Amsterdam Pride 2012

Posted on by ghotiindustries

Along with several thousand other people, we made our way to the Prinsengracht to watch the Amsterdam 2012 Pride Parade on Saturday.

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The Parade was as wonderful as any I’ve been to or participated in. Though it was interesting to watch the crowd, as I’ve never seen a crowd so difficult to rile up! Only one float got a real reaction out of them in the 4 hour parade, and that was the group doing the actions to YMCA.

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My large camera brings all the boys to my yard … ?

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These guys were wonderful and everyone did stop and respond when the bugle played and they saluted the crowds.

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The queens.

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The queen Queen. Good ol’ Bea!

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Some of the expressions I captured were just priceless!

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The Dancers are always full of energy! (I’m not sure anything could have stopped this guy!)

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There is s unique logistical problem with holding the Parade on the canals. For the first time ever, I’ve seen the floats actually float. But they also have to get under bridges. So what you get, is a lot of floats being air filled, like jumping castles, that get hauled down and deflated at the last minute.

Though this solution was elegantly executed also …

The other popular theme this year was ticker tape cannons. So I’ll leave you today with this shot.

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Have a Rainbow filled day, and life, My Fabulous Fishies! *air kisses*

Quiet week

Posted on by ghotiindustries

Hi everyone. I’m sorry for the radio silence after last Friday’s post. I guess what happened was inevitable. Once we moved and things got a little bit quieter for the first time in months, we both came down with some vicious head colds. I’m still trying to throw off a horrendous lung crunching cough. At least you can’t catch it through the internet!

We did take a little time out to head into town last Tuesday though (where I coughed and snotted all over everyone I met. I’m sure they were very grateful!)

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It was on this excursion that for the first time I saw the cranes dredging the canals. It was quite mesmerising for a couple of minutes. I have yet to find a crane with a magnet hauling up all the bicycles that get dumped in the canals each day though!

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In a final piece of news for this week, and it has taken me a week to get around to posting this, Himself got a delivery in the post recently that wasn’t entirely expected!

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Knowing a Master Roaster as we do, it was wonderful to receive a birthday surprise of some of his wares in the post. We have been making good use of it too! It’s nice to be loved. 🙂

See you all after the weekend when hopefully things will have returned to normal!

Movements

Posted on by ghotiindustries

For the past few months we have been living in the centre of it all.

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Very near here in fact.

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And on the other side …

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For the hell of it, this is a photo of garbage night in Amsterdam. This takes place twice a week, and the piles of rubbish along the tiny narrow streets average 5’ high, 3’ deep, and 20’ long. It’s an experience! Especially when you’re surrounded by pubs, cafes, and restaurants!

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In one hectic weekend, we went out of town to a wedding. This involved driving for the first time in Continental Europe. It was an experience! Sorry for the blur, but my eyes were having trouble focusing on the drive back at 1am!

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We caught up with some more tourists who I took for a brief tour around Amsterdam. (though this wasn’t technically on the weekend, but a few days later. They were at the same wedding on the weekend… does that count?)

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We also moved all our stuff to a new, and yet still temporary, abode. This is now what’s down the road from us. Still a canal, but just a touch greener!

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I can’t wait to discover what’s at the end of this path!

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I’ve also been getting lots of fabulous old fashioned post! So now I just have to write back to you all! Thank you so much! I’ve missed having pen pals! 😀

Summer Evenings

Posted on by ghotiindustries

Suddenly we woke up one morning and it was Summer. We’ve had days of high twenties (Celcius), warm breezes, and the light doesn’t really go anywhere until 10pm.

In short, the perfect weather to sit in a cafe, by the side of a canal, have a beer, and watch the canal traffic try and navigate their way around each other.

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Welcome to Summer in Amsterdam!

Local Groups

Posted on by ghotiindustries

In the interests of getting to know people Himself and I headed to the local knit night. Himself isn’t a knitter, but it was handy having him there to walk with when I walked down the wrong canal at first and got lost. This wasn’t all bad though, as I put it to you that what we found was a new breed of pukeko! A blue chicken that isn’t blue!

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Every time I walk outside I am struck again by how beautiful this city and it’s canals are.

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And how old it is too.

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Going to knit night though afforded us a new view of them, all lit up at night.

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They just get more beautiful.

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For now though, let’s leave the canals, and I’ll show you the projects I’ve finished since I got here!

First was this pair of socks for Himself which I began a year ago. (Yes, a year ago. No, I’m not sure where my mojo went) I loved this yarn from Dragonfly Fibres. The colourway was like working old spun metal as it cascaded from gray through green and into subtle burnished colours.

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And my travel knitting project, the one I thought I’d never finish, and was afraid I’d hate a foot into it, as posted here … Behold the wonderous rainbow scarf!!!

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I love it so much! Now I just need a hat to go with it!!! *grins*

Knit night was a wonderful group of people. All very friendly and welcoming! I’ll be going again next week. For the future though I’ll need to take something a little less brain intensive, as holding a conversation with people you don’t know, and following a lace chart, just doesn’t happen!