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Skating Newsletter Article Day 5 Dokkum to Sneek
The morning started a bit more chaotically than normal. With a long day in front of us, we were trying to get an early start. Unfortunately, we were sharing the limited luggage space with another group. In the midst of jockeying to ensure our bags get loaded into the van, someone knocked over a vase that shattered into a zillion pieces. We discovered later that a couple of items didn't make it into the van.
With good weather and scenery, this morning became the group picture day. We posed on the bridge with the classic windmill in the background while helpful locals juggled our cameras. We relocated to another scenic spot for more photos.
Finally we were on the road. Our initial route retraced some of yesterday's route and we end up back at the lunch wagon. This was the day of the big eclipse. Mara and Andrea came equipped with "eclipse glasses" that we passed around to get a view of the initial bite out of the sun. We continued on to a long stretch of trail that paralleled a major canal. This was one of the most interesting sections of trail that we skated on. There were all types of boats on the left and lots of cows on the right. Light clouds that actually enhanced our view of the eclipse covered the sky. We could look directly at the narrowing crescent as we skated along the darkening trail. We crossed side canals on narrow wooden bridges with steep approaches. Allan demonstrated the exciting technique for exiting the bridge - straight down between the traction bars. By the third bridge, most of us were taking the plunge.
Because of my bruised ankles, I switched to my old rec skates today. I can't go quite as fast, but they are a lot more comfortable and more fun, too. This got me thinking about how there were several people on our trip who had only five-wheel speedskates, but probably would have been a lot better off on rec skates. Unless you are a strong skater, those long frames and flimsy boots can be hard to control and more work in the long run (long skate?). I highly recommend that anyone taking a long multi-day trip like this one bring more than one pair of skates.
We followed the canal into the outskirts of Leeuwarden, the largest city in Frieseland. Big enough to even have slums. We passed "Leaning Tower of Leeuwarden," a large brick tower that appeared to have settled on one side during construction. You could see where the builders tried to compensate for the lean as the tower grew - an interesting effect that made me feel as if I'd had too many Heinekens the night before. (I probably did!) I enjoyed skating through the heart of the city, dodging cars and peds on good pavement. It was a fun contrast to the miles of country roads and trails.
A couple of stops in town to check the train schedule and buy lunch supplies put us behind schedule. When we finally met Liz and the van on the far side of the city, she was worried that she had missed us. Relieved that she had not, she helped us set up an impromptu picnic beside the road. Between what we bought in town and the supplies in the van, we ate well. I guess I bought a bit too much cheese (it's so good and cheap!), because I received a special award later in the trip for it.
The stretch from Leeuwarden to Sneek was long and uneventful. We broke into smaller groups as the pace picked up. I tried to stick with the Boston racers for a while, but, of course, was eventually dropped. I picked up Chester and Tim for the final push into Sneek. Ironically the Boston group took a wrong turn and we beat them to the hotel.
Allan had warned us about what we would find in Sneek, but we were still not totally prepared. It was the final day of Sneek Week (pronounced "Snake Wake"), a weeklong party that accompanied sailboat racing on the nearby Sneeker Meer. We unloaded the van beside a truck unloading band equipment. Our hotel faced a main plein (plaza) where much of the partying took place. A beer tent and a live music stage filled the square. It was not to be a dull night! After a beer, or two, and a dose of oldies from the band, we marched off to tonight's dinner spot. The feature was Rijsttaffel, literally rice table, spicy Indonesian cuisine that has become a staple of Dutch dining. Rijsttaffel is served family style with lots of different dishes to pass around. The hot ones require plenty more beer to wash them down.
After dinner, we wandered through the still-partying town. One of the hit sights was the stand up, four-sided urinals. No doors, no waiting. Just step up and take care of business. In another plein was a carnival with several nausea-inducing rides and plenty of other attractions to part you from your Guilders. We took a couple of spins on the bumper cars trying to give each other whiplash and then headed to bed.
See all our "holland pix"
Learn more about "zephyr".
Read Day 6.
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