I haven’t written for a while because I have been sick and couldn’t even go out for days. The whole city seems to be sick at the moment. Perhaps this is because we are all waiting desperately for the winter to be over. Berlin bucks up for the final spurt towards spring. Though I must admit we’ve had winters far worse. But Berlin in winter is always hard as I have mentioned before.

The shops have been offering seeds and spring decor since the end of January but it is not easy to feel that seasons are moving on before the appearance of the first spring indicators.

The first thing you can see is snowdrops and crocuses that seem to have struggled for a long time to reach the surface of the earth. They normally come in groups and lean against each other as they stand shivering in the cold winds of the evanescent winter. But I feel that as soon as you can see blue sky for longer than an hour a day and blooming willow catkins, spring is finally on its way.

This is the time for long walks to get rid of the last bits of cold and sickness. It is the time to shake off the bad part of winter (the one that comes after Christmas and when you realise there will be no snow). It is the time to wonder about spring-cleaning, new clothes or even changing your life. And it is time for me to listen to my favourite spring song ever.

In the presence of the spring there is a holy light on everything and all around my feet I feel the earth stirring with the burden of new life.

In the presence of the spring I feel a sudden rhythm like a new heart kicking and it’s pushing through the ice and snow crying „we shall be born!”

Sally Oldfield, In the Presence of the Spring, 1990.

gruß, heike.