PalenQ

Pix say it all - a sea of orange and humanity - something for everyone - wish I had been there!

https://www.google.com/search?q=king...w=1455&bih=977

One of the most fantastic citywide festivals I've ever seen when I saw Queen's Day a few years back!

hetismij2

It isn't as crowded nowadays I believe.
It is a nationwide festival. Every town and village as well as the big cities celebrate in their own way.

A lot of those photos are not from yesterday btw, but from earlier years. King W-A was not in Amsterdam but in Dordrecht, and Princes Beatrix enjoyed a day off. The three young Princesses did get dragged along to Dordrecht this year.

menachem

Heard a couple of people talk about Amsterdam King's Day, and they agreed it hadn't been as busy as in earlier years.

In Dordrecht, scene of the Royal Visit, it was crowded where the cameras were, but there were only 2 big "official" parties, and people weren't allowed to organize something among themselves because of "security". So, in the words of one Dordtenaar, "the town was dead" .

Also it was cold, though sunny. I sailed from Heerjansdam to Hellevoetsluis on King's Day and back again today: quite stormy, and we had near-zero temperatures. Very glad for my little Origo heater and my 5 season sleeping back. But beautiful cloud scapes and amazing colours.

hetismij2

We spent the day clearing out our garage! Nothing worth selling so I avoided the vrijemarkten - trying to get rid of junk not acquire it.

Normally my son does the TV coverage of the royal visit, but this year he actually had the day off. Just as well as his new passport didn't arrive until today so he probably wouldn't have had security clearance! Bad enough being a Brit covering it, without being a passportless one .

I think it's a shame Dordtenaars couldn't have their own party after the rather boring royal walkabout.

menachem

Lucky TV is running a series of spoofs. Today's was very funny.

PalenQ

Dordtenaars - how they'd get that daft name?

hetismij2

By living in Dordtrecht, known colloquially as Dordt.

Perfectly normal way of defining the inhabitants of a Dutch town.

People from Den Haag are Hagenaars or Hagenees.

The inhabitants of my town are called Soestenaars, or Soesders.

PalenQ

And Amsterdamners is right?

Or Amsterdamisch?

hetismij2

Amsterdammer.

janisj

I had a three way King's Day yesterday. Haarlem, keukenhof, and Amsterdam. Haarlem was great fun, really family oriented, w little kids selling things and busking (w their parents looking on from nearby), a sing along in the church (cathedral? ) and a brass band. Keukenhof was busy but manageable and GORGEOUS, and Amsterdam was very crowded but nothing like the zoo that I've been warned about. My cab driver this AM made it very clear that the king isn't very popular in Amsterdam.

menachem

Oh, Cab driver wisdom....

here's lucky tv's take on the Royal Visit

http://www.luckymedia.nl/luckytv/201...g-dordrecht-1/

notes: Lucky TV has a whole series about "Willy". Its creator, Sander van der Pavert is a clever editor, but he also does all voice overs, including Maxima. In normal life, you can hear from WA's accent that he's from The Hague and this is amplified in the spoofs. In them, WA is portrayed as an "act normal", folksy king, who regards the ceremonies he's in as a waste of time, "crazy stuff" (gekkigheid) and who can't wait to go home again to his beer and bacardi - cola.

I think the reason for the low level of attendance was the fact that beastly weather was predicted for King's Day, also, everyone had been warned to stay away, because of the crowds.