Today it is raining in Lleida. So what? Well, the problem is that the people over here are not used to rain. When it is raining, the people simply stay inside until the rain is over.
When I drove this morning past the market square, I could see all merchants waiting inside their cars, still packed. They were waiting for the rain to stop, because their clients won't show up when it is raining. I was imagining that Dutch merchants would have the same mentality; they would only be able to sell during some weeks in summer! But that is mainly because the Dutch clients are used to the rain; they simply have to.
Of course there are situations in which even the Dutch people stay at home, and the amount of snow today created such a situation. The Dutch only stay at home when it is impossible to get out. Unfortunately, my parents have to catch a flight to Barcelona in a few hours, so at this moment they are desperately trying to get to the airport. I just checked the news, but there are no trains going to Amsterdam and there are huge traffic jams on all highways. I really hope they are able to make it in time!!! :-o
[Update 2004.02.26]: They managed to get to Schiphol airport by train, and I assume they have arrived safely in Barcelona. Just a few hours more, and I will meet them. :-)
Your parent were lucky. This week its been snowing incessantly in the Netherlands. Thursday the 26th it was the second worst day ever on the road: 760 km's of choked up traffic! Snow everywhere, cars sliding all over the place, people stuck in traffic jams, some over 60 km's long.
But for the kidz it's been fun. Sledding and playing in the snow. With only a few degrees above freezing, and frost tonite, the snow will stay for a while. Almost Norwegian surroundings!