The GVB (Amsterdam Public Transport) offers a new way to enjoy a tramride: a running (almost gushing at times) commentary on a ride in tramline 5. Click the image on the left to hear the commentary (mp3).
Line 5 with commentary
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American invasion
Last week we had an American invasion. David and Charles were (too) briefly back in town, and almost all my American relatives came to visit as well. David and Charles were here on their grand tour of Europe with Charles’ parents. We offered them a boat trip around Amsterdam, and thankfully the weather improved just in time.
My American relatives were here in honour of my mother’s 80th birthday party. She had her birthday on March 1st, but threw a party in May, figuring that the weather would be more agreeable than in March. It almost was not, but we were lucky: Friday (the day of the party) in the end turned out excellent. All together there were 54 guests for the day: first we took them on an excursion to Pampus, and afterwards there was a lunch in Muiderberg. The day was a big success, and I think all had a good time. But it has been a busy weekend.
It simply does everything!
From an actual website:
Integrates Disparate Tools and Processes
[insert software package name here] is a collaborative development environment that connects disparate, heterogeneous tools and processes together with a fully integrated set of project management, change management, and collaboration capabilities. Out-of-the-box integrations with leading software configuration management (SCM) tools connect stand-alone tools into a centralized manageable development platform.
By integrating existing tools with a centralized repository and an easy-to-use toolset, [insert software package name here] provides a consolidated development environment that closes tools gaps, links and automates processes, and enables more efficient use of existing resources.
But what does it actually do?
Easter in Berlin
As this was our third time in Berlin for Easter, I guess it’s a tradition now. While the weather in Amsterdam apparently was beautiful, we had slightly grey skies in Berlin. Except for Saturday, when we did some sight-seeing. We were there for culture, after all, not just merry-making. Two years ago we took a guided tour through the then still standing Palast der Republik, which the new Germany is now ‘deconstructing’ as it is – to them perhaps – a painful reminder of the DDR (German Democratic Republic, AKA East-Germany). We think it ought to have been preserved, warts and all (it wasn’t a very pretty building), as an illustration of an important part of German (and European, even world) history.
See some pictures here.
Opening of the boating season 2007
Today we took our first spin around Amsterdam. The weather was very nice – especially for early March.
Click the image for some pictures.
There were many sunken boats today – such a shame!
Amsterdam spring
Amsterdam, March 10, 2007 – 11 am – 10° Centigrade
Lederkerle und Fummeltrienen
…or, leathermen and dragqueens. I don’t like to pigeonhole myself, but I think that – at least during Karneval – we don’t fall into the first category. As is witnessed by most of these pictures.
Just a taster:
The Kostumball was fun, as usual. We didn’t win any prizes this time round again, but Frank and Mark did, dressed as a castle gate. The theme for the ball this year was ‘Geburtstagfest im Märchenschloss” or “Birthdayparty in the Fairytale castle”. We went as puss in boots. The boots being hip-waders, in our case. Maybe we were just a little bit more Lederkerl than Fummeltriene after all…
winter in Amsterdam
This year, we’re having a very mild winter. This picture was taken a few weeks ago, but it was still on my camera. Right now, I’m busy preparing for Karneval in Cologne, and I needed to make some room on the memory card of my Canon.
So be prepared for some pictures after this next weekend!
(click the thumbnail for a larger view)
Updated to 2.1
I’ve just (succesfully, I think) updated this here blog to 2.1 (codename Ella, after Ella Fitzgerald)
Pooch Hooch
Whatever will they think of next?
(AP Photo/Albert Seghers)
If you think Heineken is a cool brew, how about
Kwispelbier?
Stormy weather
Apparently, we’re having the worst storm in years – windspeeds up to 11 Beaufort, with blasts up to 13 Bft. It’s enough to make a person seasick – just being home.
You can see some pictures here: www.nu.nl
At the moment (8:45 pm), it’s at its worst; it should quiten down as the evening goes into night.
Happy New Year
Wishing you a very happy & healthy 2007!
Christmas 2006
As tradition will have it, we had our usual Christmas dinner with friends on December 26. Click the picture for more.
Tree peed over
From the newspages of AT5 (the local tv-channel in Amsterdam): (translation below)
Storm: wildplasser plast boom omver
Woensdagmorgen is een man te water geraakt nadat hij in het stormachtige weer zijn blaas wilde legen tegen een boom op het Singel.
