I wondered down towards the Spaarne quite early. Sinterklaas was to arrive at 1pm by boat. I started from the house and went to the Spaarne via the Grote Markt where there was much activity and many Zwarte Pieten. And there were excited children everywhere. I then wandered down to the Spaarne to pick a [...]
Continue reading about It was a dismal day that Sinterklaas came to Haarlem town
Sinterklaas arrives today at 1pm by boat and will alight at the Teylers Museum after travelling along the Spaarne on his journey from Spain. And we will be there and record what we can of this event as a Mormor and a Grandad from New Zealand. I was born in Denmark – hence Mormor, Grandad [...]
What to do when you are on the other side of the world and feeling sad? Go to Rotterdam on a Saturday, of course. So we went, on an overcast Saturday morning, to look at the architecture of Rotterdam and (we thought) to see, close-up, one of the seven wonders of the modern world, the [...]
New Zealanders have long been fervent All Blacks supporters. My Darling says nothing is noisier or more partisan than JW and I watching an All Blacks match. Yeah, right. Except the Orange brigade, that is. The World Cup build-up in the Netherlands was intense and orchestrated, as Nederlanders got themselves ready for the event. All [...]
The World Cup is coming! and we are so very sad to announce that we will miss all the madness as we will be in New Zealand for a very special small persons birthday, and other family gatherings, during the very mad times ahead for those here in the Netherlands. I know it will be [...]
Did you missed the Flower Parade? Watch the compilation video of TV West. It does take 25 minutes and is spoken in Dutch. But don’t let that put you off. You can just turn the sound down or off, So press the arrow on the screen and go. Get Flash to see this player. Flowers [...]
Continue reading about The Flower Parade 2010 – if you missed it
My Characters from Koninginnedag – Queens Day – Birthday Celebration There was much orange about as well as Red White and Blue. The Dutch flag flew with the pennant of the House of Orange flying proudly above it. Orange ballons, orange food, orange clothing and orange hats and some really interesting people in Orange.
Continue reading about It was Orange In Haarlem on April 30th 2010
Trip through Europe by flower parade
Continue reading about Flower Parade Slideshow from our photos on Flickr
Big Band on Bikes in Haarlem – orchestra on Bikes doesn’t sound right somehow. We had biked quietly to Hillegom in the late afternoon, and we watched the flower parade come through. We also had priviledged seats – seats that we had discovered when arrived in Hillegom – about 9.5 k’s from home in Haarlem. [...]
I wanted stationary photographs of the Viking Float – being a Viking, born in Denmark and because it was fantastic. But you do not always get what you want – and probably all Dutch people know that the whole parade does not end up in Haarlem for viewing because it is just too big. It [...]
