canals

Walking along the sunny canals

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JOYFUL GRATITUDE #118

Despite the underlying worry regarding climate change, I’ve been enjoying these precocious Spring-like days that we have had recently.  I found myself naturally drawn to walk part of the way home after work, strolling through Amsterdam’s city center, crossing bridges to be sure I was on the side of the canal which the sun shines down.  As I go, I like looking at the details of the steps leading up to the fancy houses, peering into the basement offices and shop windows, watching cyclists just avoid tourists stepping unexpectedly onto the bike path to take pictures…

As I move my body after a morning of mostly sitting at the computer, I also start to process what happened during the day on the way.  I think of the conversations I had, information received and try to make sense of how I feel about all this busyness and complexity.   When I process my thoughts during the day as I take one step after another, I realise I tend to sleep better too.  Usually I catch the tram for the last stretch of the way home, and by then I already feel more in touch with my mind and can let go of the work things. The power of walking is incredible:)

What we do when the sun comes out

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It seems that Winter finally got the message and handed over to Spring. Tiny little green leaves are making their appearance all around and we enjoyed some lovely warm weather in the last days.  Perfect for a weekend without fixed plans, allowing for a long improvised wander along the canals with my sister as we admired the city whilst chatting (and searching for ice-cream:)  It felt great not having my shoulders bunched up close to my ears permanently tensed against the cold, as we sat on a bench soaking up much-needed vitamin D and reading our books undisturbed while the sun slowly made its way across the sky.

Precious daylight

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JOYFUL GRATITUDE #16

Since a few days when I leave the office it’s still daylight!  I feel like the worst of winter is over now and it’s such a pleasure to no longer be cycling in the dark.  The soothing light of the magic hour over the Amsterdam canals on my way home is so beautiful.

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Cycling in the mornings

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JOYFUL GRATITUDE #6

These days cycling to work every morning involves leaving home in the dark and feeling that despite wearing thick gloves the cold may cause my finger tips to fall off. The first 5 minutes are usually the worst because I haven’t warmed up yet from the cycling and I find myself wondering if I just should have taken the tram instead.

Lately however I’ve been trying to turn my thoughts around and appreciate the luxury of being able to ride to work by bike which is one of the perks of life in Amsterdam. I really enjoy being outdoors and moving my body for a half-hour before spending most of the day behind the computer. Also, I’m very lucky that to get to the office I ride through the beautiful center of Amsterdam. And when the sun decides to comes up, the peaceful canal views are really spectacular!

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