Yes It Really Is That Cold!

Last night the temperature dipped below -15 C last night. I found this picture on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mjaquet/). It was taken on Keizergracht in Amsterdam.

Play at your own risk! It is noisy and goes on for a minute. I am enjoying the winter weather and the light snows and frost. It is really beautiful to this Cali girl.

But I do have to say that I am looking forward to Portugal too!

Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

Went walking around Den Haag today. I waited until the temperature reached a high of 7°C/45°F before venturing outside. That was 15h people! A whopping 2 hours before it gets dark. Did I mention that the sun only comes up after 8h in the morning?

I love walking around the city and observing the great architecture, people and the kids who seem to be impervious to the cold. This will be my first really cold Christmas season this year and it is taking some getting used to. One great thing is that all the Christmas Shopping is outdoors on the market high streets so the streets are all decorated nicely. It is really festive and joyful.

I stopped for a warm drink in a local coffee shop and watched people for a while. I was inspired to write about a man's struggle with the world that is racing around him while he struggles with his aging body to stand. Only a rough sketch but I hope to make it into a short story.

Today the 13thFLOOR team arrives for their show on Friday at the Hilversum International School in Amsterdam. I am excited to see the team and hear about their journey so far as I will spend the weekend in the city with them. We will brave the cold and rain together.