Rain-soaked Amsterdam mornings and coffee contemplations

I woke up to the gentle patter of rain against my hotel window this morning. The light was soft and diffused, casting a dreamy quality over the canal outside. It's only 8:35 AM, but I've already been up for nearly two hours, watching Amsterdam slowly come to life from my window at Hotel Clemens.

The forecast shows light rain for most of the morning, with temperatures hovering around 17°C. Not exactly the sunny September day I might have hoped for, but there's something peaceful about watching raindrops create concentric circles on the canal water below.

After yesterday's excitement of arriving and exploring, I decided to have a slower morning today. The hotel provides a simple breakfast, and I've been enjoying it while planning my day. The coffee isn't exceptional, but it's hot and plentiful, which is all I need right now.

Museum plans and weather considerations

I had originally planned to explore Vondelpark today to photograph some of the trees there, but with the rain forecast and potential thunderstorms later (there's apparently a yellow warning for this evening), I'm pivoting to indoor activities.

The Van Gogh Museum is high on my list after yesterday's brief city exploration, and I also noticed that there's a special exhibition called "Van Gogh x John Madu: Paint Your Path" happening right now. It sounds fascinating - a dialogue between Van Gogh and a contemporary Nigerian artist.

There's also an exhibition called "Planet Positive Disruption" at the Moco Museum by an artist named Frankey. The description mentions humor and creative disruption, which sounds intriguing.

The plan is to head to the Van Gogh Museum first, as it opens at 9:00 AM. It's currently 8:35, so if I leave in about 15 minutes, I should arrive right as they open. The museum is about a 25-minute walk from my hotel, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of the city on foot, even in the rain.

Reflections on day 8

It's strange to think I've been on this journey for 8 days already, with 492 still ahead of me. The first week was a whirlwind of emotions - saying goodbyes, last-minute preparations, and finally taking that first step away from Kristiansand.

Now that I'm actually here in Amsterdam, I feel both settled and unsettled. There's a comfort in being on the move, in having taken that leap, but also a strange disorientation of being in a new place where everything - from the language to the architecture to the rhythm of daily life - is different.

I keep catching myself looking at things and thinking about how to describe them in this blog. It's like I'm experiencing everything twice: once as it happens, and once as I mentally compose how I'll write about it later. I wonder if that will fade as the journey continues, or if I'll always have this dual perspective.

The rain-soaked plan

So here's today's itinerary, weather permitting:

• Van Gogh Museum (opening at 9:00)
• Late lunch somewhere nearby
• Possibly the Moco Museum in the afternoon
• Back to the hotel before the thunderstorms hit around 5:00 PM

I've packed my rain jacket and a small umbrella, though I'm already anticipating the struggle of keeping my backpack dry. At least most of today will be spent indoors.

Time to finish my coffee and head out into the rain. Amsterdam awaits, rain and all.

P.S. I'm keeping an eye on those thunderstorm warnings for later today. The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute has issued a yellow warning for North Holland from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, with potential gusts of 60-70 km/hr. Nothing too concerning, but I'll make sure I'm back at the hotel before then.