Saturday 30 January

A snowy day, which ended even more so than it already was at the start. We awoke to about 2 inches of the white stuff, which looked quite pretty. After watching the ladies' final of the Australian Open Tennis championships, my father and I set off by bus, train and shanks' pony to my sister's, some 45 miles from here, about 20 miles east of Amsterdam. The journey went well, apart from the fact that the connection at Utrecht did not work. The 15.08 train was cancelled, so we had to wait 20 minutes for the next train going in that direction. A slippery walk through town brought us to my sister's house at a quarter past four. A convivial evening was enjoyed, celebrating a nephew's 15th birthday.

At 8pm, we headed for home and were offered a lift in a relative's car. That cut the journey time from 2½ hours to one, but the conditions were atrocious. Heavy snow left the A1 motorway, leading east from Amsterdam, in a state that can best be described as an icerink. Fortunately, the majority of drivers kept at a sensible speed of between 30 and 50 mph. One accident had occurred about 5 miles west of Arnhem, where a car had crashed on the opposing carriageway. The snow was not being cleared, and gritters were hardly in evidence. The heavy snow on the approach to Arnhem slowed traffic to about 25 mph and the driver had to pick their way between the reflecting beacons on either side of the road in order to stay on the carriageway. Visibility was extremely poor. We were dropped on the main road through the village and returned home like snowmen.


Snowy scene, late evening


On the A1 motorway near Amersfoort


Friendly puss in the snow


Utrecht Central Station


Waiting for the bus