NOS News•today, 1:18 PM
Sinterklaas arrived in the Netherlands at the beginning of the afternoon. Despite closed bridges along the way and Piets who had made a mistake about where the steamboat was supposed to moor, they eventually came ashore in Vianen, in the municipality of Vijfheerenlanden.
Santa was welcomed on the quay by Mayor Sjors Fröhlich. Thousands of children, parents, grandfathers and grandmothers attended the parade. After the arrival, Sinterklaas and the Piets walked through the center of Vianen on foot. There were also several performances by children, which Saint Nicholas attended from his gray Ozosnel.
The arrival was broadcast live on NPO Zapp. That broadcast was presented by Merel Westrik for the first time since 2001. She will replace Dieuwertje Blok as presenter this year The Sinterklaas news, because Blok is recovering from nose surgery.
The arrival of Sinterklaas went without any problems, there were no demonstrations in Vianen. After the tour through Vianen, the good saint spoke the words that made all the children cheer: “Tonight you can all put your shoe!”
