The Small Pleasures of Spring
On the things I love about the time ‘when life’s alive in everything’
Oh, spring! It’s the season of renewal, rebirth and transformation. Easter eggs, brilliant tulips and early morning birdsong are what come to mind when asked to describe the most common harbingers of the time between March and May. Despite occasional grumpiness on account of the sudden weather fluctuations (and associated headaches!) we’ve now become used to in the season, the return of sunlight after the long dark is still considered worthy of celebration.
Given the fraught situation of world politics and the miasma of apocalyptic doom that preoccupies many of us, I thought I’d take the time to jot down the things I love right now in and about spring, that (still!) enchant me and that I believe bear the potential of enchanting many of you as well. Enjoy!
A Cream Tea
This isn’t about brunching sumptuously, as in the case of certain ‘East meets West’ fusion themed afternoon teas (though I love the decadence of those too!) or even emulating the more traditional afternoon teas we think of when considering British garden parties a la Bridgerton. A cream tea is pared down to a couple of freshly baked scones, served still hot, wrapped in a napkin, accompanied by clotted cream and jam. (Or lemon curd, for those who like a zingy aftertaste!).
I’ve dreamt of partaking since I lived vicariously through the picnics slash feasts of Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five. I’ve never gotten around to it because either friends cancelled on me, something came up or the weather played tricks on me. (Unexpectedly blistering heat means it’s ice cream weather, sorry.) But the cream and strawberries are a combination that scream spring to me just as much as the desire to pair both with Earl Grey, a tea citrusy and light enough to go with the season.
One day, I shall know whether I am a Devon or Cornwall type, that is, cream first, jam second or jam first, cream second….
Reading John Clare
Now, there is also Keats. And Wordsworth. And Edna St.Vincent Millay. Emily Dickinson. Percy Bysshe Shelley. So, so many other noteworthy nature poets to admire and recite in the time when dogs chase birds in flight and hares box each other across fields. But I’ve always been particular to Clare, because, as a peasant labourer, he lived and breathed the English countryside air, composing odes to everyday beauty on everything from ‘the hoar frost lodged on a tree’ to ‘the sand of the brook’.
Not all of us have the money to go on designated herb walks that cost more than a week’s grocery bill and many of us may not like having nature and beauty “prescribed” to us. Clare therefore is a gift that keeps on giving, inviting us to enjoy the most mundane delights of the season for free with a thankful heart and that oh so praised sense of mindfulness while pondering a brilliant line or too: ‘What is happiness? A bubble on the stream.’
Blowing Dandelion seeds
These are flowers that are unremarkable, with none of the mystery of an orchid or the elegance of a rose. But in a carpet of green, it is as if a thousand tiny suns were winking simultaneously at us. The cotton ball fluff of the seeds is even more striking. I remember that on walks, my sister would always pick one from the roadside, clutch the stem tightly and blow. The spores would fly and we’d be as delighted as if someone had blown a giant soap bubble into the air. People still wish upon them, don’t they? I hope that practice never dies out.
Contemplating Cherry blossoms
To see the pale pink blossoms clustered on a branch is enough to be swept away, outside of time and space. It has always felt that way to me. When life is exacting and time is scarce, one does not always take in the splendour of the world outside. Used to grey skies and empty branches, the eye skims, and, one day, stops, in wonder to see a world awakening from slumber. It’s that Narnia moment when winter and snow has finally come to an end.
That has happened to me a few times over the years and every time, it has led me to stop and venture under the canopy of a tree, blissful to be in the moment and uncaring of all that ‘I need to do’. You don’t have to make it an occasion or go to a designated spring festival-just take a moment to admire the cherry blossoms and you will find yourself refreshed just by silently considering the intensity of the colours.
Enjoying a stroll in a public park
In Vienna, we are blessed when it comes to public parks.
I’m sure I read once in a magazine that this was the city with the most green spaces in Europe. There are the different species of roses at Volksgarten, the labyrinth at Schonbrunn’s palace gardens, the Butterfly House located in the Imperial Gardens. Every park has its own beauty to share.
What I like best is grabbing an ice cream cone with a seasonal flavour like lavender or wild garlic and lemon (I promise, it tastes better than it sounds!), happily slurping away while walking with friends across a large shopping street, the last stop being a park where we can lounge, maybe with a bottle of chilled ale on the grass. Good company, good food and splendid weather-what’s not to like?
Pressing wildflowers
I confess, I do this all year round. But spring is just the time when there is such an abundance of different blooms available-both at the florists and in the wild. Daffodils, snowdrops, tulips, hyacinths, snapdragons-the list goes on and on. It’s a very affordable luxury as well, buying a couple of flowers (as opposed to a whole bouquet!) on your way to the market or on a weekend stroll. And pressing the petals in a book or hanging the flowers to dry in a closet is a very easy way to prolong one’s joy.
To each, their own, but I’ve got a small faux plastic snowglobe that I can unscrew and fill, which, especially in winter, gives me much vicarious pleasure.
Wearing florals, pastels and trench coats
It’s very easy to do once you get the hang of it. I mean spring fashion here but I suppose that could apply to fashion in general.
Florals, stripes, gingham and pastel-it’s like the universal spring uniform that barely changes throughout the season. And as long as one doesn’t overdo it (‘I need to have that dress and those sandals and that lacework shawl as well’), it’s a fun way to reflect the outside world. There’s a reason children enjoy playing dress-up with their dolls and graphic designers go crazy over magazine layouts-it’s all about the colour. Granted, summer affords you the full, vibrant punch but the first hint of rose and pale teal where muted blacks and greys were the norm somehow renders one instantly happy. Tell me it’s not just me!
Going to a cheesecake testing
Carrot cake is the quintessential spring dessert, I suppose. Cheesecake is-well, anything really, given that the toppings are so easily adaptable. But in Vienna, Marriott regularly opens their doors in six month increments to invite people to test cheesecake flavours for free. There are six options, made by everyone from influencers to the resident pastry chef and people start queuing hours ahead.
This time, me and a friend went and snagged a couple of plates. It was hot enough to believe we were in mid-summer and I remember being asked twice by tourists what we were all doing outside in the sweltering heat. (‘Free cheesecake’ provoked slightly uncomprehending pity from one person and amused understanding by another.) The flavours I loved were fruity, like crunchy passionfruit and creamy mango-a very vague connection, fruit and spring, but as you might have realised by now, I’m more than willing to grasp at straws when indulging myself!
