Damstede skating day

The Jaap Eden Baan is Amsterdams big outdoor skating arena, It is open all winter. Serious skaters come every day to train in the hope that they will be fit enough to take part in the "elf steden tocht" a grueling race through eleven cities in Friesland which can only be held when natural ice has formed throughout the whole of the netherlands.

Last friday the peace of their training schedule was ruined by the kids of Damstede, who arrived for their annual skating day.

Jolanda and her friend Rosa were there too!

The teachers settled down to their own form of training!

Back to work

August passed me by in a blur of sunny days and fresh air; we are back to the reality of work and school now, and appropriately leaden skies. in august we went up to Friesland for a few days and enjoyed the feeling of space there (not a usual feeling in the netherlands!) this picture is of Jolanda in the wind on the shores of the Waddenzee. the place was called Moddergaat (translation mudhole) but it was actually very pretty and green!