Autumnal Musings from Amsterdam

Autumn is a glorious time to be in Amsterdam! Whether it’s watching the slow change of the trees throughout the city progress, the darker mornings and evenings adding to a cozy feeling, or being able to break out your cooler-weather clothes, it’s a time of change and transition throughout the country.

As a native of Texas, I’m used to warm days until at least mid-October. Then, the weather will turn, a storm will blow through, and all the leaves that have been slightly tinged with yellow or orange will end up on the ground. It’s literally a “fall” event and happens so quickly, we don’t have much of a chance to enjoy the change. It’s the total opposite in the Netherlands. Here, autumn starts early but progresses slowly, giving us all a chance to enjoy the gorgeous brick buildings with a foreground of blazing color from the trees.

The one downside is that autumn in Amsterdam usually means quite a bit of rain. It usually doesn’t rain hard, but it rains long. We can go several days without seeing the sun. The gray skies make the autumn foliage stand out even more brilliantly, so at least that is one plus. However, when the gray skies pull away and you glimpse the sun, there is no better experience. When this happens, everyone tilts their heads back to enjoy a few rays before the sun disappears again.

The changeable nature of Dutch weather truly makes you appreciate good weather when it shows up unexpectedly. It’s important to remember that though it may stay dark and cloudy for a while, the sun will always come back out. The photo for this post was taken by a CIEE staff member upon seeing the sun rising over Amsterdam, the first time seeing the sun in several days. Truly a moment worth capturing!