Today was one of the longest days of my Amsterdam life. When making my way across town actually became a matter of, not life and death, but, fairly close to it.

I live on the ground floor and I sleep through much of the morning, so perhaps I don't always notice if there are severe winds tearing through the city outside. As I hopped on my bike to head to the international school for lunch, I admit I noticed the wind was making pedaling quite difficult. But at that point, I had no idea what I was getting involved in, by leaving the house at all.

By the time I crossed through Rokin and fought my way by the main university area near the beloved student cafe: CREA, I started to notice this wind was unlike any other wind before.

What made me notice? I think it was when this deafening gust which just about blew my backpack off my back and suddenly forced my bike in the direction of the canal and oncoming traffic. As I tried to fight back by clenching my leg muscles and pushing back at the wind to win my balance, another gust pushed the bike from under me and as I tried to plant my heals on the pavement... the bike, my heals, and me went sliding for several meters.... closer to the canal. A local driver, no doubt fighting the wind from inside the car, stopped to look over at me in pity, but as soon as he tried to open his door the wind decided to slam it shut. He waved and drove on. - thanks buddy.

I hobbled alongside my bike the rest of the way. Pausing before turning any corners, to watch the mist which the wind had swept up from the canal, spraying everyone who dared walk in that direction.

When I finally did arrive at lunch, an hour or so later, the internet tells me that the the main train station has closed, as pieces of the roof are falling and the trains are blocked by fallen tree's. As I slowly made my way home again, stopping often and rarely bothering to try and ride, I snapped pictures of huge fallen trees, debris that resembled roof tiles, and boats that had snapped free or sunken.

One newspaper mentioned it was the worst storm in 10 years. One person is thought to have been blown off a pier into the ocean. The wind caused an ship to crash in the Rotterdam harbor, triggering an oil spill!

Back in my little world, all I kept thinking, as odd as it may sound, was to simply get home in one piece and not get hit by a falling tree or a flying piece of metal from some construction site. Oh.. or fall in a canal.. that was a big concern as well.