I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with winter. On the one hand, I love the gorgeous winter scenes and the cozy feeling of sitting by a crackling fire with a glass of wine. On the other hand, I hate the blistering cold wind which seeps into your bones, slippery pavements (I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve fallen) and the yucky slush!
A snowy winter in Amsterdam.
My first encounter with winter was in Australia, where I visited Thredbo, a ski resort in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales. I had loads of fun in the snow and I even learned to ski (well, if you can call it that!). Through the years, I’ve spent many winters in Amsterdam or visiting other places for more winter experiences. Scroll down for some of my most unforgettable winter experiences:
This is arguably one of the most amazing winter experiences I’ve ever had: floating in an icy pool in a frozen lake in Finnish Lapland.
Another memorable winter experience in Finnish Lapland: Sleeping in this bed in the Cupid suite at the Snow Village!And sipping on Finnish peppermint vodka in an ice glass at the Ice Bar! Click the photo to read more.
Me with my friends Melvin, Nienke and Becki in a wintry Montréal. It was cold but we had such an awesome time partying at the Igloo Fest, ice-fishing in the St. Lawrence River and ice-skating! Click on the photo to watch our winter in Quebéc video.In Mont Tremblant, a few hours north of Montréal, we went on a wonderful snow-shoe hike…And learned how to snowboard!On the other side of Canada, in Vancouver, it’s such a spectacular treat to watch a winter sunset from Grouse Mountain.
It hasn’t frozen much in Amsterdam in recent winters but in 2012 and 2018, the canals in Amsterdam froze and it was an amazing experience to go skating/walking along the canals on the ice!
Just north of Amsterdam is the historic lake-side town of Marken. One winter, the Ijssel Lake froze over and the wind started pushing huge chunks of ice onto the dike that circles Marken. It was pretty incredible to walk along the dike to the Marken lighthouse to see this amazing phenomenon.
Thank you Aaron for your comment. I hope I get to see them again as well. An extraordinary experience!
Cheers,
Keith
I love the Northern Lights too!! glad you got to see them, and hope you get a chance again soon!
You could try climbing some of the highest mountains in Irian Jaya for a ‘touch of winter’! 😉
Haha, probably because of that Claudia! Perhaps time to experience a true winter once again. 😉
Cheers,
Keith
I love winter, actually. So romantic… Or perhaps it’s because I’ve skipped winter the last couple of years?
If in my country (Indonesia) have a winter season, i will try it !