Skating

I've been trying to come up with things to do while we're in Canada. While there is no lack of choice in Mississauga where my dad lives, I'm still trying to find anything worthwhile in Sarnia, where my mom lives. They have no indoor playgrounds at all or family-oriented... well, anything, really. So I've been praying for snow and searching harder and more creatively. And found skating. Sure, The Little Ninja only just learned to walk a couple of months ago, but this cool website called Baby Skates sells (as you would guess) skates for babies. They look like old-school learn-to-walk shoes (like I had when I was a baby) with blades. Cool. Skating times aren't listed online for the three local skating rinks, but I'm sure I could find out when I get there.

But what about when we get home? I'm not forking out $100 for skates TLN can only use while we're in Canada! The Netherlands is a skating nation, or so they claim to be. Their most popular winter sport is skating, no question. When it's cold enough to freeze the canals, the whole country drops whatever they are doing to go skating. Speed skating is well covered on TV and some of the country's most well-known athletes are world-champion speed skaters. It appears to be a huge sport here. Obviously a country with such a passion for skating should be covered in arenas.

Imagine my surprise when a Google search revealed there to be a total of 4 (FOUR!) arenas IN MY PROVINCE. There are two within reasonable driving distance, but, as you know, we don't actually have a car yet. This is ridiculous. How is this even possible? Does this alleged love of skating only manifest when the canals freeze over, disappearing days later with that same ice? Natural ice is definitely a big thing here. But is skating in the Netherlands really restricted to the - maximum - 20 days a year you can skate outside on the canals?! There were (and still are, in fact), 2 rinks (one arena) within walking distance of my dad's house. A (seasonal) outdoor rink is also walkable. There are no less than 12 arenas in his city. Nearby Toronto has 81 recreational skating rinks! 81! As I mentioned above, even Sarnia has 3 arenas (plus 4 other skating rinks, totalling 7)! Yet in the professed 'skating nation' of the Netherlands, there are only 25 places to skate recreationally in the whole country!

Seriously. I'm appalled. To be fair, the fun arena here is open pretty much the whole day (unless someone rents the whole rink at which point you're screwed), but it still costs €7.50 for adults and €6 for kids. This might be why people only skate when it's free, outside. It's only $3.50 and $2.80 in Mississauga (respectively). Hmmm. Still, it's not looking good for our activity schedule in Canada; if I don't buy the skates, we can't go at all. I suppose this also assumes that I will be buying skates there too, or again, no deal. Hmmm. 

***This just in*** a friend of mine says they sell adjustable blades here at the Hema for under €15. Definitely worth taking a look at. They could just save Christmas. 
***AND! Ordered online for delivery to the store only €10.80! Ha! Now for me...***