Spring is knocking at the door. And that's a good thing. Not just for our olive trees and my father-in-law's vegetable garden. But also for the relationship between me and my Tuscan native. It's a good relationship, but the endless snow of this winter got it close to breaking point. With a winter like this one, it all comes down to genes and cultural background. All that frozen water provided material for epic misunderstandings. Like when I said: "Why don't you go outside and play with the kids in the snow. You'll see it's plenty of fun!" I really thought the man would enjoy himself. Remember the fun of all those snowball battles and the endless hours spent building lovely snowmen? Looking out of the window, w hat I saw instead was this: Basketball in a snowstorm, Tuscany winter 2012