Snowfall at Icicles Prison

A typical decoration in the rural Austrian Mountain-areas are icicles at the gutterings of the houses in the villages. They have a certain type of beauty, however they can become dangerous too.
What might be a common view to Central- and North Europeans, Canadians, Russians, Americans ... is kind of exotic for people who live in the Southern hemisphere.
For example: Snowfall brings a special kind of romantic feeling, if you have time to take a walk.
In the following video you can get some impressions.

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An icy small creek with the colours of blue. Blue is the morning here, blue is the evening. Taking photos at these times produces ... blue coloured photos (more or less).
In order to enjoy living in this area here, it's advantegeous (or convenient) to stockpile wood (or other heating stuff like oil, coal etc.) and food in the times before November (when winter usually starts here).
The same applies to the preparation of your car. Winter tires, snowchains ... yes it might be more expensive to live here, than, for example in Spain, Southern Italy or Greece.
The use of airconditioners in houses and apartments is not as usual as in the United States. So the bills for energy in summer are usually less than the ones in winter. However you usually have to pay a kind of monthly average to the energy suppliers.
Locked in or locked out? One time in Vienna I met a young man in December who had just come from the Philippines. He just wore a shirt and was shivering because of the coldness. I told him that here in Europe you have to dress warm and told him to get some warm clothing. This was kind of a revelation to him. So it might pay to also talk about the 'little things' :)
(Well, my advice was free, of course :), he didn't have to pay 4 it.
Here is an older video I made on what it looks like in Austria after heavy snowfalls:

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And if you have a little more time to watch what it's like to drive in the Alps you might like to see: Driving in the Alps (at youtube).