New year, new blip...and new year dip!

I've been a bit quiet on the old blipfoto front, recently - that funny thing called 'life' has kept me busy and away from blipping.  However, one of my new year's resolutions is to keep my blipfoto up to date...ish (or, as much as is reasonable).  (Yes, this is an update of this entry and the second time it has appeared in a few minutes - my oldest daughter pressed 'publish' before I was finished writing.  What was I saying about life/children keeping me busy.....??)

So, to start the new year - a pic of the many participants (apparently around 10,000 in total at Scheveningen alone) who took part in the 'Nieuwjaar duik' and whom I joined (actually, not just me but my three daughters as well!).  

We couldn't have had a better day - cold but fresh and bright.  We arrived in good time for the 12 noon dip, as the queues were long.  However, as many Dutch things are, it was run with military precision - queue to pay for your beach/dip access (in most cases although not my husband....more of that later), onto the sand to get your free bag of Unox (the sponsor) goodies - dayglo orange hat (as per the pic), free tin of Unox soup, an event pennant and a small tin of vaseline, and then we went into the bit top-sized tent to change (empty but heated - oh joy!).  Other impressions of the 'Dutchness' of it all?  The lack of self-consciousness about everything, ergo - running into the water wearing a funny bobble hat, people stripping off to change (I don't think I've ever seen so many random, naked adults in one place...apart from when walking past the naaktstrand...) and the sheer joy of running into freezing water on 1st Jan!

The dip itself was relatively easy.  There was loud, upbeat music/Europop being pumped out everywhere (and a stage near the waterfront!! - the mind boggles), there was a countdown before we all ran, crazy/lemming-like into the sea (to the tune of Black Eyed Peas "Tonight's gonna be a good night") to get us into the water.  (For me the most difficult part was when I removed my shoes!  The sand was freezing - so cold that it actually made my feet and legs hurt.  I almost gave up there.  Once I had become numb, it was fine (reminded me of my childhood in Scotland and swimming in the North Sea).

Final comment - I mentioned my husband, earlier.  Well, he designated himself to be our official photographer and stayed, fully-dressed, in his extremely warm puff jacket.  Wild horses would not have dragged him into the water.  Wimp!