Queen's Night

 

On April 30th the Dutch celebrate the official birthday of H.M. Queen Beatrix (the day is the birthday of her late mother Juliana. Her actual birthday is in January). On that day people dress up in orange clothes, sell all kinds of junk in the streets and generally have a good time. Increasingly the festivities start the previous evening, as is the case in Amsterdam. 

Vertigo

 

Several times a year the central square in Amsterdam, Dam Square, is turned into a fair. Besides the usual fairground attractions there usually are some exciting contraptions to entice the visitors. While I love roller coasters and the like, I apparently do not like the rides that bring you 50 to 60 metres above the ground at high speed. Case in point the motorised swing ride that has you sitting in a seat without too much protection. You are taken up about 50 metres while going around at ever increasing speed. Before I got on I thought it would be a great ride, but during it I become less and less comfortable. Is it vertigo? Or just old age?

After all these years

 

Although I have been living in Holland for almost 40 years I have never been to see one of the things the country is so famous for: tulips at the Keukenhof. As is often the case, when a foreign friend is visiting, you get to see parts of the country you take for granted. This time was no different as we, along with hundreds of thousands of others, went to the Keukenhof to marvel at natural beauty that has been designed and grown by man.