An Ode to Fall in Amsterdam

Hello Fall, it’s wonderful to see you again. I’ve missed your ever-changing colors, your unique smell, your strange sense of renewal as everything around us begins to die. Fall in Amsterdam is especially beautiful. Though the season is short, it brings so many magical moments.

Fall in Amsterdam settles in overnight during the first week of October. Temperatures drop into the fifties and the winds pick up. And then comes the rain, the seemingly endless onslaught of rain. The Dutch move inside to cozy up with pumpkin soup and ginger tea. No one wants to go outside unless completely necessary.

But on those rare days where the weather isn’t dreary, we venture out to admire your canals framed by trees slowly shifting to gold. Some of them skip straight to the part where they shed their leaves, immediately littering the water. Others change from one week to the next, providing a constantly shifting landscape of color.

The brown bars open their doors to the chilled masses, longing for a heart-warming drink. We cast off our ubiquitous scarves to snuggle up at a table with red wine. Perhaps we’ll indulge in a slice of Dutch apple pie. After all, no one will be seeing our bodies until we are able to shed our layers in April.

The Dutch don’t do much to mark the season. The Christmas holidays are already on their minds, as they begin to stock kruidnoten at the store. But perhaps there is a reason there are no pumpkins and fall decor, as fall in Amsterdam provides the only backdrop we need.

Just as the fall season appeared overnight, in a few weeks it will disappear again. The last leaves will drop and winter will roll in, bringing its dark days and endless chill. Christmas lights will go up and gluhwein will be poured.

So savor these weeks when Amsterdam comes alive. Enjoy the crisp air and maybe even the rain. There is nowhere on earth like Amsterdam in the fall.