Leiden, Amsterdam, Queensday and WT Pissup

After a week of trying to get over a bout of viral tonsillitis and an ear infection, not to mention my first week of work, we were on our way to Leiden and Amsterdam to spend a leisurely Bank Holiday weekend with Dutchcookie and the Mr, as well as other assorted WTers.


We were truly blessed by awesome weather, not to mention awesome hosts; we literally walked off the plane, took a train to Leiden, and sat down at a barbeque. A good start to a good weekend, and it did definitely set the tone for our entire trip.

On Saturday we headed off to Amsterdam with Dutchcookie, to meet up with Clichy & Splodge, Cheshirekat and Machiruda. After a leisurely day of canalboat touring as well as a very impressive sightseeing walk (courtesy of our hostess), we had dinner at 11, a funky restaurant overlooking Amsterdam on the top floor of the old Post building.


We had a fun day, but as all our previous traveling was starting to catch up, we spent the next day lounging around in Leiden (not to mention sampling fresh stroopwafels and pannekoekjes. Ahh. The Dutch certainly know their food.
As the temperature obediently hovered around +26C, we sat out in the sun, reading newspapers, sipping wine and meticulously recharging our batteries for Queensday, the day when all Dutchies celebrate the birthday of their queen, turn orange, gather on the streets of Amsterdam to both sell things (fleamarket style) and buy, and walk around. Not to mention general merrymaking and fun.

After bravely maneuvering through the mass of orange people, we met up with Clichy and Splodge (bless mobile phones) and headed to a park, along with thousands of other people.
We sat on the grass, ate yummy food from the stalls (ok, I did), had a couple of drinks and listened to various Dutch bands perform on stage. I have been informed that a Queensday tradition almost as inevitable as the orange people is rain, but there was not a single cloud in the sky, and it really felt like summer.

Eventually we had to tear ourselves away from the relaxing masses, and headed for the airport. I had a pink drink (in honour of our hostess) and MrPicky got his last kroketten before we headed home, our suitcase filled to the brim with Dutch breakfast bread (the name of which escapes me), dropjes and other Dutch delicacies.

Despite the fact we’d spent the previous month traveling for various reasons, we had an absolutely fantastic time. It was great to catch up with familiar faces and meet new ones; and again many thanks to Dutchcookie and MrDutchie for putting us up (as well as putting up with us).

I do think we should do something similar again. But perhaps not for, say, another six months, because I refuse to leave Nottingham any time soon.