DOORN – A deep winter freeze gripping the Netherlands is reawakening the national obsession with skating on frozen canals.
With subzero temperatures forecast to last more than a week, ice fever was sweeping the nation Tuesday, offering a welcome respite from grim coronavirus news while also creating a challenge for authorities trying to uphold social distancing.
Around the country, people were rummaging through attics and dusting off skates that haven't been used for years. Businesses that sharpen the blades reported boom times.
Ice skating is a national wintertime passion in the Netherlands, with the country's spandex-clad elite athletes dominating Winter Olympic speedskating races in recent years.