The chestnut trees grab my attention. They are flowering and have the most striking spikes of flowers— like ice creams held aloft. The white variety is most common. But there is a pink one too. They have been planted as street trees. The chestnut is native to Southern Europe and Asia Minor. Are we too far north for these flowers to reach full fruition?
I have memories of Winter in Switzerland. Baked on the street in a large metal dish over a heat source, the chestnut seller calls “Heissi Marroni! Heissi Marroni!” To clutch the paper cone full of burning hot nuts was one way to keep the cold, the ice and snow, the fog and heavy grey sky at bay.
