Sunny Start

Amsterdam, January 8th. It's the new year, happy new year. After a rough start (hangover, flu etc.) I am settling in the new year counting down the days to beach season (yeah!). Winter has been very 'double' this year. On one hand it has been brutally cold, colder than the years before. Actually so cold that the Dutch are preparing for marathon skating on lakes and rivers, according to what I heard that has not been possible for the last twelve years. On the other hand it is sunny, sunny and sunny. December was the sunniest month on record, which does not require that much sunny days considering the lousy record of Dutch weather. Days have been virtually cloudless. Is that a good thing? Yes and No. Don't get me wrong, sunny days give energy make me happy and make the city look so much better, but what is a sunny day if you can't be outside because it is so freakin' cold. It just makes me restless. You don't want to stay inside and can't relax to the point of watching DVD's all day staying in bed, but being outside isn't good either, let alone going to the beach. I thought I would never say it, but sometimes days full of rain and storm aren't that bad either.

When I left work Thursday it was still day light. What a great realization. It's good to see confirmed that the days are indeed getting longer again. Just a few months...