In spite of cold weather we had a lot of fun these days in Holland!!!
I know, there was serious trouble with the snow and very low temperatures especially in Central and Eastern Europe, but still, we in the Netherland enjoyed and enjoyed, till we dropped.
Making herbal teas with warming up spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger on base of linden and liquorices or glühwein (hot red wine with cinnamon, ginger and clove) on regular basis helped us to survive the frost. And the skating! Everybody was doing it, talking about it, watching it, and experiencing it.
In Amsterdam there was a 
kind of nineteenth century atmosphere dominating on the channels (grachten) in the center of the city, where youth and elders celebrated together the unexpected gifts of Mother Winter. It’s been 15 years ago that the channels had a compact and save layer of ice to skate on. 
Free green pea soup, cookies and hot wine the very first day, reasonable ice for skating, picturesque skyline and enthusiast people, what do you want more?
However as always I try to learn a few expressions in a local language, wherever I go, also in Hungarian this time. It was useful at the local market, in the train, on the streets and outside in the village at the Balaton lake. My visit of Budapest was short but very intensive, that’s why I spent a few hours in a local spa – Szechenyi Bath, the first thermal bath in the Pest side of the city. 
