Market forces [January 16, 2010]

Five of Amsterdam's seven city centre market managers arrested for taking bribes from stall holders, the Parool reported on Saturday.

The paper says the police used undercover officers to uncover the fraud, which, after all, worked to the advantage of both the managers and the stallholders themselves. I give you a small tip and you turn a blind eye to me parking my car in the wrong place or give me a sign when a stall comes vacant on the sunny site of the market. Hardly surprising that the police investigation met a blank wall when stallholders were questioned.

Now it remains to be seen if the city council can make sure market rules are now met. For example, some 20 stalls on the Waterlooplein market are not run by the permit holders, but have been 'rented out' by the stallholder to someone else, the paper says.

A raid on the managers' office in the town hall apparently turned up over 30,000 euros.... That's what they call a free market economy.

Nothing to be proud of

Rita Verdonk's Amsterdam campaign leader seems to be digging herself into ever more holes... so it will be a miracle if she even makes it to the local elections on March 3. Addie Schulte, in his Amsterdam Republic column in the Parool, recounts how he tried to interview the hapless Ans van der Velde at 8.30am but was told to phone back later because it was too early.

Which he did. And what gem did the leader of the local chapter of Proud of the Netherlands come up with? 'If you are for renewal you are for change'. Wow. And she refused to talk about the fact she no longer works at the city council bus firm as social worker - 'let us just say we separated'. Doubtless someone will dig up the truth soon enough.

More to the point, what is the bus firm doing with a social worker anyway?

A question of taste [January 11, 2010]

The headless violin player near our street has acquired a very nice dress to keep him warm during the big freeze.

Election news
So Rita Verdonk's stupidly named party Trots op Nederland is going to contest the local elections in the Netherlands is it? Apparently the lovely Rita has found enough suitable candidates to take part in 38 elections.

In Amsterdam the campaign is being led by former VVD member Ans van der Velde. This is a literal translation of part of an interview with her in the Parool.

What do you want to achieve?
More openness in government. Amsterdammer no longer think they are being listened to. The language of normal folk is rarely heard. We want more blue on the street (police on the beat), by utilising the police in other ways. We have enough to say about the police.

But the local council has very little to say about the police.
If we want to employ the police in other ways, they can be more on the street and less in their stations. Really, we have enough to say about the police.

And financially?
We have to look again at what we subsidise.

So you would like to cut some local council subsidies?
We have to look at where the money goes. But I don't have an answer at the moment.

Oh boy. What a well-rehearsed, dynamic, full of brilliant ideas candidate you've found for the capital, Rita.

Hot air on cold days [January 9, 2010]

Sometimes you have to wonder about the big brains supposedly running this city. This week the Parool carries the story of a city centre couple who thought they would do their bit towards going green by installing solar panels on the roof of their Prinsengracht home.

They were granted a city council subsidy and the panels were installed when along came other city officials to tell the couple the solar panels had to go. The city centre is a 'protected view' and nasty solar panels do not fit on the roofs of Prinsengracht mansions. They got a council grant to place them and now the council says they have to take the panels off. And this from the city which wants to become the 'solar and wind energy capital' of the Netherlands. Yet more hot air and wasted energy from the bigwigs in the town hall.

Still, good to see that Amsterdam coffee company Simon Lévelt is doing its bit for the environment and sustainability. This week we bought a pack of their caféorganico which had no less than six 'good product' labels: the traditional Eco and Agriculture Biologique marks plus the Rainforest alliance, Swedish eco standard KRAV, UTZ Certified (good inside, whatever that means) and Bird Friendly - awarded by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Centre.

An igloo in Amsterdam [January 7, 2010]

Spotted on an Amsterdam canal. What you can't see in this picture is the delightful jagged ice barrier which the boys have built to protect their igloo from oncoming traffic.

It's very cold out there tonight. The back yard is still under its coat of snow and the birds have disappeared.

Let it snow, let it snow [January 6, 2010]

Town is beautiful in its white robes and the canals are full of people walking around with smiles on their faces. We saw a few rats running around getting cold feet as they dug into garbage bags. Lots of amateur photography going on as well. I can't seem to suss out the camera to get that proper soft snow glow.

The little girl next door cleaned our stoop for €2.

Happy 2010 [January 1, 2010]

It's a kind of pathetic start to the New Year when you are out watching millions of euros go up i smoke and discover the camera battery is out of power. So you are forced to take pictures of the rubbish left behind after the festivities to illustrate the first day of January 2010 instead.

New Year seemed quieter this year, but the display by businessman Joost Ritman at the top of the Bloemgracht was as fab as ever. Ritman, who made his fortune with disposable airline cutlery, does it every year, out of the goodness of his heart. And shows the city what a success an organised firework display can be. Thank you sir.

Wandered home through a few snowflakes and to bed. Woken this morning by gulls attaching the oliebollen some twit had chucked onto the roof of the shed at the bottom of the garden.

Happy 2010.

A comeback for Rob Oudkerk? [September 9, 2009]

Oh boy. The Telegraaf reports that Rob Oudkerk, the charming former city council official who was forced to quit after admitting consorting with street hookers several years ago, could be in line to head up the city's centrum borough council next year.

Red Light District tops over-rated attraction poll [September 7, 2009]

Amsterdam's Red Light District is the most over-rated tourist attraction in the country, according to visitors to website Z24. Some 22% of readers voted for the Wallen, with its 'dirty streets, drunken tourists and sad women behind the windows', the website said. Second on the list was Madame Tussauds waxwork museum and third a canal boat trip.

A visit to Ransdorp tower [July 11, 2009]

Ransdorp is a little village just north of Amsterdam - a traditional little village with a few wooden houses, a pretty church (complete with wedding) and a squared-off tower. This summer the tower is open to the public and this is part of the view from the top over towards the IJsselmeer. At Holysloot just up the road - which is a dead-end for cars but has a tiny bike only ferry over the water - you can rent a little boat with an electric motor. 020 490 4612. Good for a summer picnic

A postcard from Amsterdam [July 7, 2009]

The reverse side of this little gem reads 'excellent quality. guaranteed by Uitgeverij Van der Meulen, Sneek, Holland'. Now you know where not to get your postcards made.

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