On Saturday we did go and watch the Irish play the All Blacks at “The Tara Irish Pub” on Rokin in Amsterdam. There were hundreds of bicycles and people everywhere on the way which is unusual and it was very difficult to negotiate our way through the crowds and the bicycles to proceed to the Pub to watch the game.

We just could not believe how many people were about. Generally we choose to not come into Amsterdam in the weekends over spring and summer because it one crazy place full to the gunnels with tourists. We come in the weekend right now only to watch the rugby.

One of the problems of not knowing the Dutch language well enough, and therefore not being able to fully read the papers, compounded by not having a TV which would surely have alerted us to the “Protest” against funding cuts for the ARTS – here in the Netherlands is that we arrived in the midst of the gathering and may have made different choices with regards to the rugby had we known.

I am stunned. The politicians have said that they find the arts and culture a waste of money and have called arts & culture a left-wing hobby. Why – it is a major part of what brings people (tourists) to the Netherlands and it is one of the Netherlands important income streams – and they want to knock it firmly on the head for the future.

For me, it was the arts and culture that brought me here as well as the proximity to the rest of Europe and our son who lives in Switzerland. I won’t speak for Best Beloved but I am thinking that it is the same for him.

But back to the Rugby – which is where this started. It appears that it is mainly Irish pubs that show rugby and we have watched rugby in Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Haarlem. Cafe Pitcher in Haarlem showed the 6 nations tournament last winter and sadly is not showing this round otherwise that is where we would be there.

Tierney’s is the Irish pub in Haarlem now, and it is also a very nice little pub, but being aged (me) and with an unstable neck I do not like looking up at a screen. It is also absolutely wall to wall with people and the noise is tremendous.

The Tara, if you like is a nice pub with many screens and the opportunity if there early enough to sit without straining the neck and view the game. So it was fine at the TARA as it is a very civilized Irish pub – and we being very civilized people from NZ – we cheered as one should every good move from both sides, and groaned for every bad move for both sides. In fact we cheered and encouraged the Irish across the line and were sad they didn’t get there.

BUT we are certainly very glad that the All Blacks won of course.

And along with civilized environment the Irish are also very civilized people and always treat us very well. We have never had any difficulty watching the All Blacks play Ireland in an Irish pub.

So we have not lost the plot and rushed into the Lions Den when watching the Irish play the All Blacks at an Irish Pub.

I nearly forgot – 6 Nations Rugby tomorrow at the Cafe Pitcher. Best Beloved will not forget and I hope you don’t either. We will be in the Netherlands for about another 18 months or so and there will be more Rugby to see like the Rugby World Cup – I hope we will still be able to see it here in Haarlem.

So there you have it – Cafe Pitcher has a bar, Dart boards, interesting photographs, interesting art directly on the walls, well labelled toilets, my table, my knitting and I understand they also hold jam sessions on Sundays, and wait for it – they currently show Rugby Football on a very big screen.

Come and check it out tomorrow – Wales against Italy at 3.30 local Haarlem time. The Cafe Pitcher in English and in Dutch. Unfortunately the website does not mention the rugby.

But believe me it is on. See you there.

We went to the Cafe Pitcher to watch the French / Italian game today, and what a game that was – all that passion on the field, and me, being me, I am so glad it was not a walkover.

But there you go again – I am digressing. To get to the Cafe Pitcher today we walked there via the Grote Markt, (town square), and there right across the square I could see the concrete balls.

That is the cold concrete balls of Haarlem are now sitting on the side of the road waiting to be reinstalled. Some of you are aware of my Balls in Haarlem story and some not. So if you do not know the story do check out the link and see just what the Balls of Haarlem are all about.

But back to the Rugby, which had actually been the original intent of this post, Rugby football.

Where are all the expats? This is a great venue, you can actually see the rugby on the very large screen, and you can actually hear the commentary. Don’t stay away – we do not want to lose this link to Rugby in Haarlem, and we will if you do not join us.

So far we have had an audience of a Dane, a Frenchman, a Fijian, a New Zealander, and 3 Dutchmen with serious rugby interests and interesting English and Irish accents, and a few assorted others who did not let us know their background. We need many more people at the Cafe Pitcher to view the rugby next Saturday.

What will you do when the Southern hemisphere rugby is on – go into a crowded, noisy pub in Amsterdam? Why? You can’t hear it, although you can see it if you are lucky.

We have done that and this is so much better.

We wandered into Cafe Pitcher on Saturday 27th – to see the 6 nations Rugby battle continue and to grab our table, the one where I could knit as well as watch the screen should I wish to. There were a couple of young men already at the bar. I pulled out my knitting and one of them said “I see you have your knitting”, What? and then he said “I read your blog”. What – you read my blog?

“Yes”, he said – in a perfect English accent, “that is why we are here” and the other young man spoke with a perfect Irish brogue. Okay – it turns out that they know Camiel, who originally commented on the blog. And Camiel arrived – perfect Irish brogue, what else. They were an interesting group – nattering away to the barman in perfect Dutch without the English or Irish accents. Silly me – I said “where did you learn to speak Dutch so well”? – answer of course – “here, and we are Dutch”. Wow.

I am glad it was dark, although I am no longer easily embarrassed, age helps that. These three with perfect English and Irish accents are actually Dutchmen. They have lived in Ireland or in England and are all passionate about rugby and it seems Irish rugby most of all, and just maybe, particularly passionate, when it is the Irish against the English.

During the first game there was a lot of enthusiastic calling for the Italians – and it turns out one of these young men has a sister who lives and works in Italy. I guess he might some issues when Italy played Ireland, but then again, maybe not.

It was brilliant – they sang the Irish Rugby Anthem – Ireland’s Call with such power and passion, we were all mesmerized. I wish I had recorded the singing – it really was fantastic.

Others came into the bar, and just sat silent, maybe they were nervous about being English, this being a very passionate afternoon.

It was a great being there, watching the rugby, knitting and listening. I do hope we all meet again.

Yesterday – we went for a bit of walk to the old Irish Pub in Houtplein in Haarlem, to discover a revamped, modern club like pub where they were playing vinyl records of Hammond Organ pieces from the 50s, believe it or not.

And no television in sight so no more football.

They very generously told us that football, that is Rugby football can be viewed at the Café Pitcher, in Koningstraat Haarlem. Now of course I didn’t know 6 nations rugby is currently being played. I do now.

As it happens we didn’t know where Koningstraat was, but did happen upon it simply walking home down one of roads while avoiding the Grote Markt – where a market was on. Café Pitcher was closed so we had no idea what was in store for us. But helpfully the sign outside said that they open at 2 and rugby would be on.

We went home, off loaded our shopping and wandered back – planning to be there around 2 to be certain of a seat. Seating was no problem – we sat at a table positioned well for the huge screen. There was the barman, and a young man from Fiji, who plays rugby for an expat team in Den Haag. So we four watched the rugby together. Several times I lamented that I didn’t have my knitting with me, which you might think odd, but I am a serious knitter just as the blokes around me are serious rugby commentators.

We watched the Welsh / Scottish game and what a game it turned out to be. We walked home between games and I collected my knitting – which right now is a black ball warmer for a cold ball in Haarlem – and just as well because the French / Irish game was not so interesting. Our huge audience of 4 became 5 with the addition of a Frenchman. We were all very generous in our praise of the activities in the games. The commentary was very refined – I think that it helped that there were no Fijians, no All Blacks, no Aussies, and no South Africans teams playing.

Knitting black yarn in a dark pub is not easy – but I managed.

If you want a great little pub with a great big screen, it is here in Haarlem at the Café Pitcher in Koningstraat.