Rain and Sun in Sarphatipark

A very basic dutch weather again: raining, sunny, raining, wind, sunny, a calm moment, stormy, strong rain. It is better to be prepared almost for anything but unfortunately not for the snow. I had my big, black umbrella today and I wear a rain jacket almost every day. This weather doesn't stop me having my walks and enjoying being outside.

I went to sport this morning and decided to have some fresh air after that. This time I was walking in the Pijp, near the eastern part of the central canal ring. I was looking forward to have a  walk in a small park nearby. Sarphatipark is a nice mini, green area surrounded by streets and houses. You don't really get any big contrast feeling to the city life, because you see the cars and you hear the traffic. In the summertime it is more protected, because the green finally covers the view to streets beside the park. Then it is a good place to have a picnic after buying some fresh food from the Albert Cuyp market, a long market street just around the corner. The Pijp is full of houses, traffic and narrow streets. This part of town really needs this park to get a little bit of a feeling of open sky & space. 

For me this is a hard part of the year. I am still used to some bigger changes and contrasts after all these years aboard. It is like a biological clock that is inside me. I come from the North and grew up with snow, ice, dark and big contrasts with the light: dark snowy winters and light summers. This greyness is hard to handle. The best part will be coming though: the spring will come here earlier and then it is like magic. I am lucky I had so many cold and snowy winters already in my life that I can somehow handle this just by remembering how great element the big, white, quiet and sparkling winter really is. I have the real winter in my heart.

Back to reality: I see some green grass. 

I see so many birds having a break at the park. Dogs, school children, joggers and finally even the sun. I notice, that I forgot my umbrella to the bakery on my way. I have to go back to busy streets and leave the park. 

Now it is raining again. I don't want to sound like a meteorologist or be complaining about this. I can see the beauty in a rain drop.

And I definitely remember the beauty of the clear winter days.