It is known for tulips, bikes, bridges, and weed, but not so much for its weather. The Netherlands has been going through a weird phase with storms, cold days, and unpredictable rains and pours. Funnily, no matter how much it rains or how strong the winds are, nothing warrants a helmet.
I had to go to a different city, which takes roughly two hours by train. It is on the other side of the country. I woke up to a very cold and windy day, something that has become very synonymous with this city. I thought nothing of it. By the time I made it to my destination, it felt like I was in a different country.
Back in Kharkiv, Ukraine, two hours could mean you were still in Kharkiv. The weather would also be almost the same no matter which corner of the city you went to. Here, it is much different. When I got out of the station, the weather was the complete opposite. Cold, sure, but sunny and bright. Hmm?
For once I saw all the four seasons go past us within a frame of not more than four hours. It started as a dry and cold day, followed by quite a bit of rain. We went along the day to only then be faced with a soft touch of snow, and by afternoon the snow had melted and the warmness of the day warranted getting rid of the bulky jackets.
Two hours away by train, the place looked much different. A blanket of snow was being knitted together. Thick and fluffy snow descended from a dark and gloomy sky. Was I still under the same sky? I know I am not hallucinating. I should probably look at the map and see if the geographical landscapes of the two cities are in fact so different.
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I have been longing for snow for quite some time now. I miss snowboarding and the closest thing to real snowboarding is an indoor arena with fake snow. There is another "extreme sports zone" nearby is a treadmill for snowboarding and skiing. Doesn't come close to the real thing. A couple of skiers I know often go to Austria to enjoy the slopes. Being a very flat country, options are very limited here in the Netherlands.
There aren't many canals near where I took these pictures. The canals of Amsterdam have frozen over and I have seen a couple of videos of people putting their skates on and ice skating on the canals. That must be fun but considering how quickly they "defrost" the chances of doing that are very time sensitive.
This is my favourite picture so far. A solemn evening and a rare event. It gets dark very soon now and it hardly ever snows. Something about this environment felt very cosy. Do you feel it too? It is not too windy, just a little chilly, not many people outside, and one brave person decided to bike on the slippery path.
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