Our garbage pile is getting wider as well[June 18, 2014]
So this is how it looks this afternoon. Among the new additions to the heap are one of those silly little suitcases on wheels, bits of a bike, some plastic children's toys and a lot more empty cans of cooking oil.
Our Amsterdam garbage pile is getting bigger[June 16, 2014]
So this is our lovely garbage pile late on Monday afternoon... its quite a lot bigger than it was on Sunday. And apart from its distinctive smell, what else has this charming pile helped achieve today?
This is the bin outside our house on Sunday evening. Delightful. And tomorrow the bin men go on strike for three days to protest at the lack of movement in agreeing a new pay deal.
Amsterdam at its best: two of our favourite subjects in one photo[May 13, 2014]
Can this be true? Have we really managed to take a photograph of a Canta-like thing next to one of those useless underground garbage dumps? How very appropriate. And what a shame that the opening to the rubbish tip is not big enough to stuff the Canta in.... we would have loved to hear the way the machine ground it to bits...
Save this tree - don't vote GroenLinks or PvdA in Amsterdam[March 9, 2014]
This is one of the rather fine trees the idiots of GroenLinks and the PvdA in Amsterdam plan to chop down to build their ridiculous car park under this canal - the Singelgracht.
You can just hear the discussions between the gas company officials, can't you. 'Okay, so we've got this great vista here... this fine avenue of big old trees, the long lawn and posh houses on either side... so lets just plonk these big yellow signs up, right in the middle. There, the finishing touch.'
Whack up the parking fees, chop down the trees[February 9, 2014]
An artists impression of the lovely new car-reduced Westerpark area - what are those odd stones doing there?
So there we were, a bit of late night television zapping at the end of January, and we stumbled across what now transpires to have been a crucial city council meeting agreeing to put the cost of our parking licence up by 75%.
Best sleeve in show - who needs Amsterdam Fashion Week?[January 28, 2014]
Attended AMFI fashion show last night. Best sleeve in show goes to Luna Mijnheer - one of the few in the class with class, and who did not present puckered seams and shoes the models could only stagger around in. A name to watch. Photo Anne Lakeman
Just what the city needs - a cheap gift shop in Amsterdam[January 19, 2014]
What wonderfully tasteful souvenirs they are selling in this tourist trash emporium - sorry, gift shop - on the Nieuwendijk. And, as they so proudly tells us, so cheap as well.
PvdA in trouble, VVD sells deals: yes, it's local election time[December 16, 2013]
With three months to go, Amsterdam's political parties are gearing up to fight the March local election. Well, they do say a week is a long time in politics... so anything can happen.
Dear Parool - perhaps a slightly tacky headline?[November 14, 2013]
Hmmm. Sp there are plans to build a 75 metre high residential block behind the former Shell building in Amsterdam Noord and suddently it is 'Twin Towers on the IJ'.
Bad Miley Cyrus smokes weed on stage in Amsterdam[November 11, 2013]
The proof may have been removed from the internet, but that bad Miley Cyrus was apparently smoking weed on stage at the end of her 'performance' at the MTV European music awards in Amsterdam on Sunday night.
Star spotting (in coffee shops) ahead of the MTV awards[November 8, 2013]
The stars are out ahead of Sunday's MTV awards in the Ziggo Dome.... Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dogg and Afrojack (who is a Dutchie after all) have all been spotted in the city's coffee shops.
Amsterdam Noord aldermen run up a €38,000 taxi bill[October 24, 2013]
The four good aldermen of Noord borough council in Amsterdam have been given a nice present by thoughtful consitituents - four second hand bikes. The reason for this generosity? The fact they ran up a taxi bill of €38,000 last year.
We're not fooled, it's a Canta in disguise[October 21, 2013]
This cunning little Canta is pretending to be a piece of cheese with a pickle on top. We are not fooled. A piece of cheese would not park in the middle of the pavement like that.
