Cool show

Instructions to heat less, from the government’s energy sobriety program to alarming warnings from building trustees about night-time heating cuts… It’s true that degree two is warming the atmosphere a bit (Bruno Lemaire vs. his lethal weapon: the 19°C turtle-neck thermostat , never ceases to generate delightful caricatures on social networks), however, it will be necessary to tighten the heat belt. And if this return of “cold” in our very cozy life (actual cold, let’s face it, is a different topic) was an opportunity to take advantage of. That…

Let your inner Scandinavian speak!

Honestly, so far hygge, This Danish way of life, which makes the cold season comfortable, was not the French townspeople’s steaming cup of tea. In this new context, an entire neglected condominium is restored. Thick Irish or mohair sweaters that once functioned as sweat lodges. Soft or artificial fur throws, which, unfortunately, have played decorative additions until now? Wrinkled and unworn slippers brought back from Menorca? Is sheepskin briefly labeled as an urgent purchase in Iceland? The beautiful jacquard hot water bottle was received at Christmas (and used once to please the children). Plush Scottish pajamas tucked under the duvet? All those great cool accessories that have been stockpiled over the years and have been completely useless until now are seeing their (re)glory hour.

Doubling one side no waste very satisfying (less wasted energy, CO2-rich purchases finally appreciated). The same unexpected improvement for these spices, for the preparation of mulled wine and winter grog, imported from the annual skiing and so quickly forgotten. This winter, therefore, we are going to make useful and arbitrary purchases from our stash without spending a penny. On the other hand, from Belgium to the Netherlands to Sweden, we are amazed. mislabeling This fine art of abundantly lighting up your balcony, porch, windows with bright and cheery wreaths, counteracting the night that falls at 4:30 p.m., can stop this year, sobriety obliges. Shall we take out the candles?

Play it in Venus Fur!

True, the semantics associated with a happy libido is rather on the record warm we raise the temperature, the night will be hot, and the joys warm. Summer, her guilty softness, her exposed skin, and her free flesh, would be conducive to fusion, far more than winter and her goose. However, the cliché may not be so obvious. Summer certainly has its merits, but when it’s hot, what can you expect? –, he keeps much less of his sensual promises when it comes to getting close to another hot, even sweaty, body. The desire stimulant becomes less attractive. Moreover, the numbers do not lie. According to the National Institute of Demographic Research, nine months after each heat wave episode, there are 5-6% fewer births. “Cold,” less overt, more cerebral, is far from a killjoy. Seeking hands and enveloping hugs for warmth, using your eerily cold then deliciously warm hands, basking in the glow and gentle warmth of the fireplace… In short, rediscovering excitement literally and figuratively is worth a shot; Undressing in a great rush to slide under the sheets? For the British writer Nancy Mitford, the love of cold climates dear also has a great charm…

feeling very philosophical?

Marie Robert, inspirational Instagram account for Philosophy Is Sexy and author of numerous books, including the most recent Year of Philosophy (Flammarion/Versilio), loves “the chill of autumn slipping into winter,” his favorite season. “Magnificent and wild, complex and exhausting, the icy wind makes us think about what keeps us warm,” he says. Because it stings, because it freezes, because it passes through the veins, we are alive. Winter refuses to submit, it forces us to use our power.’

Witness this magnificent and galvanizing quote by Gaston Bachelard, chosen by him The poetics of space (1957). “From winter, the house receives reserves of intimacy, nuances of intimacy. In the world outside the house, snow erases steps, blurs paths, drowns out noises, hides colors. We experience cosmic negation by universal whiteness in action. The dreamer at home knows all this, feels all this, and through the diminution of being from the outside world he experiences an increase in the intensity of all the values ​​of intimacy. Can we talk better about human warmth?

sleep like a baby

In the Nordic countries, we praise outdoor baby siesta, even in winter. An adult who is just trying to sleep through the night has everything to do with the thermostat in their bedroom set low. Sleep experts note that most people exposed to extreme climates, from the Tuareg in their tents to the Inuit sheltering in their igloos, instinctively create a “microclimate” around their bodies at night. Playing on clothes, blankets, sleeping patterns, they intuitively contribute to the formation of a thermally comfortable layer of air (28 to 30°C), which guarantees a good skin temperature (30 to 32°C) and a good “core”. the temperature. The latter is supposed to decrease by one degree (approximately 37 to 36 °C) from bedtime to the end of the night, then rise. “When you’re tucked into your ecological niche, with a cooler core temperature, 30-32°C skin, and a cool nose, sleep is easy, nothing disrupts the smooth flow of sleep cycles,” says a recent report. National Institute of Sleep and Wakefulness. And guess what? An indoor temperature of 16 to 18°C ​​is ideal for maintaining a popular kennel effortlessly. Our grandparents instinctively engaged in this winter thermoregulation. Circumstances therefore gently nudge us to reconnect with the ancestral lore of the dodo al fresco.

Cook strong and hot without complications

The charm of a good big pot, a velvety soup (chestnut) or a family broth with “eyes” (for example, processing a chicken carcass) can no longer be boasted. But usually, such thermal (and caloric) practices often remain theoretical. Let’s face it, the kitchen edition hasn’t been stingy with collections in recent years comfort food, ordering to cook everything that can be autumn-winter. Before the “end of abundance” in everyday life, on the contrary, in the case of collective radiators or underfloor heating, let’s admit that we were drowning a little in this stew called the mythology of winter. . But when the air in the living room is cool, it’s a completely different matter. You immediately feel less ready for an evening of sushi and ice-cold Japanese beer, and much more excited to lift the cast-iron lid.