The pepernoten are already in the store, but this week it’s still full summer. Temperatures will be around 30 degrees, especially until Friday. And there is good news for anyone looking for some refreshment in this heat. Many outdoor pools in Drenthe remain open longer.
“Wonderful, this is really a gift,” says a woman who has already worked seven jobs. “You have to enjoy this weather,” she says. She comes to the pool almost every day for her daily laps. “I usually swim for about 45 minutes. Then I’ve done forty.”
Another woman is also happy that she can escape the heat for a while. “I live in Groningen, but the pool there closed last Sunday. So that’s why I’m going here to take a last dip.”
A little further on, a boy jumps off the diving board. “Holadijee”, he shouts, splashing into the water. Visitors to swimming pool Lemferdinge in Paterswolde can still fully enjoy this week. The outdoor pool will open its doors to recreational users for a week longer due to the tropical temperatures.
“The weather is wonderful and we have had a bad season. To accommodate visitors, we decided to stay open extra long,” explains Karin Otter, coordinator of the swimming pool.
To open the outdoor pool for an extra week, staff still had to be found. But according to Otter that was not a problem. “That was actually done within half an hour.”
The tropical days are more than welcome, because last summer’s weather was a big disappointment for the swimming pool. “I don’t know the exact numbers yet, but it was certainly not as good as last year. We had a very good season then,” she looks back. “Actually, we missed about ten nice weather days this year.”
Still, the extension does not make up for the summer full of rain. The catering business has already closed, so the bath receives no income from the sale of snacks and chips. “And the subscriptions have been extended by a week. So it’s more goodwill to our regular customers than it brings us much,” explains Otter.
Until the end of this week, people can still take a dip in the bath. And what if it’s still hot the following week? “We still have to see. Let’s see how this week goes,” Otter says.
In addition to the bath in Paterswolde, other swimming pools in Drenthe will also remain open. This week, swimming enthusiasts can still go to baths in Annen, Vries, Exloo and Havelte, among others.
An extra week of making bombs and going down the slide. Watch the video here: