man from luxembourg in amsterdam

The first time when I visited Amsterdam was November 2005, more than 5 years ago. And since then, I had countless visits. But, whenever I was here, it was in winter or almost winter.

Always, the sea gulls were flying high and low, and cutting through the chilly winds over the canals. Sometimes, the sky was so blue and brought the frozen air from the broad empty blue to the ground, and of course, on the surface of the canals. Many times, the sky was with full of thick clouds, and was so gray. But the canals in winter were deeply dark, so the sky gray looked like quasi-bright white line on them.

Still I remember what I saw on the occasion of my first visit in here. I certainly remembered the man in his late 30's or mid-40's from Luxembourg whom I met in a business conference. This is not because we had a difficult business between us, or he was so brilliant and impressive on the conference. This is because after the day of the conference, I happened to met him again in a hotel restaurant in the morning, and took the same table for breakfast. When I saw him, quite naturally I said to him, hey, good morning, and he replied with smile.

Our conversation was mostly about our common business, but at a certain point, I happened to ask him when he came here last time. He said, that was in 1980's. That's quite long time ago, I said with a surprise. He told that he was in his late teen or 20's, and he drove his old VW with then-his girl friend, now-his wife, and came all the way to Amsterdam. That was the first time and he thought at the time that it was the last time to came here, because he had no reason to come again.
Then in winter 2005, he had a reason, a business.

Here was Amsterdam, without reasons, I was/am/will be here, maybe in winter.