This week has been rather unique in that not one, but two storms have passed over the Netherlands: Storm Dudley (pronounced with a strong Birmingham accent!) and Storm Eunice.
Local residents here in East Netherlands are all curious to know more about this one, tall tower and what it is like to live in the sky. They are fascinated by the panoramic room on the top floor and in the past have requested permission to marry up there, to make music videos, attend parties and much more… But the question this week has been, what is it like to live in the middle of a storm?
The answer is: noisy.
As followers of my Twitter feed will have seen, it’s all about the wind and the direction of the wind. On Wednesday, the wind came from the north and blew open the window vents. My daughter and I ended up playing a silly game and trying to predict when the vent would blow open, and then rush to close them before the wind whistled through the flat.
Our bedroom is on the south-west corner and that too can be a little windy and noisy. Wednesday night was a little wild outside, and as a consequence, our sleep may have been interrupted once or twice by the wind, but the benefits of living up here with my Dutch kitchen in the sky far out way any complaints about noisy wind.
The view from up here is spectacular. On certain days, we really are right in the clouds and can feel completely enveloped by the weather, whether it is driving rain, blustery wind, or scorching sun. Everything at this altitude seems magnified, more immediate, more real.
The sunsets are special, and I can often be heard calling “Sunset alert!” while cooking the evening meal. We have numerous pictures of red skies at night, shepherds delight sunsets, but the camera never totally captures the beauty, the magnitude, and enormity of the sky in all its glory.
So, to return to the question of whether we have survived the storm, living here at the top of the tower. I can confirm the answer is yes, and no it is not at all scary!
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