Leeuwarden, City of Culture

Old Feb 18th, 2018, 03:33 AM
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Leeuwarden, City of Culture

It has been mentioned before in other threads that Leeuwarden, in Friesland, is one of the two European Cities of Culture this year (the other is Valletta in Malta, and I thought this article from the Guardian was interesting enough to link to, and maybe encourage some of you to venture north away from the usual tourist traps a trails of the Netherlands.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2...e-with-a-local

The whole province is involved in the year and there are more event than mentioned in the article.
Welcome to Leeuwarden2018.nl - Visit Leeuwarden 2018
https://www.friesland.nl/en/european-capital-of-culture

If you do head north let me know
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Old Feb 18th, 2018, 11:58 AM
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topping
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Old Feb 18th, 2018, 11:09 PM
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Very much looking forward to summer.
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Old Feb 19th, 2018, 02:21 PM
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Since when did they start having a summer in the Netherlands?
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Old Feb 20th, 2018, 12:39 AM
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Originally Posted by PalenQ
Since when did they start having a summer in the Netherlands?
Since you stopped visiting?
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Old Feb 20th, 2018, 03:08 AM
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I must admit that I have never visited Leeuwarden. Will try to rectify that this year.

Now, I'm looking at the weather forecasts for next week. How about an Elfstedentocht
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Old Feb 20th, 2018, 05:25 AM
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That would be good, the route goes really close to where I live. I think we need a bit more frost for a bit longer though and anyway it's nearly time for spring, not skating! However I han't be packing a way my winter woollies just yet.
But maybe next winter? Not a chance I fear.

We were just looking at the instructions on a tin of beits for our shed - apply when it is warmer than 8C, when the sun isn't shinning, there is no risk of rain and it isn't windy. They've clearly never been to Friesland!
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Old Feb 20th, 2018, 05:46 AM
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It's been held in late February before, but it would probably require at least 2 weeks of frost. Not likely.
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Old Feb 20th, 2018, 06:36 AM
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I've seen three of them since moving to the Netherlands, though only on TV. My kids began to think winter in the Netherlands was always so cold after the '85 and '86 ones. They were happy as they got Ijsvrij from school, and even went skating with the school a couple of times. The parents provided the koek en zopie.
The winter of '97 they were old enough to go off skating with their friend, along the Eem and in the Loosdrechtse Plasen.
Definitely time for another Elfstedentocht!
Meanwhile I shall enjoy the events around the city of culture

Last edited by hetismij2; Feb 20th, 2018 at 06:36 AM. Reason: typo
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Old Feb 20th, 2018, 07:41 AM
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I really like Friesland. We have been a couple times. My husband used to cycle the Elfmeren(fiets)tocht, the long 150 km tour.
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Old Feb 20th, 2018, 08:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Tulips
It's been held in late February before, but it would probably require at least 2 weeks of frost. Not likely.
At least, and all shipping traffic needs to be stopped at some point. So two weeks won't cut it: at least two weeks of severe frost, then a week when there should be no snow, no thawing and hopefully night temperatures holding at well below zero.
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Old Feb 20th, 2018, 08:28 AM
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Originally Posted by MyriamC
I really like Friesland. We have been a couple times. My husband used to cycle the Elfmeren(fiets)tocht, the long 150 km tour.
I always cycle the one day Elfstedentocht (200km). Always a pleasure
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Old Feb 20th, 2018, 12:48 PM
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200 km a day - must be with that perpetual tailwind?
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Old Feb 20th, 2018, 10:23 PM
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Originally Posted by PalenQ
200 km a day - must be with that perpetual tailwind?
No, just hard work. I cycled the Transcontinental Race last year, google it.
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Old Feb 21st, 2018, 01:25 AM
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I did a nice loop this last November- fly into AMS, train to Arnhem for 2 night, train to Groningen for 2 nights, Leeuwarden for 1 night, Alkmaar for 2 nights, finishing in AMS for 3 nights. I had a car from Groningen to Alkmaar.

I love the 'smaller' cities, less expensive, crowded; yet still have the sense of being somewhere definitely else. Canals/river, great public transportation, pedestrian zones, bakeries, ring parks that follow the old town walls. I highly recommend this spot in the world.

My daughter/boyfriend were looking to spend 2 wks in Switzerland and Germany. The details were getting tricky and expensive. Now, they are following most of my November trip and flying down to Zurich for the rest. I've been reliving my trips sending them links and screenshots of google maps satelite view, tilted 3d. Amazing maps of the path from train station, to hotel, to downtown areas, spots that I stopped at.

Thanks for the thread, and all the help you 'locals' have given me through my visits to your country.
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Old Feb 21st, 2018, 03:46 AM
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On behalf of them: thank you. And that was a great loop, even well doable by public transport, also to include Deventer, Zutphen, Zwolle. For those who want to try: train to Arnhem from Amsterdam, train from Arnhem to Deventer, Zutphen, Zwolle, train from Zwolle to Groningen, Train from Groningen to Leeuwarden, Express bus from Leeuwarden to Alkmaar via Afsluitdijk, train from Alkmaar to Amsterdam.
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