Meet the new King!

Today is the last queensday. Because today The Netherlands gets a King! It's a big thing over here...

I wanted to make pictures of this so I went early. By god, I was just in time!

Crowds had started gathering early.

At 10:30 sharp the new King Willem Alexander, Queen Maxima and the now Princess Beatrix came on the balcony. Here they're singing the national anthem.

Later Beatrix left and their daughters came on.

I slept for a few hours in the afternoon and later went out to meet Ruud and Laurien for a few beers.

Queens day 2012

It was Queens day today, the day we celebrate the birthday of one of our former queens. There are parties every where and nearly every city or village has a "free market", a market where everybody can pick a spot and sell stuff. Even stuff nobody wants anymore...

Here are my queens day pictures. Please click them for a bigger version.

I left the house around ehm, 11 I think and walked through the Vondelpark.

It was already very busy.

This park is traditionally a family thing so there are lots of kids. Some people sell their second hand shit stuff and others sell (homemade) food and some let you throw eggs at them for money.

Yours truly.

I sat down at a quiet spot to cool down as it was very warm. I started photographing some people with funny hats.

Wigs...

Crowns...

Cowboy hats...

Fancy hats...

Funny hats.

This boy was drumming and hr was awesome. There was a very large crowd around him when he was playing. I gave him some financial support ;-)

Mid arvo I went for a second walk and took my big camera so i could take some better pictures. I walked towards the Elandsgracht this time.

The Elandsgracht. When I was half way it got too crowded and I went back.

I stood on a bridge for a while.

I wanted to photographs these two girls. One had bunny ears and the other a huge wig. My camera was a bit slow and they a bit fast so instead it turned in to a close-up. But you can still see the wig and the bunny ears. And me too! :-)

Other girls being interviewed. No idea for which station. Can't be AT5, the crew looks way too old...

Queensday 2010

Walking towards town we walked past my new apartment. Close-by is this wall painting that is rather artistic. The writing is done in such a way that it seems like it's straight from the view point of where I was standing but it's actually painted on in perspective. Very clever.

Walking over the Rozengracht. Because the weather was really shit there weren't as many people as in other, sunny years.

BBQ-ing was a bit difficult.

Lots of smoke curtains here.

There were lots of boats out and about. Mostly with orange-dressed alcohol consuming people in them playing loud music. Good.

The narrow, red painted house is what many people believe to be the smallest house in AMsterdam but this is not true since this is only the BACK of another, bigger house! Many years ago I organised the first European #Cafebleu meeting in the house on it's right though.

The fun fair was on Dam square.

More boats at the "Munt".

Eileen in Mulligans sipping on an alcoholic beverage. We spent a lot of time in there and had Thai dinner in between. Time well spent!