The weather has been below freezing for about 2 weeks here in Stavanger, that is rare! It is so rare, in fact, that the whole city was talking about when the kommune (community government body) would declare the ice on the city lakes sikker (certain). The decision was made at the end of the week and this past weekend the city lakes were flooded with ice skaters, hockey players, and shufflers (me!), old and young, out enjoying the sunshine and ice.
We headed to Stokka, the big lake near our house with our friends, Aaron and Annemieke, so Maarit could skate on Saturday. She brought along an old chair to push. Annemieke had taken Maarit to the indoor skating rink when Justin and I were in Oslo with Gus. Maarit was determined to learn to skate then and she did! Anne is a good teacher. Maarit is quite fast and she is getting very sure of herself on the ice. It was such fun to see how much she has improved since last year.
The ice was the most amazing natural ice I have ever seen. So clear and smooth, there was no wind the week that ice was forming and it is like walking or skating on glass.
The whole community must have been out on the lake, people were having cook-outs on the beach and out on the islands, children were skating with milk crates and riding in sleds pulled by dogs. The lake is huge and eventhough there were likely thousands of people on the ice, it did not feel crowded. We passed several full on hockey games, figure skaters, people ice fishing. A true celebration of all things one can do on frozen water, it was an amazing day.
We skated and played on the ice for the whole afternoon, making our way from the far side of the lake all the way to the shore nearest our house. It must be a distance of about 5 kilometers (3 miles) and Maarit skated with her chair nearly the whole way. (Gus rode in his stroller, very, very bundled up with his wolly and lots of blankets.)
Checking out the cracks, peering to the bottom (it is a large, but shallow lake) and listening to the ice music.
Aaron taking pictures of frozen bubbles.
Gus' first time ice skating!
And sun.....a rare day in Stavanger for sure!
Mattson Family On Ice
Aaron and Annemieke having too much fun.
It has been cold all this week, so Maarit is planning a skating adventure repeat! Hopefully the sun will stay too.
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