Oh deer: Amsterdam brings in the big guns[August 23, 2013]
Not a deer in sight
In dunes near Zandvoort, live a couple of thousand fallow deer. If you go for a walk on a Sunday morning, it's pretty hard to avoid spotting a couple, grazing on the grass and studiously ignoring passersby.
Ever since queen Maxima stripped off and plunged into the Amstel for a charity swim last year, raising cash for good causes by swimming is apparently very hot in Amsterdam.
Lost in translation: Gastvrij Amsterdam[July 19, 2013]
This is apparently a television report into how hospitable Amsterdammers are. Perhaps someone needs to tell them that being free of guests is not quite the same thing.
Young Amsterdam men are smoking hot... actually they are just smoking[July 10, 2013]
The abject failure of the Dutch anti-smoking strategy - as embodied in the decision to allow the customers of small bars to carry on puffing away - has had a terrific effect on smoking in Amsterdam.
Bikes will be removed if they park agains this poll, but not delightful little Cantas.
The owner of this toy car came running (yes, definitely not an invalid) out of the snackbar to ask why were taking pictures of her pet. We told her we did not like Cantas and wanted them off the pavements. She told us we were jealous.
Apparently, we all love our mayor in Amsterdam[July 6, 2013]
He may the scourge of city hall, but Amsterdammers love their mayor Eberhard van der Laan according to the city's O+S market research group. He gets an average mark of 7.6 out of 10 from the ordinary Amsterdammer, the Parool says.
Apple juice alert: Amsterdam revises its stop and search rules[May 17, 2013]
So, the bright sparks in city hall have decided the rules on stop and search - the draconian powers given to the police to pat down everyone in 'at risk areas' for weapons - need to be changed.
A whole new meaning to locking your bike up[May 15, 2013]
We like the way these workmen have solved the problem of bikes in the way of road works --- but it ain't going to be easy to get them back on dry land again.
No knickers at new M&S in Amsterdam[April 17, 2013]
It's back, but Brits hoping to stock up on socks and knickers at the new Marks & Spencer store in Amsterdam's Kalverstraat are going to be disappointed. It hasn't got any.
Only in Amsterdam would someone use a bike made of wood[April 12, 2013]
I've seen a lot of weird bikes in my time, but this one, parked outside a swanky office on the Keizersgracht, takes the biscuit. I guess you can't get much more sustainable than this?
Are Amsterdam's slowest waiters in Azur Bleu?[April 7, 2013]
We are a bit spoilt for choice about where to eat near us - lots of restaurants with every sort of food and a couple that really stand out. Azur Bleu was given 9+ by the mighty Johannes van Dam when it opened and well deserved it was.
They hate car drivers, these Amsterdam borough councils[April 5, 2013]
Just when you thought they were being abolished, those wretched borough councils decide to keep on demonstrating why they should never have been created in the first place.
How many of these hats have been sold in Amsterdam this winter?[April 4, 2013]
Sales must have been massive over the Easter weekend. It seems every batch of young tourists you meet is wearing them. Are they better than fake fur or Russian army hats?
Alas. Picnic, the new technology conference that has taken place in Amsterdam every year since 2006, is not going to happen in 2013. This may be the year that the city celebrates its canals, its museums, its anniversary of this that and the other, but not its tech industry and thus, no Picnic.
Let's get at the justice ministry. Are they using Google translate?[March 29, 2013]
What a statesman-like photo, and what a man of vision. Earlier this week, the deputy justice Fred Teeven outlined his proposals for cutting millions of euros from the prison budget.... and he kindly published a version of the press release in English so we could all share in his ideas.
Amsterdam chef Ron Blaauw hands back his two Michelin stars[March 27, 2013]
Amsterdam top chef Ron Blaauw has had enough of the performance associated with '16 amuses, four types of bread and a water list' and is going back to basics.
