Ice skating

So for the first time in 12 years it is cold enough to ice skate on natural ice. Here are some pictures of the last couple of weeks to give you an idea.

For some beautiful aerial videos taken from a helicopter please see the videos on the following webpage:

http://www.nos.nl/nosjournaal/artikelen/2009/1/10/100901_luchtbeelden.html

Looking for sun in the winter

So this year I decided to spend Christmas in a much warmer place then Amsterdam. So while most Dutch folks were ice skating and freezing their butts off I went to the Bahamas and Miami with Cecile. Much better :-)

View from our hotel room on Nassau

The pool and beach right in front of the Hotel

Little island in front of hotel beach

Palmtree silhouette

Atlantis

In front of Atlantis

Inside Atlantis

Pool in Atlantis with Mantas

Waterfalls in Atlantis

More Atlantis

Cecile with the local Police

Christmas chez Alix

Everglades by Airboat

On the airboat

Everglades

Alligator

Big Old Alligator

Feeding time

The Raccoons; Teardrop

and Baby and Cujo....

New Airboat driver?

Everglades

We also went to an NBA game, Miami Heat vs. Cleveland Caveliers (105-96)

Halftime show

The cheerleaders up close

Some culture; Vizcaya

Cecile and me on the bridge

Silhouette Gazebo

Beautiful Vizcaya gardens

Vizcaya was the winter residence of American industrialist James Deering from Christmas 1916 until his death in 1925. Deering was a Vice President of the International Harvester Company, which produced agricultural equipment for a worldwide market. He chose a bayfront site in Miami for his tropical winter home because of the location’s temperate winter climate and his appreciation of the native hardwood hammock. At the time of Vizcaya’s construction, Miami’s population was around 10,000. More than 1,000 workers were employed in the Vizcaya project, including laborers and craftsmen from the Caribbean and Europe. In addition to the house and gardens, the complex included a farm, livestock, and a variety of other service facilities covering 180 acres on both sides of South Miami Avenue.

For more on Vizcaya please visit http://www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/vizcaya/

And finally a day at South Beach before returning to Amsterdam and minus 10 degrees Celcius...