Elsfstedentocht ... GOne?
Ice skating is a very popular sport in the Netherlands, especially in Amsterdam, Holland. Besides speed skating there is a big marathon skating event held in the province of Fiesland, called the “Elsfstedentocht” : which translated means : The Eleven Towns Journey ... and where Fiesland, is anything but frozen these days.
Due to radical warming, this ideal condition has only been met 15 times in the past 100 years.
Going on climate models, it is now widely predicted that without a radical “variation” or shift, returning us to the ice age, the Netherlands will only be able to hold four races across this 21st century, with the chances declining as the winter’s get milder.
The "Elfstedentocht", has always been considered one of ice skating's most gruelling challenges, attracts thousands of participants who try to cover almost 200 km (124 miles) on frozen canals through 11 towns in the province of Friesland, much of it in the dark.
~oOo~
Jan Van Der Hoorn, 83, winner of the 1947 race, was quoted as saying in the newspaper Volkskrant: "Something has definitely happened to winter: the daisies are still flowering in the grass and what if the North Pole were to melt?"
~oOo~
DUTCH TRIVIA : Whenever there is a national event like the royal wedding, Queensday, a soccer tournament, the Eleven Towns Skating Journey or another ice skating event, the Dutch get the "orange feeling"... Het Oranje gevoel ... The people decorate everything, even themselves. Orange is the last name of the royal family; Beatrix of Orange. The populace adopted this colour to show their feeling of solidarity at special events.
Photos with thanks to : http://elfstedenwiki.vpro.nl/page/Jan van der Hoorn
www.digital-dreams.nl/realdutch/elfsteden.htm, www.travelinside.nl, www.zeenz.nl,
www.kidsthinklink.com
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katyzzz
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I'm glad you enjoyed it.
thank you.
Lilla
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There is an ice festival in America that has been going for over 50 years that was postponed last year due to warm weather . Hopefully these are not things that our grandchildren will have to watch in school classrooms in the future. Scary stuff what`s going on!
Ash
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It is all too unsettling to me because I am not fully reconciled with the need for this earth as a place of soul development... Whatever happened to treading lightly upon the earth?
Culture's will change and adapt around the globe in years to come I suppose, big time... hopefully this time, with some thought for the natural resources available first?
Lilla
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... it's a funny thing, isn't it?
There are so many who still maintain that we were heading for a complete meltdown anyway ... as part of the bigger picture ... and I agree, but I am not fully convinced that we have not altered that bigger cycle prematurely, by thousands of years?
The question is now, that no matter how much parading and promising the potty-ticians make, I don't think they, nor anyone can stop it becuase of the corporate bottom line and their profits ...
I think we must all just sit back and enjoy the bumpy ride from here on in and that depresses me even more, because I know that there is free energy technology that can turn this planet around in a decade, if only we the people would be prepared to have a little less ...
thanks for stopping by
Lilla
A few years ago I was with some family members and we were deciding where to scatter my fathers ashes - a token gesture as his soul was obviously not here - but he led such a chaotic life we wanted to find somewhere peaceful for his resting place.
Between three continents we were hard pressed in finding somewhere that we thought would fit the bill - there are always cars belching out noise and pollution, factories that grey beautiful landscapes....you name it! This world has become too hectic for any soul-development and I reckon people stomp this earth - there ain`t any treading lightly.....very sad!
I recently got an email about what our future world would be like - people shaving their heads because there was no water to wash with, painful kidney infections as they were limited to have a glass of water a day, new technology clothing to eradicate the need for washing (are we walking down that road already with the new 'self-cleaning underwear' ?)
hhhmmm sorry what a depressing way to start the day - but something needing to be addressed before there is no longer a start of a day
*tip-toeing*
Ash
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I am curious?
Where do you live?
It sounds wonderful apart from some local mismanagement ... perhaps that's where turning it around begins ... being an activist at a local level and fighting the wrongs?
I lived in a small, unsignificant country town in SE NSW and became very active in lobbying for a better water supply as the local one was toxic from left over mining days. I started a local newspaper outlining the woes and ill things and as more and more people came on board we eventually gained a 'voice.' Anyway, the short of it is we succeeded in winning a multi-million dollar grant for a new, state-of-the-art, water filtration system.
It depends on your government, but if there is a hint of democracy, no one needs be powerless in such matters for long.
I wish you luck and clean waterways.
Lilla
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aww now I'm all soft and melted again...] *lol* sorry...
hmm, a real shame and the one in America too that Ash has added is a nightmare for these cultures to adopt to the change as the weather patterns change. Who knows, you may end up holding the 11 towns journey up your way if the shifts are wild enough and the popularity overwhelming? I would think you'd have similar events?
Which brings me to an obvious question of whether you've noticed a change in your own winters there in Alberta? I'm no expert but they can get pretty severe, no?
great comment,
thanks for stopping by,
Lilla
ps they say you should never wake a sleeping animal, but I cannot resist it, had to tickle its little neck ...*coochie-coo* ..
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I did and cracked up with my 10 year-old daughter. She couldn't do it either! My very adult fifteen year old just shrugged, rolled her eyes and looked at me with the 'your so childish' look she has developed? She does not share my love of words ...
Ha! I loaded it into my online http://www.yourdictionary.com, which has a verbal audio option of the word you are searching and it didn't even try to find it, let alone pronounce it!
*giggling*
There's a good post for you perhaps? The wierdest names of events ever to be held around the globe ... For plain weird town names, just go to Wales.
Glad you got a kick out of it..
Lilla.
ps did you manage to pronounce it to any degree of satisfaction in the end?
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Though it is "extinct" but it is still a good insight to know about it and hope that one day, this event can take place again.
Good post, Lilla. You never fail to enlighten and widen our scope knowledge in environment awareness. ^_^
Cheerio
Jessicca
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Yes, many cultures will need to adjust as we traverse the 21st century ...
How did you go in prnouncing the name of this event?
I still can't get my tongue around it comfrotably *lol* but then the word, eleven, is an interesting word in the English language too...
Thanks again for your kind words of encouragement.
Cheers
L
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Sounds like it was fun attempting to say it, even if the 15 year old doesn't appreciate - I think that just makes it even funnier!
As for myself pronouncing it - Pfffft1 That's why I had you do it first, I don't think I'll even attempt it! ; )
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but here's my attempt as well as I can in typeface...
Elsfstedentocht : "Elves -Ted - Ent - Oct"
or [introducing] "Elves, Ted and Oct"
Hi JoeBlogg,
Maybe they put ice-cubes on their gardens?
Lilla
Kinda depressing post !. So sad to hear about the radical depressing effects of global warming when half of the world (especially the politicians) refuse to acknowledge it's presence. I've read that 2006 is the warmest year on record so far....and 2007 is going to be warmer according to predictions
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yes it's a sad fact and we have to start to learn to live with it now, it's beocming unavoidably obvious - even to the politicians.
The question remains as to whether there is any good news, and if so, is it sustainable and able to revert the damage so far?
We must all become aware and really do what we can to minimise our impact, by consuming less and making do with less new shiny stuff too. It is easy for me becuase I love old worn things, but for others ... well ... let's just say that sometimes what I see around me, really saddens me too ... the waste is beyond words!
Lilla
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