January got off to a freezing start here in Italy, as in much of the rest of Europe.
It wasn't anywhere near as bad here as in France, or the Netherlands, where there was major disruption to flights and transport due to heavy snow and prolonged freezing conditions.
Snow did close some roads and schools in Tuscany, Molise, and other areas at higher altitudes. Rural parts of Veneto and Lombardy saw temperatures below minus 20C, which is pretty extreme by anyone's standards.
The north of Italy is used to wild and wintry weather, and pretty well set up to handle it. But down south, where I am, even a dusting of snow (or the mere threat of it) is sometimes enough to shut things down.
I found this out for myself this week when I was called to urgently collect my daughter from creche in the middle of the day, "because of the cold." The wind, in particular, seemed to be a problem.
I was a little bemused since the thermostat showed 5 degrees celsius outside and it was a bright, sunny day.
There are no set rules across Italy on how cold is too cold for schools or daycares to stay open. But all the other parents had apparently decided to take their kids home already, so who was I to argue?
I know how seriously Italians tend to take the threat of colpo d'aria - the idea that being "hit" by even mildly cold air will cause you to catch a chill or some other ailment. I'd never dare to suggest to them that this is not actually a real thing.
But being from a wet and windy part of the north of England, the southern Italian attitude to cold weather is still a major cultural adjustment for me.
As I rushed to pick my daughter up, I wondered what my colleagues in the north of Europe would make of it all, and what it would take for their schools or nurseries to shut down.
It turned out that my colleague at The Local Denmark, Michael Barrett, had been outside shovelling snow at 7am in the pitch black to get his kids to kindergarten - which definitely wasn't closed, and the kids still had their two outdoor playtimes per day.
The Danish view that being outdoors in cold weather is good for children makes more sense to me. Sub-zero temperatures are not seen as a problem, you just need the right clothing.
And I was intrigued to read about how Danish parents let babies sleep outside during winter. I wouldn't dare try it here, though - I can only imagine how the neighbours would react.
The Italian caution around cold weather is the opposite of the usual bloody-minded British attitude of throwing a coat on and just getting on with things.
And after almost a decade in Italy, I still can't bring myself to follow the unwritten rule of dressing for the season rather than the actual weather.
The piumini (long puffer coats, literally 'duvet' coats) come out in force from October, regardless of temperature, worn along with neatly tied scarves and designer sunglasses.
I do dress my daughter in more layers than I think are necessary at all times, if only to avoid a telling off from any passing nonni. Even so, the heavy snowsuit my Italian husband bought her has never been worn.
The weather is set to get much milder in Italy from this weekend, and it was already back to 17 degrees here in Puglia on Friday. Hopefully we won't have to worry too much about winter clothing or (supposedly) cold temperatures again for a while.
You can read The Local Denmark's take on this topic here and linked below.
READ ALSO: Inside Denmark: Why the snow suit is at the heart of Danes' love of the cold
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