my case it means a decent hand cream, which I have in the
kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom, in my handbag, and on my desk! Then once or
twice a week, when they need it I even put on some thick cream which I don´t
rub in and put on white cotton gloves leave them overnight. Very attractive I´m
sure and something that makes me glad I don´t live with my boyfriend!
3) Get outside and
enjoy the sunshine, and for when there isn´t sunshine, there´s always
supplements!
The next blog I write will be about the great outdoors and
embracing the Norwegian national past time of skiing, but this is more general
notes about making the most of any daylight you get.
I don´t really notice the lack of sunlight compared to how
much more daylight we seem to get in the summer in Oslo. To be honest winters
similar to the UK, dark when you go to work, dark when you go home. I think the
biggest difference is that Norwegians tend to embrace any sun they can when
it´s out, this explains why even the smallest café has seats and gas heaters
outside, and blankets, lots of blankets!
Also as winters tend to be drier than the UK there is less
rain, more snow and generally more days where a walk in the park seems like a
good idea. Failing that, take your cod liver oil/Vitamin D and you should get
through winter without the need to disappear to sunnier climes every other
week!
Norwegians rarely let the weather interfere with their
plans, they still go to the gym, the pub, the club, work, the cinema etc. If
they didn´t they´d be housebound between December and March! It does help that
cars have snow tires, people don´t drive like dicks in the icy conditions, taxi
drivers don´t wuss out at the first sight of snow and public transport still
carries on. So embrace the cold, treat it with dignity and you never know you
may come to love it!
So these were my tips for making sure you stay warm, none
flaky and relatively happy. Next blog will be about making the most of the snow
J
Thanks for reading.
http://miningmaven.blogspot.com/2010/01/there-is-no-such-thing-as-bad-weather.html (Picture 1)
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