So here it was, the official start of summer, and it was nice. I was supposed to go to a colleague’s farewell bbq in Vondelpark but I got sidelined by something akin to a mild anxiety attack and had to cancel at the last minute. I just couldn’t be around crowds.

As we were already in the vicinity of my now-favorite dutch pancake restaurant and noticed that there weren’t too many cars in the parking lot, a thought flashed in my brain – could it be that locals are enjoying the sun elsewhere?? 

I asked my partner if we could go grab something to eat and despite wanting to just go home, he albeit hesitatingly obliged. Walking past the gate I couldn’t hear much noise, and lo and behold, in sharp contrast to the last time we were here, the place was nearly empty. With no lines in sight, we quickly ordered, sat down, and enjoyed some solitude under the shade.

No screaming, running kids, no loud, obnoxious poseurs, it was as good as it could get sitting in a quiet table while enjoying a warm snack. It must have taken no more than five minutes from the moment my plate landed on our table, from this…

…to this.

The first day of summer could’ve started off on a higher note but I’m glad it, at least, ended on a sweet, sunny, sugary high.