Earlier this month we took a trip to Amsterdam and arrived to find daytime temperatures rising to minus 7C. The planned for boat trip was a non-starter as the city's canals were frozen solid. You might think that in the face of such chill people would stay indoors but that did not appear to be the case.
The streets were busy with shoppers, wrapped up warm against the cold and getting on with their daily routine.
People of all ages, shapes and sizes made their way onto the frozen canals and whether skiing or walking took the ice in their stride.
It struck me that "getting on with it" and "making the most of things" is an attitude worth fostering. As economies make shaky steps towards recovering their balance, we need more of that canal attitude that is capable of turning a minus temperature into a plus.
