The Flying Pig Hostels Amsterdam Pig Multmedia

What started as an easy morning stroll, turned into hard work after four hours of walking. The mud seems to stick more and more to my boots and every step sucks me further into the wet soil. Despite this, our whole group -2 Ozzies, 1 Kiwi, 1 Japanese, 1 Canadian, 1 American- seems to keep on having fun.

Three days ago we left Amsterdam, we started at the Flying Pig to see the ‘real Holland’ with our Dutch guide/cook/driver Theo. We saw many tulips and other flowers, at least more than 30 windmills of the 975 which are still shattered around the Dutch countryside. Cold shivers were there when we visited the concentration camp where Anne Frank stayed before she was deported to the gas chambers of Nazi Germany. We smoked a bit after to catch our breath and we heard many funny and interesting stories about the Dutch history.

Walk across thte sea... But his latest idea, a walk across the Wadden Sea, is by far the most interesting challenge I have ever endured in my entire life. This morning we left early for a walk from the mainland of Groningen towards the island of Schiermonnikoog. These two pieces of land are divided by a stretch of sea of more than 6 miles! And although there’s a ferry which goes on a regular base, we decided to take the short cut. Through the mud of the Wadden sea! The landscape we encounter along the way is overwhelming. We’re surrounded by the…great nothing. The deep blue sea is as far as we can see around us. Above us are great light blue and grey clouds that seems to be untouched since Vincent van Gogh has left planet Earth. I feel like a dwarf now, although I’m six foot three -1.86 meter-. Up to my waist into cold sea water, I’m making my way slowly towards the island. It took me a couple of minutes to get used to the cool water temperature, but then I find my rhythm again quickly. The only spectators of my happy mood are a lost seal and some curious sea gulls. After four hours of walking we reach the island of Schiermonnikoog. Exhausted, but feeling great we cross the dyke. There is no way you can do this walk alone. You have to have a guide. Even Theo, who has done this walk for more than 50 times, doesn’t know the exact way for it keeps on changing every time. Depending on the tide, wind, currents and so many factors you don’t have a clue of. So save yourself some hassles and book this stress-free, witty tour around the not so well known parts of Holland. Tom Waijers, NY, USA.

Lowlands Travel Tours leave every Saturday -09.00 am- and Tuesday -1.00 pm- from the Flying Pig Hostels in Amsterdam. More information: www.flyingpig.nl > things2do > Tours

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Ice skating dutch blade obsessions and ice-cold fever

Something happens to the Dutch people when the temperature drops below 0 degrees Celsius/ 33 degrees Fahrenheit. They rapidly develop a restless feeling, they can’t stop staring out of the window constantly checking the weather conditions and conversations tend to centre solely around ice-skating adventures. The Dutch themselves call this condition the ‘Elfsteden-koorts’ -’a.k.a. Eleven cities fever-. This virus can get quite severe; There are known cases of people walking around on their skates just to get that ultimate skate feeling going.

In short, Dutch people like ice skating and some of them go wild just thinking about it. Milder cases go out skating the frozen canals, drink hot chocolate, and although it’s cold outside, they just enjoy the ice. Even though darkness sets in early around this time of year, the ice people and city-lights bring a warm, fairy-tale-like feeling to Amsterdam. You’ll see young kids struggling on skates for the first time. -They learn to skate on four-bladed -wooden- skates holding on tight to their mother’s kitchen chair on the ice-. It’s a feeling of being together or as the Dutch would say: ‘gezellig’ -something like cosy-.

With the real fanatics it’s a whole different story all together. When it’s freezing cold outside- say it would freeze the balls of a brace monkey-, ice and blades is the only thing on their mind. They don’t skate because they like it, they skate because they have to. They organize skating tours in frozen polders of easily 20 , 30 or 40 km long. Their noses and toes are about to freeze off and beards and eye brows are covered in frost but skating is their only mission. For those nutcases the Dutch have started the ‘Elfstedentocht’, an eleven city tour. This is a -seemingly endless- skate-tour situated in the north of Holland. The tour passes 11 cities in it’s track and covers over 200 kilometres in merely one day!! -Like I said bloody insane....- I can see you think, well, not more then 20 to 25 Dutch would be insane enough to take on that challenge. Wrong! Hundreds of people bring their skates to the northern province of Friesland and wait together for that starting shot. There’s even a long waiting-list for people who want to join in on the ‘fun’.

