Photos of Queen's Day
Koninginnedag, Amsterdam and Haarlem
The Netherlands (a.k.a. Holland)
Queen's Day in Amsterdam, April 30, 2008 was beautiful. Here are photos of the venues I visited.
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Actually there is no Queen's Day. In Queen's Dutch it is Koninginnedag. We set out on our journey
from B&B Paula in Haarlem, on bicycles. Here we pass the first of many Vrijmarkt garage and trinket sales.
The round sign means no parking and the arrow advises incoming traffic that it must turn right.
At the Haarlem Station Paula considers it best to park in the inside garage. We paid €1 for the day.
Free parking is any open space outside the station, and there are thousands of bikes everywhere.
Lock your bike wherever you park it.
The ticket machines at Haarlem station are the convenient way to buy a ticket, if you have a chip card.
European bank cards have a chip and PIN to avoid the credit card companies. With an American credit card
you are penniless at these machines. A few of the ticket machines accept coins. Or you can go to the window
and pay in cash. Lines at the ticket windows are longer and the ticket costs you half a euro more.
Everybody wanted to go to Amsterdam on Koninginnedag so the station was mobbed. So were the trains. We didn't have
to wait long before being admitted onto the platform and boarding a train. It was standing room only but
the trip is only 15 minutes.
Getting off in Amsterdam the mob got moving toward the exits. That green sign with a white box and arrow
indicates a stairway to the ground floor.
After exiting the station we followed the mob, most of which seemed to know where to go.
The front steps of the Albert Heijn grocery store behind the palace was a resting place and beverage stop
for some. The store was open for business.
Paula pulled a beer out of her bag to get started in front of the grocery store.
Another view of the front steps of the grocery store shows many Amsterdamers in orange, the national color.
We were already getting hungry. A good sandwich and a beer hit the spot in this little bakery.
Our first objective was to reach the Spui and several of my favorite cafes in Amsterdam. Beer stands were set up
out front for the convenience of thirsty celebrants. That is the Cafe Luxembourg on the left and
the Hoppe on the corner.
Here is the side door of the Hoppe with a traditional Dutch bike parked against the window. Normally this
neighborhood is swarming with bicyclers but there wasn't room to move on this day. Through the window
you can see a fellow entering the men's room. This bar does not have a women's room. Ladies need to
walk behind the tap and through a door to the Amstel bar next door.
This young woman was grilling burgers and having fun.
"Coffeeshops" are famous in Amsterdam, except that they don't sell coffee. It's weed.
Here's a garage sale Amsterdam style. I didn't see anything that I couldn't live without.
Here I found something I couldn't live without, that painting of an undefined bug. It cost me €1.
Who knows, this girl might grow up to be a famous artist.
I got a gift for daughter Stephanie here, a seashell necklace.
This is a typical mobbed street on Koninginnedag. The round sign means "do not enter" and the small white
one says "except for bicycles and motorized bicycles." Bicycles with engines up to 50 cc were called bromfiets
in Holland but Dutchies normally call them brommers these days. Nobody is riding a bike or a brommer here today.
Bring your junque and a blanket to set up shop. Here is another Amsterdam garage sale. Actually, I doubt
if there are any private garages in the center of Amsterdam.
We reached our first canal and traffic jam. Amsterdammers have
a special talent for standing on the edge of boats without falling into the wet stuff.
More canal action with music and cheering participants and spectators. It's a free show.
I wanted to buy an orange bobbie's hat but they wouldn't fit me.
Here is one of the many groups doing it's thing somewhere near the Leidseplein.
The whole crowd at the Leidseplein wouldn't fit on screen. The Leidseplein is one of the more
famous outdoor cafe squares in Amsterdam. Not many were sitting on this day.
It was the right day for an outdoor party so this happy group hauled their furniture out on the street to be
comfortable. "Emergency exit" -- bah.
There is no end of restaurants with outdoor grills.
Another canal and another parade of overloaded boats.
SRO on the bridge.
A comfortable dude with room to stretch on his boat.
Just another garage sale. It looks like the cowgirl is making a purchase.
Drinking a lot of beer requires a place to let it out. The city sets up these urinals for the gents all
over town. The trash scene looks bad but it is not nearly as bad as in prior years. As an ecological
move, and certainly one to save clean-up costs, there was a deposit on plastic cups at every bar.
The raft looks like it has nearly exceeded its capacity limit. Those glass houses comprise the famous
flower market on the Singel, one of the half dozen or so horseshoe shaped canals around the center
of Amsterdam.
Let's see who can make the most noise, the band at canal side or the boat with its DJ. Notice the
load of MT beer cans on the boat.
We take a moment of repose back at the Hoppe. This is certainly one of the best meeting places in
Amsterdam. It is very crowded after the offices and shops close.
And then it is back outside for "The Main Event Spui Orange." Up on that bridge is a pop star, I guess,
with a couple of his group dancing.
The boys saw my camera and gave it their best.
The party is over as we walk back to Amsterdam Centraal Station. It has been a great day.
But wait, it's not over yet! Back in Haarlem we stop at the Proef on Langeveerstraat where the
Haarlemmers are still in party mode at full steam. Go Haarlem, my home town in Europe.
When I get two thousand pictures sorted out there will be more to come with photos of
Keukenhof and the tulip fields, plus Haarlem and Amsterdam on normal days. This isn't my day job.
See you on Koninginnedag in 2009!!
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