1954 was an extraordinarily cold Winter. In February, temperatures fell to Siberian level. No reason for my parents not to take me out; coming from the Baltic states, the cold was no challenge for them. I remember how I found pleasure to probe the ice which at that time was safe, and collect pieces. There were a few more very cold winters, then the mild seventies brought a warm period in which we did not even see snow in some winters. For decades, our town lake "Alster" rarely froze; the first time it was possible to walk on it again was in early 1997 and on some more occasions since then. Last winter, it was close; but it started getting milder, just when the ice had become thick enough to walk on. A pleasure that causes me less enthusiasm than at 5.
