The Month of January

Talk about the old days—here is a nostalgic scene from 1670 Rotterdam area, in the Netherlands, showing us skaters and Kolf* players on a frozen river (possibly the Rotte River?), in the month of January. A beautiful city in olden and modern times.

Herman Saftleven — The Month of January — 1670

black chalk with grey wash

*"Kolf is played by hitting a ball with a stick - a cross between a golf club and a hockey stick. The object is to hit the poles on the kolf pitch. Kolf used to be played on ice as well as on dry land. For centuries, ever since the Middle Ages, it was the most popular sport in the Netherlands: much like football today. Now it is only played in West Friesland."