I do love military hats.
Tweewieler
NL's in Queen's color
David George with backdrop of people pouring in from the tram.Today Amsterdam celebrated the queen's birthday with endless tables and blankets of yardsale and flea market items. Mixed in with the expected worn clothing and useless knickknacks were brilliant old dishes and ornate antiques. I restrained myself from buying dozens of demitasse sets and painted wooden coffee grinders throughout the day. I left early, buying a military hat a block from home. All day long, many older men saluted me. I returned to get Robyn and Katie and we set out around 10, just as the rest of Amsterdam arrived, slowing every block to snail's pace - just perfect for perusing. I stopped to buy killer black cowboy boots and lost them in the crowd. I now also own a mid-eastern rug, Lou Reed live and Roxy Music records, James Baldwin and Carlos Castenada books, a wooden toy snake and a bike! By the afternoon, the rains had subsided and the sun began to shine, just as tram after tram began dumping people outside our apartment, beyond which the streets were almost entirely blocked off. The crowds were quite decorated in orange hats, bandanas, boas, and rubber overalls, singing
and shouting playfully to others while drinking beer from cans and bottles.But as the afternoon wore on, what shocked me the most was the composure of the people. No one seemed belligerent, and there wasn't any fighting or stumbling. People were pleasant and amiable with each other. However, the streets are littered with cans and smashed bottles and crumpled orange hats. Orange feathers dot the bushes and sidewalks. Boxes of unsold clothes and shoes and electronics pile near trashcans. Our neighborhood has gone silent as the Queen's partiers move toward other districts with more bars.
It was wonderful to tramp around the city seeing smiling happy people and chatting in broken english with older folks trying to peddle their collectables.
Another great surprise for me has come from the grocery store. Being allergic to gluten and dairy, I expected to struggle finding anything to buy beyond fresh fruits and vegetables. But here, all the labels at the grocery store have PICTURES showing the allergens not contained!! My tamari, fruit juice, cashew butter, etc are far cheaper and consistently safer than in America.
I am well fed, well-shopped, and feeling peaceful. It'll be hard to rally, but there are tons of parties tonight.
Only the occasional funny siren dopplers past, making me think a James Bond movie is playing in the background. Party boats float past our window on the canal blasting techno and covered with dancing people.
