CHRONICLES OF THE TRAVELLING SKATES

Thank you to my friend, The Travelling Skates, for this latest edition -

Those who know me well also know that I quickly get itchy and can’t stay in one place very long. I just love to explore new countries and have new experiences. I am very lucky that life brings me opportunities to travel and I would like to share some of my recent skating experiences with you.

PART 1. SCHAATSEN IN GELEENMy home base for the year was not chosen by chance. When my husband asked me where I wanted to go for a sabbatical year, I saw the whole wide world in front of me. Where should we go? We had to find a place where the whole family would be happy. That means a nice working place for my husband, good schools for our boys, and for me… well, I did not have to think too much. I HAD to skate! So after many weeks of heated discussions we came up with a plan. We would stay in Liege, Belgium and, since it’s practically in Liege’s backyard, I could skate in the holy land of speed skating: The Netherlands. So, we packed our 11 suitcases, and of course my skates, and headed for Belgium.

My temporary home oval in now in Geleen (http://www.laco.eu/) in the province of Limburg (southern province of the country), Netherlands. From Liege, it takes a good 45 minutes on the expressway to drive there, but hey, that is nothing for the love of the sport! This sport complex is called Glanerbrook and includes other facilities: pool, gyms, hockey ice and of course an oval. I was told that speed skating is surprisingly not as popular in the south of the the Netherlands as elsewhere, where it’s like a religion, so building the oval in this city was apparently controversial. The oval is an open-air one with high protective sides and very green grass in the center. My free time is mostly during the day and I decided to skate in the morning during the “recreational –public time”. During this time, speed skaters and the public share the ice. Since the weather is never cold, every one sits outside and puts their skates on there. Usually, there are a few packs of skaters on the ice, and their pace can be quite variable. Some skate just to keep in shape, some meet their friends there and talk while doing laps, while some train to do marathons. A group of masters skated the 200kmWeissensee marathon in Austria at the end of January. This event is the alternative for the Elfstedentocht (http://62.50.1.68/sitewide/english.asp), a race on canals in the Netherlands but now slowly “dying” because of climate warming. I was told that Weissensee becomes a dutch dorf (dutch village) for a week.

One day, I saw a skater leading a pack with a superb technique. I was told later that he was Wiel van Aken, a celebrity in town because he won many races and finished first in the masters category in the Weissensee marathon in 2000 and second in the 2003 (see pictures http://www.fotohdeboer.nl/displayimage-18463.html). I could not resist joining the pack and I skated right behind him, following each stride, imitating his weight transfer and waltz. Everything seems so easy behind him. I could do laps forever like this! I also had the chance to be once in a while coached by him and I am also grateful for his help on doing the rocker on my new Maple blades.

Wiel van Aken leading the pack

With time, I have gotten to know several skaters and now feel part of the gang – Leontien, Dave, Andre just to name a few. I will miss them when I return to Canada! During my breaks, I often noticed two ladies skating and chatting together. As they took their break one sunny day, they sat on a bench, took out a blanket to cover their legs and open a thermos of hot coffee. This is life! I love the skating here!