The sights at Vondel Park

On most days, I have to really motivate myself to go jogging because this means combatting rain, wind and whatever elements Mother Nature would like to throw my way. (I'd say like most Dutch women, Mother Nature is rather assertive and holds few surprises.)

A few days ago, it was truly Spring. Spring had sprung and so, encouraged by sunlight and the lack of rain, I decided to go jogging. I live around the corner from Vondel Park, so I headed there past the David Lloyd fitness club, and discovered hundreds of joggers when I got there. I am rather slow when it comes to jogging, especially compared to the long-legged Dutch who tend to hold entire conversations while jogging, and make lots of stops.

Now Vondel Park is always fascinating as people constantly migrate here to relax. There are certain areas where groups or subgroups tend to hang out. Like teens and gays like to congregate near the rose bushes, while the northern end of the park attracts drinkers and alcoholics. So while I was jogging near the drinker's patch, I decided to take a break. Two guys were playing frisbee as their friends carried on loudly behind them. One was dressed like a throwback from the 1980s, his multi-colored, pastel jacket would have fit in perfectly at the 1984 Olympics, and the other looked like Morpheus out of the Matrix, in a long black leather jacket.

It was such a strange sight to behold, like two distinct eras being thrown into a time warp I just happened to come across. It tickled me because this is how I always envisioned Vondel Park, full of odd characters like those hippy tribes who would hang out here in the 1960s, literally coming out of the woodwork.