Last year I wrote about what I love about Spring here in Copenhagen (which I wrote over two months later than this post, that was how long winter was!) and it all still rings true but after a cycle around today to my favourite park to see if the crocuses were flowering yet, I am reminded again of how much I and other Copenhageners love this season. Spring has started much earlier this year and despite the fact we have had a mild winter, people here are still celebrating the arrival of Spring and wishing it would hurry up a bit.

Whilst taking photographs in the Landbohøjskolen Have today, I was unsurprised to be one of a number of people capturing the first blooms of crocuses and the almost-ready-to- flower daffodils. People of all ages and genders were smiling at the first real signs of spring and chatting to each other about how wonderful it all was. I posted pictures on Instagram to the same reaction.

The sun was shining (and it was still a bit chilly) but coats were open, faces tilted to the sun to catch the first rays of spring and the much needed Vitamin D. But why do we welcome it so much here? I think I never really noticed the changes of seasons in the UK when I was stuck in an office with small windows, it seemed that is was either winter or summer but here the four seasons are obvious. We have such dark winters often with very little direct sunlight (17 hours in total this January for the whole month!), the trees are bare and we hunker down and wait for the spring. And when it arrives there is much celebration – Fastelavn falls during this time, the florists are bursting with Danish tulips, people are starting to sit outside cafes – Spring is a much needed burst of colour and light from the winter but we also know we are that one step closer to the wonderful Copenhagen summer….