Dutch canals freeze for the first time in twelve years

[CC licensed photo courtesy of Flickr user Ferdi]
Canal ice skating is part of the Dutch national identity, but according to the International Herald Tribune, climate change and pollution have turned Holland's annual canal-freeze into a rarity. Holland's canals have frozen for the first time in twelve years this month, thrilling the citizens of the land of Hans Brinker:

Hundreds of thousands of skaters, their cheeks as red as apples in the freezing temperatures, took to the ice, and hospital wards were filled with dozens of people with fractured arms, sprained ankles and broken legs.

Train engineers were ordered to go slowly to avoid hitting skaters who clambered across railway tracks to get from one frozen canal to another. Even the minister of defense, an avid skater, fell and broke his wrist. His ministry announced that the national defense remained in safe hands, even if one of them was in a cast.

Do we have any readers here who have found themselves out on the ice in this winter? I've heard that canal skating is popular in Ottawa, Ontario. Is anyone enjoying any other skating hot-spots?

[International Herald Tribune]

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I live in Guelph, Ontario, Canada and we are having a humdinger of a winter. I took up skating again two years ago after not skating since I was a kid. It's exhilarating!!! There is an adult skate at the local arena and it's a treat to see people of all ages but especially seniors, skating arm in arm, to an amazing soundtrack of '50's hits. The hockey players are so graceful on the ice...even the 70-year-olds. Ah. Iconic Canadiana.

I take lessons at my university and I never thought I'd be jumping after just one season of a serious attempt to learn to skate better. I learned a waltz jump last week. It's a trip!