Queensday in Amsterdam

[Ronald]

My friends and I went to Amsterdam yesterday to celebrate Queensday. It's the most significant national holiday in the Netherlands, and the events arranged in Amsterdam are massive. The weather was great and there were around 500,000 people walking around in the innercity, according to the City of Amsterdam. 215,000 of them went to the city by train.

I'll let the pics speak for themselves this time. Enjoy!

Early afternoon in suburban Rotterdam: not much going on.

Late afternoon in Amsterdam: lots of events. All the next pics were taken in Amsterdam.

 

[Observer Walt]

Wow, big crowds. Looks like quite the street party!

 

[Pep'rJack]

All your recent photo series are making me very, very happy. Amsterdam is perhaps my fave city in the world, and this set put a big smile on my face.

Thank you!

 

[indense]

My First Queen's Day

Photos from my first Queen's Day.

Considering the incredible amount of alcohol being consumed, it was an amazingly friendly, relaxed day. Compare that to London where spectators of the London Marathon (!?!?!) rioted at Canary Wharf. I think that England really needs to legalize pot.

 

[Pep'rJack]

Joy!

Anyone got any more?

"Considering the incredible amount of alcohol being consumed, it was an amazingly friendly, relaxed day."

This has always been one of the most mysteriously remarkable things about Amsterdam to me: VAST amounts of alcohol consumed, including by hoards of Brit, French, etc. Euro-bruisers, yet violence is bafflingly rare at almost any time. The place seems to have an inherently soothing effect, which is partially why I dig it so much.

 

[indense]

Joy!

Anyone got any more?

I took 185 photos. There are 10 that I didn't post above on my Flickr page here.

 

[ganjavih]

Amsterdam is such a fantastic people-scaled city. I really enjoyed it. A lot of the residential neighbourhoods in the core do start looking the same though... very easy to get lost.

 

[Pep'rJack]

^ It's surely the most disorienting city I've ever visited - and who but the Dutch could possibly make head or tails of all those very, very long and similar street names?

 

[indense]

A lot of the problem for tourists and newbies like myself is that the central city is built in a big U shape. If I walk North up my street and make a left turn at the first cross street, in a very short time I'm walking North again and it's a subtle enough bend that visitors to the city don't necessarily notice that they've changed direction.
The next problem is that most of the buildings are the same height so you don't have too many visual landmarks to navigate by and the buildings crowd the sidewalk without any breaks so even if there were some visual landmarks (I usually use the church steeple next to Anne Frank's house) often there are no view corridors that would allow you to see them.
And yes, the street names are hard to remember and many come in gracht and straat versions - Leidsegracht & Leidsestraat for example.

 

[Ronald]

I took 185 photos. There are 10 that I didn't post above on my Flickr page here.

You beat me! I only took 85!

Those are some great pics you posted.
Where exactly do you live if I may ask?

 

[indense]

I live on the Leidsegracht. You were definitely in my neighbourhood.

 

[Ronald]

I live on the Leidsegracht. You were definitely in my neighbourhood.

Geesh! You may consider yourself very lucky, living in such a desired area

Chances are we walked right past each other monday !

 

[indense]

Geesh! You may consider yourself very lucky, living in such a desired area

Chances are we walked right past each other monday !

It's a beautiful canal and I'm in a traditional 250 year old Amsterdam canal house with 15 foot ceilings and massive windows which made me decide to go over my budget when I saw it. But after 4 months I'm already looking forward to the end of my lease. The Leidseplein is too active for me - there are always crowds until 4am and they head over to my street to collect their bikes and say their goodbyes and sing songs before they head home. On the weekends it's worse. It's where all of the drunken English tourists go to party.

Not to mention all the downsides of living in a 250 year old house after living in a new condo for the last 5 years.

I think my next place will be in a quiet street in the Jordaan or maybe De Pijp and will be in either a new building or a completely renovated building.

 

[Hydrogen]

Ottawa has a similar canal. Sadly, it is boardered by two roadways and some parks.

If only...

 

[indense]

Riots after tribute to Ajax
8 May 2007

AMSTERDAM - Riots broke out in Amsterdam after the Ajax football team was honoured at the Museumplein. Groups of Ajax supporters destroyed bus shelters and smashed shop windows around the Leidseplein. At least 50 people were arrested.

Once the riot police had cleared the square, several hundred youths spread out into the surrounding area and tried to further provoke police. One person was injured.

The Amsterdam football club beat AZ in the finale for the KNVB cup in De Kuip in Rotterdam on Sunday.

Last year the tribute to Ajax on the Leidseplein also led to riots when a group of 300 supporters started fighting. They turned against police at the time, destroyed property and threw bricks and beer bottles.

Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen said this morning that he doubts whether such events for football supporters should be held in future. "Obviously these events cannot take place these days without vandalism," he said via a spokesperson.

[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2007]