February 11, 2012
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Amsterdam, Netherlands
Yeah, OK, one more ice and snow picture of Amsterdam then. It has to be, because from tomorrow onwards we're expected to get above freezing temperatures again, and with that the return of the grey clouds, the dull weather with occasional drizzle and nothing too exciting. A typical Dutch winter, called kwakkelwinter in Dutch, which sounds much funnier than what it actually is.
But back to today! The weather was gorgeous. It was cold, but the sun was shining very generously. The shadows were still long, because the sun is not high up in the sky this time of the year yet and the sun's rays definitely didn't feel warm, but the sun did make everything in this city look absolutely stunning today.
Anton Pieck was a famous Dutch artist, mostly active in the middle of the 20th century and his drawings and paintings have become synonymous with a very typical style of portraying Dutch landscapes and cityscapes. Pieck made everything look quite Dickensian, as if the country and its cities were one big fairy tale coming straight from the Disney Corporation. For about 364 days of the year, Pieck's creations seem quite unrealistic...
Except today. Amsterdam was a fairy tale city today. With its canals frozen solid, there were many people out and about, and instead of walking on the streets next to the canals, they were now on the canals. And so was I. I got on the ice on Kloveniersburgwal and giddily walked towards the Amstel River (which was frozen but with very bad ice so that's where I got off the ice again) and then walked towards Prinsengracht where I got on the ice once more and walked a fair distance on the ice. It was magic! Instead of walking over the bridges, I now walked underneath them, and the view from the frozen canal gave a whole new perspective of the city. It was cold, but I had a wonderful time. There were many people around, skating and walking, and everywhere you could buy Glühwein (mulled wine), hot chocolate and other substances to keep you warm inside. One of those days when it is oh so easy to fall in love with this city all over again, and be happy that I live here.
Comments (1)
Reminds me of the story about the River Thames in London when it froze over one year and people could walk across it and they had a market. Once in a lifetime event I reckon you've experienced.
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