Shiver me timbers

We're been buffeted by winds, rain, hail and icy temperatures for the past 3 days here. This morning hail settled on the beach, making it a surreal pure white. The road from Torrelavega to Reinosa and Palencia is closed due to deep snow, only about 40 km from here. I braved the elements to rent a DVD, and we closed the shutters and curtains tight, turned up the central heating and watched Kill Bill this evening.

UPDATE FRIDAY 28/1
The south of Spain is now caught up in the freeze, with the Costa Brava and Balearic islands - where in other years they have been firing up the barbecue - getting a thick coat of the white stuff. Even Melilla, on the north coast of Africa, has had snow, for the first time in decades.