Door het harde herfstweer viel de boom omver. Daarbij kwam de boom met de kruin in het water. De bestrating werd door de wortels losgetrokken. Twee auto’s liepen hierdoor schade op.
De wildplasser kwam ten val en belandde in de gracht. Het slachtoffer kon op eigen kracht uit het water klimmen. De man is voor onderzoek meegenomen naar het ziekenhuis, maar kon na behandeling weer naar huis.
Storm: man pees tree down
Wednesdaymorning a man landed in the canal after he relieved himself against a tree on the Singel. Because of the tempestuous weather, the tree was blown down and landed with its branches in the canal. The road was upturned by the roots. Two cars were damaged. The man fell over and landed in the canal. The victim managed to climb out. He was taken to the hospital, but was allowed to return home after treatment.
Voting by computer?
Below: a banner, telling people to distrust voting by computer. With elections coming up soon, a very topical item…
News for the rest of you
Seems there is a new news site on the dutch net-scape: www.dutchnews.nl. Perfect to see how the upcoming elections will be going. I suppose it helps ex-pats living in the Netherlands to make some sense of the country they (have to) live in.
And suddenly we’re in Paris
Hank celebrated his 62nd birthday last saturday. He and Frits were originally going to have a quiet weekend together in Paris, but then they got tickets for the opera, and Wim and Nick asked to come along, and Terry and Mark were staying with Wim during that week, so they came as well, and then Jan realised it was Hank’s birthday and we decided to go as well – and so we ended up in Paris for the weekend.
Because it was such short notice, it was – literally – an unexpected pleasure. The weather was nice, we enjoyed dinner at Chartier, wandered through the Quartier Latin and celebrated Hank’s birthday in style in Le Petit Prince de Paris.
back home
Actually, we’ve been home for over a week now, but only now did I have (take) some time to organise the pictures. I’ve put a selection up on this website.
The trip, over 4000 km (2500 miles), took three weeks, and we travelled from Amsterdam to Sitges and back, stopping along the way of course. Sitges is a very popular destination, but you don’t generally go there for the peace and quiet. In hindsight, we could have stayed a little longer in France, and spent less time in Sitges. But then again, it was fun to see all our friends from all over in Spain.
Contrary to what they tell you in school, bears travel in herds. At least our kind does. So you meet the same people in all the same places: Amsterdam, Cologne, Berlin, Paris, Barcelona/Sitges… It kinda makes you feel at home in all those places.
We did do some culture as well – saw the cathedral in Reims, took the waters in Vichy, admired some of the prettiest villages in France, were amazed at the Citadel of Carcassonne (and appalled at the tourist traps inside), were awed by the Sagrade Familia in Barcelona, visited the former home of Gerard Reve…
It was an interesting trip.
and we’re off!
Tomorrow we’re leaving for a long-awaited holiday (vacation). Our first extended trip with the Eriba…
I’ll try to make some posts – see what access points we can find.
Flying to Texel
For my birthday, Jan got me a trip on the original Fokker F27 (Friendship). We finally went on the trip today (instead of last week, when it was cancelled due to bad weather). The first production Fokker F27 (also known as Fokker Friendship) flew in November 1955, 50 years ago last year. The Fokker Heritage Foundation has acquired the second aircraft sold commercially. It was originally sold to Air Lingus, after that it was in service in Australia and New Zealand. It returned to the Netherlands to become a museum exhibit, but a working exhibit.
The Fokker Heritage Trust keeps this aircraft in a airworthy state, and organises regular outings with it. We went on a daytrip to the island of Texel, one of the dutch islands on the Northsea. The Fokker Friendship (named “Anthony H.G. Fokker” by the way: the name of the founder of the Fokker Aircraft factory and also my fathers name) has its base on the air museum ‘Aviodrome’, which shares its airstrip with the airport of Lelystad. The flight from Lelystad to Texel takes only 20 minutes, but it is more about the whole axperience. As an added bonus, the airstrip on Texel is one of only a very few that has a grass-only runway.
The whole experience was wonderful: the aircraft is almost completely as it was originally. Apart from the required safety-updates. The crew, which are all volunteers, were dressed in period costumes, and the airplane itself is painted in the old NLM (Nederlandse Luchtvaart Maatschappij) colours.
See more pictures here.
You can see the plane landing and taking off on the website of TexelAirport (date 2006-8-19) – that was quick!