Sun out, and on the weekend - couldn't ask for a better day. It is incredibly rare to find such days in the low flat lands of the Netherlands. When it does happen, it is a public celebration. I originally decided to go pick up my meds and as soon as I peeked outside the window before leaving I saw an unfamiliar sight - people without jackets. Has it really become that warm?
Last year I probably had roughly about 3 weeks of t-shirt weather. Which is basically the nice warm weather where you can go out with a T-shirt on and have no problems. The majority of the days here are hoodie weather, I'd say, followed by jacket weather, and the rarest of them all is the t-shirt weather. But all of them are only a descendant of the main weather - umbrella weather. For someone like me who grew up in a dry country, I appreciate the usual rains!
I decided to take a detour through the local market. It only sits down twice a week. I wouldn't say it is any better than the stores though. The options are just as generic, and the prices are exactly similar. The market in the Hague is a completely different story. Incredibly competitive prices and unique options that you can't regularly find in the stores.
The mangoes looked very tempting. The sun shining on them made them look so beautiful. The best mangoes come from the Philippines - and I won't listen to any other opinions. Followed by the sweet Alphonso breed and the Pakisiitani Badami mangoes. Oh, to die for!
Looking at the crowd it became obvious that I was not the only one who took a detour. It may not look like too many people, but for this market to be as crowded as it was, is not common. It is usually emptier than this. I think everyone wanted to take a walk and enjoy the first actual warm and sunny day.
As always, the food stalls are what gathers the biggest crowd. There is a BBQ stall that grills sausages and meat, along with serving Broodjes. But the most popular stall is the Suriname grill. Walking past that while fasting is enough discipline for the entire year. Such delicious flavours and smells! Next to it is a Dutch Kibbling spot which strangely attracts most of the expats. Hmmm. Interesting.
On the way, I saw Viktor also taking a walk with his girlfriend. For those who have followed my blogs, Viktor is the Ukrainian DJ I first introduced to the city and always hire for Ukrainian events. He now also does shows in Amsterdam. Way to go bud!
Also, if you go back to all the posts of the last 2 years you will realize how crowded this street is and how sunny. Maybe except for King's Day. These days come so rarely that I have never really got the chance to capture the city on a sunny day haha.
The sweets shop had a long queue for their ice slushies. The first warm day is a great occasion to have some slushies. It also became very clear I was not the only one who was confused about the weather. A lot of people dressed up "safe". Some went all out in t-shirts and tops. Some still had sweaters and hoodies on. There are also people in Jackets.
So much happiness the sun was out that there was a mini-concert. Or something of the sort. One guitarist with about half a dozen clappers and vocalists. What were they singing about? Beats me. Guess I should get back to learning Dutch.
I am glad I took the detour. Coz as I write this post it has already turned into a rainy evening.
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