Orange is the national color of the Netherlands (despite being nowhere in the county's flag). It has to do with William of Orange (from the house of Oranje-Nassau) who helped create an independent Netherlands following an eighty year war with Spain in 1646. The family produced a number of revered rulers, and ushered in a golden period of world conquest, power and wealth. Thus the color stuck!
We went to the Netherlands as a family to celebrate King's Day. It used to be Queen's Day when I was on my mission. But things change, time marches on and monarchs alter (or at least abdicate their throne after a long 33 year reign).
In preparation for the Holiday, the country had a decidedly orange glow.
This included a brightly colored tulip field. We could not resist the urge to wander over and explore the row upon row of flowers.
Unfortunately, I can not guarantee that tulips were not harmed in the making of these photographs. There may have been a few casualties.
But they were sacrificed for the sake of art, and did not perish in vain. I think they would appreciate and understand that. Apparently Weston has a hard time running in a straight line.
We quickly felt the spirit of the holiday. It helped that we were wearing orange-tinted glasses. We had to share them, so we went with a 'one size fits all' approach.
It was great to explore and share many of my old beloved haunts with the Family. Even Nancy was there to tiptoe through the tulips.
The city of Utretch was high on the list of things to show my kids. I think it is my favorite large Dutch city, with its small canals, commanding Dom tower, narrow streets, crooked buildings and lack of tourists.
They even offered canal side dinning. Weston was oblivious to this, choosing instead to focus on his Dutch Pancake.
We made sure to do some tourist things; bike riding, admiring the flowers, and art museums...
Visiting wind mills, trying on some wooden shoes, and all the other things that come to mind..
Well, not everything that might come to mind - or even everything that might be allowed for that matter. Although our dog Ani would have loved some of the freedoms!
But, we were there to celebrate King's Day. It is the best day of the year in the Netherlands (in my opinion). Every village and town has something going on. But THE place to be is of course Amsterdam. They celebrate like no one else.
It is a combination of the Fourth of July and Mardi Gras. A loud moving, smoking, drinking, floating, shopping, sea of orange; flowing through every canal and street of the old city.
It felt like every household was trying to to sell something, hawking cold drinks (including alcohol) and freshly cooked pancakes or sausages from their kitchens, peddling old clothes, books and items on their doorstep, or offering the chance to play some game for a prize or have your face painted.
It was like one giant, city-wide flea market and bake sale combined (where no type of business license or laws were required or enforced)
Everyone got in on the act.
The free public male urinals were overflowing (literally).
The city was in a good mood, and for the most part, well behaved and courteous.
The kids tried their best to dress in orange. I am sure we could have done more. But Weston did color his hair and Shayne painted her fingernails - so the effort was there.
Rebekah took some time out to shop for cheese at one of the only stores actually open in the city. You can see the overwhelming look in her eyes. So many cheeses, so little suitcase space.
With the whole city focused on food, music, shopping and drinking, we took advantage of an unusually short line for the Ann Frank Museum. I was surprised it was even open. Shayne had been there a year before, but still found it interesting. Luckily Nancy bought a copy of the diary, so Shayne had something else to read.
It was nice to find some time for reflection and quiet in the middle of so much chaos. We are so lucky.
Regardless, the party raged on outside. This was especially true in the canals. An increasing number of boats churned through the dirty water, bulging with drunk, orange clad revellers. Most of the vessels had loud sound systems, while a few boasted a live DJ!
We took a break along the canal, to eat some food and watch the boats. It was like some unorganised and spontaneous water parade. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. There is something enjoyable about watching exuberant people. It brings a smile to your face.
Finally we could stand it no longer - the crowds, the noise, the smoke...
So we decided to end our Kings Day celebration by preparing for the next holiday - Cinco de Mayo!
