This week, the first snow of the season graced our fair city. Hundreds of Aarhusian citizens were standing by the harbour on Saturday night, celebrating the end of Aarhus as the European Capital of Culture 2017. As the music boomed out over the crowds and fireworks reflected on the black water, flecks of sleety snow suddenly fell from the sky, glimmering in the multi coloured light of the celebrations.

But, among the lights, the fireworks, the enchanting and surprising visual poem by Aarhus-poet Mads Mygind (read it here), and the somewhat confusing transmission of a very odd performance from Hvide Sande, all I could really think about was my feet. My cold, cold feet, in their very inadequate footwear.

Now, I know that Aarhus will probably not be the European Capital of Culture again anytime soon, but if I were to attend another such event, I would take a leaf out of the Evenki’s book and get myself some proper boots. Like these reindeer skin boots, lined with felt and filled with hay to keep the feet snug and warm.

These boots were given to avid shoe collector Søren Tuxen in 1973, and they come from a Siberian people called the Evenki. Unlike me, here’s a people who know how to dress for the cold!

So, here’s hoping that there’ll be some nice boots waiting for me under the Christmas tree! And we hope that you have enjoyed this year of culture, events, happenings, music, dance, and general merriment in Aarhus. There is still plenty to enjoy in Aarhus in the time to come – as long as you remember that there’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.

//Sophie Seebach