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In winter, Amsterdammers watch the falling thermometer readings with the same focus as people in Aspen and Chamonix. When the temperature drops low enough for long enough, the lakes and the canals in Amsterdam become sparkling highways for the skaters. Little kiosks are set up on the ice to dispense heart-warming liqueurs. I really love this part of our culture. Almost everyone, young or old, likes to skate and is smiling and friendly. The last days the cold was enough for the canals to freeze over a rare occasion. Amsterdammers sharpen their blades and hit the ice. On the 5th of February 2012, the first people started skating on the canals of Amsterdam. A lovely view of people skating on the Keizersgracht canal. Who knows times of Hendrick Avercamp are coming back this year. Avercamp was the first Dutch artist to specialize in paintings of winter landscapes featuring people enjoying the ice. Some 400 years on, our image of life in the harsh winters of the Golden Age is still dominated by Avercamp’s ice scenes with their splendid narrative details of couples skating, children pelting each other with snowballs and unwary individuals falling through the ice.
Photo of the first Dutch ice-skaters on the Keizersgracht canal in Amsterdam. As temperatures plunge across Europe, many are cursing the cold. But not in the Netherlands. There, many are hoping for further frigid conditions. This weekend we could ice skate even on some canals of Amsterdam. This week temperature will remain below zero and we could skate on even more canals in Amsterdam.
Eindelijk weer een weekend waarin Jordanezen de ijzers konden onderbinden. Nog geen ideale condities want door de sneeuwval van afgelopen week is het ijs niet overal even goed, maar geen wakken. Op de Keizersgracht is het ijs net dik genoeg,er kan best aardig geschaatst worden. De grachten eindelijk bevroren en de adem komt in kleine grijze pufjes uit mijn mond. Handen op de rug. Rustig ademen. Ik geniet van het geluid van de ijzers over het ijs, sneeuw en een prachtige gezicht op de Amsterdamse grachtenpanden. Het is zo koud geweest dat we zelfs onder de bruggen door konden schaatsen. Wie even wegdenkt kan zich vandaag in Hendrick Avercamps wereld wanen. Als eerste Amsterdamse kunstenaar uit de 17de eeuw specialiseerde hij zich in het schilderen van winterlandschappen met ijspret. Ons beeld van het leven in de strenge winters in de Gouden Eeuw wordt na 400 jaar nog altijd bepaald door Avercamps ijsgezichten met prachtige verhalende details van schaatsende paartjes, kinderen die elkaar bekogelen met sneeuwballen of een man die door het ijs zakt.
giorgosgrigoriadis16, Stevе, and 362 other people added this photo to their favorites.
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D o m i n i q u e K. 16 months ago | reply
Het is zooo leuk om naar jouw ' Amsterdam in de wintersneeuw' foto's te kijken Ben,
Het is gewoon echt genieten!
Ricardo F. M. 16 months ago | reply
This Wonderful and Divine image
Deserve Another FAVTOPMASTERS Award !!!
I saw this in FAVTOPMASTERS 200+
Please Remember post 1, Fav and Award 2
bjarne.stokke 16 months ago | reply
This Wonderful and Divine image
Deserve Another FAVTOPMASTERS Award !!!
I saw this in FAVTOPMASTERS 200+
Please Remember post 1, Fav and Award 2
reintjedevos [having the flu] 16 months ago | reply
Heel mooi totaalplaatje... lucht maakt het af!
--
Seen in the group"*Nederland op z'n mooist" ( ?² )
Franco off 16 months ago | reply
This Wonderful and Divine image
Deserve Another FAVTOPMASTERS Award !!!
I saw this in FAVTOPMASTERS 200+
Please Remember post 1, Fav and Award 2
Keith Gooderham @ Greenshoots Photography 16 months ago | reply
Great composition and the figures make the shot.
wjpostma 15 months ago | reply
prachtige hollandse foto
Gezien in www.flickr.com/groups/nederland_op_zijn_mooist/
Lopamudra! 15 months ago | reply
Amazing scene...awesome shot with so perfect colours and natural moods of people !!
Wonderful sharing, Ben !
luzzzelmann 15 months ago | reply
a great shot Ben !
olheiny 15 months ago | reply
amazing winter shot !
Frizztext 15 months ago | reply
beste Ben,
I've featured your great work again in my daily blog at
flickrcomments.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/old-dutch-painter...
I hope that will support your work!
groetjes van fritstekst!
ΞSSΞ®®Ξ 15 months ago | reply
Awarded !! this is Sublime
I saw this in FavTop50+ and I faved it !!!
I saw this in the FavTop50+ Award
Please Remember post 1, Fav and Award 2
simona.2011 (slow mode...) 15 months ago | reply
wonderful composition and atmosphere
Wonderful work !
Seen in Vermeer Pearls
This excellent image deserves a Vermeer Pearls Award
when you have enough awards add your photo to the 3-4 awards thread
or take part in our front page contest when you got 5 + awards
whitephotographer 14 months ago | reply
very nice!!! hopefully you can take another picture like this next year!
ps: love the color in the air
Kris Kros 14 months ago | reply
Best of the best.
Paola Morosin 14 months ago | reply
You photo IS A KIND OF MAGIC
From 50+ Fav Landscape geotagged
Zilch^^ 13 months ago | reply
unbelievable this looks like Norman Rockwell scene
ginomarino00 13 months ago | reply
b>Awarded !! this is Sublime
I saw this in FavTop50+ and I faved it !!!
I saw this in the FavTop50+ Award
Please Remember post 1, Fav and Award 2
tomgroves 8 months ago | reply
this picture is brilliant, went there in the summer and i just cant imagine it looking like this
syc6 7 months ago | reply
nice