clermont: cold, cloudy, and not what i expected

woke up to this kind of weather. the air feels like a freezer left running during a heatwave, which honestly, i’m vibing with in a way. it’s -0.27°c right now and somehow feels wetter than a sauna. if you’re not into that, stay away.

i heard that the local cafes here close at 3pm because of the cold. didn’t believe it until i saw a sign outside one that said ‘we’ll be closed until the sun stops making the sky look like a melted candle.’ i’m not sure if that’s a sign or just a very specific vandal.

went to this tiny park and took some pics. first image is this really weird smokestack with a cloud of smoke that’s literally following me. second one is a field with power lines and a church that’s also closed. third is this building with statues on top that look like they’re judging us.

someone told me that the street performers here only do it if it’s not this cold. i didn’t see any, which i take as a good sign. i did, though, see this old bar where the landlord plays accordion every day. i asked for a song and he just said, ‘play it yourself.’ great advice.

if you get bored, clermont is just a short drive away, though it’s also freezing there. the weather forecast says this will last for, like, the next two weeks. i checked yelp for coffee spots and found one called ‘the actual place you should go.’ it’s called ‘l’absurde café’ and it’s 200 meters from here. i didn’t go.

i overheard a local say something about a ‘snow monster’ taking over the hills. i think they meant the wind. it’s haunting.

tripadvisor says this place is ‘serene but brutally honest about the weather.’ i call it a four-star scam.

anyway, if you’re here, wear layers. and don’t trust anything that says ‘winter wonderland.’ it’s a lie.

p.s. this place has no internet. i didn’t plan for this. turned out to be a good thing.

see you next time in a place that’s not a snow cave and maybe has better coffee.

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