All the other sane- Dutch who aren’t on the ice will be either glued to the television set or are standing on bridges along the tour tracks to party while cheering on the contestants. The tricky part is that this tour can only take place if it remains below 0 degrees for over a couple of days in a row. Obviously, the ice needs to be really strong to hold all those determined skaters. As a result of this it has been a couple of years since the last grand tour actually took place. However, last winter the canals outside of Amsterdam froze up, strong enough to skate on and in the north lots of big lakes froze over too. Thus again this year the Dutch are hoping for the best.

Ice skating in town Even when the city-canals don’t freeze this year -as they haven’t last year- you don’t have to worry you’ll miss out on ice-fever. There are several places to go ice skating in town, even if it’s not really cold. One location you can find at the Museumplein, another one is located at the Damsquare. Both locations are only small but oh so romantic! More importantly they are free of the insanely fanatic Dutch ice skaters. They will still be at home, practising their moves in front of the mirror in their flashy skate suits hoping and praying for even colder times.

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Hidden deep in the beautiful forests of De Hoge Veluwe lies a well kept Dutch secret: the Kroller-Muller museum. Home to 278 amazing Vincent van Gogh pictures next to various works by Picasso and Mondriaan. All set amongst a breathtaking forest scenery and a large garden full of trippy sculptures that are known to leave its visitors speechless. Nowadays the famous van Gogh would have been a popular cultfigure. Who else can cut off part of his own ear and still be taken seriously as one of the greatest painters of all time?
Footsteps of van gogh - a four day guided tour
Together with four friends from the University of Omaha Rachel Hrusti (22, Nebraska, USA) followed van Gogh’s footsteps with a guided Lowlands Travel tour. After hearing all van Gogh tales she states she is amazed by the many hardships this painter has had in life. She says the tour guide pointed out van Gogh’s early work didn’t contain any bright colours at all. “He’s right” Rachel continues, “these dark drawings and paintings are extremely fascinating but at the same time almost intimidating in their sadness”.

As a son of a devoted priest Vincent spent a terrible youth in the south of Holland. A good shrink would see this as the cause of his absinthe addiction. These great stories, the beautiful paintings together with the Dutch forest flora and fauna provide the perfect ingredients for a truly memorable 4-day guided tour. -There are bookshops that can almost survive on the commercial success of Van Gogh’s history alone-.

As a son of a devoted priest Vincent spent a terrible youth in the south of Holland. A good shrink would see this as the cause of his absinthe addiction. These great stories, the beautiful paintings together with the Dutch forest flora and fauna provide the perfect ingredients for a truly memorable 4-day guided tour. -There are bookshops that can almost survive on the commercial success of Van Gogh’s history alone-.

Valentina Peruzzi (26, Rome, Italy) tells us on her first tour-day she had only one reason to visit Holland: Van Gogh. “Everybody in my country adores him. He was and remains the best painter in the world”. -And she comes from the ancient city of Rome!- The following day scenic countryroads are taking us to Vincent’s place of birth deep in the heart of Brabant. It feels like time has stood still when we look at the same scenery Vincent must have gazed upon more than a hundred years ago. Amsterdam might be an hour drive away, but this is the Real Holland. Or as Dan Petcher (24, Ohio, USA) describes it: “I heard good stories about the Netherlands before I came here. It’s wonderful to know now, that these are actually true! Amsterdam is a fascinating town, but its great to get lost in the natural Dutch greenery”.

Lowlands Travel Tours leave every Tuesday for a 4-day tour, guaranteed to depart from the Flying Pig Hostels in Amsterdam. More information: www.flyingpig.nl > things2do > Tours

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