Today, the temperature finally rose above 0º C and stayed there. It even seemed warm after ten days not only below 0ºC, but sometimes as 
much as 11º below. That is the coldest I remember feeling in my whole life.
Every day, the thermometer of the level of freeze was the fountain in the Place du Temple.
Of course, I do not own a pair of long-johns (or wooly underwear) so layers were the only solution. Layers are also more convenient if one goes into a warm place for any length of time: they can be taken off gradually. It is what I call the intelligence of onions. 
And just as I put layers on to go out, the fountain, with daily minus temperatures, put on layers of glittering ice.
Every day it was the same routine: over the panties and bra went the short-sleeved t-shirt; then the long-sleeved one. After that, came the turtle-neck pull over and then the button down sweater, on top of which I donned the overcoat, woolen scarf, thermal gloves and knit bonnet. 
There were moments when I would have been thankful for a ski mask of the kind the terrorists wear when presenting their petitions by video.
Indoors it was also necessary to wrap oneself up so as to avoid stiffness of the fingers while typing.
Even Salome wore her overcoat on the really cold days and also the 
afternoon we drove up to the Pyrenees to see the snow (and play in it).
It was surprising that not everything froze, especially when the temperature dropped one night down to -11º C, but most of the plants and trees that
usually keep their green in the winter seemed more than able to survive. Every day, as I walked (or rather waddled in all the clothing) on my way to the Café, I would wonder at the changes in the fountain; what a delight that they had left the water on.
Today, little by little, the fountain recovers its liquidity; I don three layers less of clothing to take our afternoon walk, and Salomé is not submitted to the torture of having her overcoat slipped on before leaving the house. It might be a sign that spring will begin to come now. There is a delicate drizzle, something I call “misting”, with droplets so fine that it is perfectly all right to walk without an umbrella.
And, until spring does decide to visit Salies, I have jump-started it on my window sill.
AND FOR EVERYONE OUT THERE ON THE NET,
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY
Writing a life 
Thank you Brianda. Happy Valentine to you too! My poor horse had his first bite of grass for 10 days and if it makes Salome feel any better, he has been wearing four coats to keep warm!
Big kiss xxx
Happy Valentine to you too Brianda! I feel so connected with you 🙂 it is so cold at Mallorca as well and my best friend is the chimney and I am getting my arms trained by lifting wood into the third level of the house every day 😉 What I wanted to share with you is, today when I read all these Valentines Love messages at the internet, suddenly started to believe “I am lonely” and felt really lonely and sad 😉 and then without asking for it friends started to send lovely messages and then I saw your post and thougt, “yes, it es a friendly universe” – there is so much love out there and within me, if I can only notice it. Thank you and I send you a lot of loooooove 🙂
Brilliant. The closing line is priceless!!!
It might have been minus 11 outside but inside your heart was warm enough to send your love to those we also love you Thanks and have many happy valentine´s days.