February Snow One Week in the Netherlands

Because we never know IF or WHEN it will happen, you can imagine how thrilled we were to finally get snow, even if only for a week.  Frost is one thing, which we saw in January, but snow is another thing altogether! 

We awakened to snow on Sunday morning, 7 February, as predicted.  

I didn't even go out that day except on our balcony and then on the walkway in front of our apartment.

Astrid had covered our car the day before, to protect it in our courtyard.

I took this from our 1st-floor walkway, looking down into the courtyard.

It was heavenly for me, and, if that was all I had, it would have been "fix" enough.

But lucky for me, the next day I walked home from grocery shopping and got more.

Another "fix," even though with the wind chill I barely made it home!

Seriously.

The following day, Tuesday, Astrid drove us along the dijk in nearby Vuren.

Besides seeing the snow, she wanted me to see the high water of the Merwede river on our north bank.

You can see the flooded fields, with the Loevestein Castle across the river.

This is when an outsider understands why the Dutch need locks to control their water.

So much of the area around us is below sea level!

The dijks are also important to keep out the water but are also picturesque.

When I saw the swans, Astrid knew she needed to stop.

Remember, this was 5 days before Valentine's Day.

And remember that swans mate for life!

Our English friends have lamented that we don't have hills for sledding,

but who needs hills when you have dijks!

Don't you love the winter willows!

Not much snow but enough to create some nice scenes.

We drove a bit further out into the polder to find sheep.

(No wonder we like wool for winter, right?!)

It was a splendid day, full of many snow "fixes."

On Wednesday we had erwtensoep, served up in the courtyard for 50 of our residents.

From where I stood, I looked back through our birch tree to our apartment side.

(Our apartment is one floor down to the left of the tree trunk.)

On Friday morning, after 5 days of temps around 20°F, we drove to scout out skating spots 

for Astrid, first in Giessenburg (top row) and then in Brandwijk (bottom row).

That afternoon she went back to Brandwijk to get her skating fix.

 

But one time wasn't enough, so she went back on Sunday to another spot on the Giessen river.

THAT was her real fix for skating this winter, as her video shows.

Then just like that, after Sunday, Valentine's Day, the temps immediately went back up to the 40°s F.

The winter violas outside our front door sprung back to life!

So, from Sunday to Sunday, it was like a February winterland miracle 

inserted into the calendar for all who needed their fix.

Ice Skating the Dutch Way

Before February's Winter flies off the map and gives way to the month of Spring, here's a post on Holland's ice skating as I know it...the first winter they've had it in three years.

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But first, some shameless advertising for my Vision and Verb post today:


What's in a Name?

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Okay, back to ice skating. By now you probably know we had a very small window of opportunity here in the Netherlands this winter season. Winter itself, with sub-freezing temps, lasted only two weeks. By the time the canals froze, you're talking about only 10 days of ice skating. Remember that as you picture Astrid's enthusiasm in the following images!

We first went to Kinderdijk (19 windmills, remember?) to try out the ice there on February 5 (the Sunday of our anniversary weekend). We always start with our favorite place if possible.

First, the skates get put on...DUH...
right there at the side of the canal with everyone else.
And no one takes your shoes, no matter where you do or do not hide them.

But after 5 minutes, the verdict was out: there was too much snow on the ice.
Astrid couldn't see the cracks and said it was too dangerous.
If you can't see the cracks, your blades can get stuck and flip you over!
But at least we saw the wonderful windmills, right?


And even had time to eat some erwtensoep (the Dutch pea soup I love).
While inside the café, I saw a photo on the wall of a burning windmill.
I sat there shocked...having never thought of such a horror.

But...on we went to see what skating we could find elsewhere....


...and found it in Bleskensgraaf, one of the villages on the way back home.
Talk about hitting the jackpot!
Not only the Hofwegensemolen windmill but a bridge for ambiance.


I love watching families sharing their past-times!


Memories for these kids!


Memories for Astrid and me!


And another chance to eat, there on the ice!
What's not to love about this way of life!
The Dutch live for this when winter comes
and are so disappointed if/when they don't have ice!

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The following weekend, after a week of work for Astrid, and with predictions the temps would rise above freezing, it was then or never for any last-minute skating. Almost on the spot, that Saturday the 11th of February, Astrid decided to skate the Molentocht (mill tour)...or at least part of it.

Instead of explaining what the Molentocht is, this YouTube of the very same day says it all.

It's not a race per se, but is a chance to get a medal for what you accomplish from between 25 - 75 km on a prescribed route, from village to village.

ALL THE FOLLOWING IMAGES IN THIS SECTION ARE FROM ASTRID.
(I only processed and collaged them for her.)


Each participant starts out at a booth on the route and pays a fee: €7,50/adult.
At that point you get your Molentocht card (below) that has to be stamped at consecutive booths.
Without the stamps, you can't get your medal.

If you looked at even part of the above YouTube, you can see how Astrid saw the same thing!


She got enough stamps on her card (above left) to get her 25 km (15.5 miles) medal.


This is her second Molentocht medal of 25 km,
the last one being from 2 February 1985 (27 years ago!).
[click image to enlarge]

I mentioned last post that Astrid wrote about this on her guest Vision and Verb,
in case you missed it. It really was a big deal!
However, it's her last time, she says.
It's not worth the possibility of breaking bones while she still has to work for a living.
That day alone there were almost 100 hospitalizations.

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That was Saturday morning, when Astrid went off by herself to skate the Molentocht. Why didn't I go with her, you ask?

1. I grew up on figure skates which are NOT the same as Dutch speed skates.
2. I skated on smooth, "artificial" ice, not on canal (bumpy-with-cracks) ice.
3. I would have slowed Astrid down, who was on a mission.
   
4. I'm too old for this sh**.

But that afternoon, as we drove out through the polder to our favorite pannenkoeken restaurant, I got my fill again:

It's like every family has its own skating rink in front of their house!
And did you notice the chairs?
They're not only for changing skates/shoes but aiding kids in learning to skate.

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Now, one last thing for this ice-skating saga: sharpening the blades and putting them away for the next time (which may not necessarily be next year, you understand).

Astrid bought her skates 27 years ago for €150 ($200).
This Viking brand has made many Dutch[wo]man famous in races everywhere
(that's basically what the box is explaining, top left!).
BELANGRIJK (Important): you buy one size smaller than your shoe size
because you do NOT wear thick socks, if any at all. Many pros go barefoot in them!


Add to everything else Astrid can do: sharpening skates!
She bought the skate holders for a discounted €9 during one of her window-dressing jobs eons ago.


She sharpens the skates with a whet stone, using the rough and fine sides each.
Within a minute or so, it seemed, she could cut paper like a knife.


Then she did the greese job, to keep the blades from rusting.
Don't you love the leather blade guards?
The skates are now put away for...the next time.

Is it too much to hope for next year?

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Congratulations if you made it to the end of this. Congratulations, too, if you still remember it's my turn at Vision and Verb today: What's in a Name?