When temperatures plummeted in 1600s
Europe, the Dutch put on their skates
At times, I’m envious of authors
whose novels are set in sunny Mediterranean coastal resorts. Writing about warm
places through the winter months, must provide a welcome escape. The weather is
usually bad in my Alexander Baxby mysteries, as Europe experienced a
significant drop in temperatures in the 17th century. Unusual
weather patterns are said to have developed after volcanic eruptions in the Far
East caused global climate change.
Rivers, canals and coastal waters
froze. Frost fairs were held on the River Thames from 1608, something it is
hard to imagine now. Poor Norwegians migrated south, no longer able to survive
at home. Crops failed and people died, contributing to the misery of the Thirty
Years’ War and general sense of doom. It is not surprising that those reading
printed bibles in their own languages, equated conditions with the apocalyptic
prophecies in the Book of Revelation.
The so-called Little Ice Age brought
some benefits for the Dutch. With mostly low-lying land, even a modest reduction
in sea level reduced the risk of flooding, particularly in cities such as
Amsterdam which was constructed on wooden piles sunk into mud. The Dutch
Masters painted beautiful wintry scenes of people skating. Using wooden
platforms with blades rather than special boots, many learnt to move at speed along
the frozen canals. The Netherlands still excels at skating sports at the Winter
Olympics.
Naming in Blood (Baxby Mystery 2) is available from Sharpe Books on Kindle Unlimited and to buy at UK Link and US Link