July 2017
changeable weather
Look at how lovely the weather is in this photo. In the short time it took me to walk around an inlet and cross a bridge, the skies had darkened. I scrambled up to the cafe at the top of the building just in time to miss a deluge. I sat for a coffee and watched sheets of rain pass over a city that seems to float on the water that surrounds and permeates it. Now that water was even coming from the sky. After the rains had passed, I returned to my Amsterdam walkabout in even lovelier weather.
Lesson learned - when traveling in Amsterdam (and the Netherlands in general), take an umbrella!
I loved NEMO, not for the exhibits - I was not in a science museum mood, but for its incredible design. The roof slopes down near the ground level so it is possible to climb a long set of stairs to the top of the building capped by an enclosed cafe. That space gives a spectacular view over the city center with its floor to ceiling windows. In a flat city with few tall buildings, NEMO is unique in that it is tall yet does not look tall. Its large, modern shape does not mar the old city surrounding it.
It ended up being a fortuitous rain delay. Visiting NEMO was worth it just for the view - had it not rained, I might never have scrambled up its sloping roof to find shelter and would have never seen the beautiful side of a downpour on a walk.