Forget the freezing winds, watch out for those hills[March 24, 2013]
Like many Amsterdammers, we have a Sunday ritual of going for a walk in the dunes. Today, inspired by reports of freezing easterly winds, we decided to go into new territory, near Egmond.
Gosh they just love democracy in the PvdA, don't they[March 20, 2013]
Yes, faced with fewer people voting, growing disenchantment with government, not to mention the need for more votes, the PvdA is doing its best to bring politics back to the people.
A fit of the giggles in the stiltecabine[March 16, 2013]
Yesterday I caught the train to Haarlem by the skin of my teeth and found myself in the stiltecabine - NS's wonderful invention to give passengers peace and quiet away from 'I'm on the train' phonecalls and noisy teens.
Amsterdam plans to fine persistent truants €10 a hour[March 14, 2013]
Here's another great idea from the bright sparks at Amsterdam city council. They are going to fine persistent truants €10 an hour, says today's Parool.
'Fake prostitute' advises Amsterdam on prostitution policy[March 9, 2013]
The Volkskrant's done us all a service this weekend and uncovered the truth about a woman who calls herself Patricia Perquin and wrote a book about her life as a prostitute in Amsterdam's red light district.
Singel to be renamed Koningsgracht to 'honour' queen Bea?[February 24, 2013]
You'd think the bright sparks on Amsterdam city council might have better things to do with their time than come up with ideas such as this. But no, the wags in D66 think it a good idea to renamed the Singel the Koningsgracht, in honour of new king Willem-Alexander.
Airbnb is to help Amsterdam council crack down on dodgy dwellings[February 18, 2013]
Last Friday, the American holiday rental website Airbnb sent a heavyweight delegation to meet Amsterdam city officials about their crackdown on illegal bed&breakfasts, according to the Parool newspaper.
Talking horseshit: The boss of cafe Piet de Leeuw is a liar[February 15, 2013]
There he was in yesterday's Parool, coming over all innocent like and denying his cafe's much lauded steaks were horse. And now he's come clean and said they've actually been selling horse since 1949.
Amsterdam mayor is at it again: wants the right to ban demon drink[February 7, 2013]
Is Amsterdam's mayor Eberhard van der Laan really hell-bent on taking all the fun out of the city?
Now it seems the council is on the verge of giving him the right to impose an instant alcohol ban in all, or parts of town. That would not only mean no drinking on the street - but it would also stop shops and supermarkets selling the demon drink as well. So no nipping out to the local Gall & Gall for a quick bottle of gin then.
Bed and Breakfast in Amsterdam - the council gets tough[February 4, 2013]
Last summer the Parool newspaper ran a series of columns with a couple who had a bed and breakfast business in Amsterdam. I always thought it was odd, because they made a big thing about not offering their guests breakfast.
'Living work of art' Fabiola is dead[January 27, 2013]
Amsterdam icon Fabiola has died of cancer. Fabiola, with his makeup, his hats and colourful clothes and flowers, has been part of the Amsterdam street scene for what seems like ever.
You've probably heard their squeaking as they spread out across the city at dusk, and maybe they've even hung out on your balcony (like this one), but apparently the ringneck parakeets of Amsterdam are no longer alone.
Amsterdam Light Festival: Well that was illuminating - not[January 8, 2013]
According to its website, the Amsterdam Light Festival is supposed to run until January 20. Perhaps they forgot to pay the bill, because we couldn't find much sign of it.
Amsterdam's top eateries, according to Johannes van Dam[January 5, 2013]
Every January, the Parool's restaurant critic Johannes van Dam sums up his findings for the previous year, and every year, it seems to me, he asks if he is becoming too kind in his old age.
Marks & Spencer may be on its way back to Amsterdam[January 4, 2013]
Can it be true? Retail website Distrifood is reporting the great British institution Marks & Spencer is heading back to the Dutch capital, 12 years after saying goodbye.
Those pesky foreigners are at it again[January 3, 2013]
Oh dear. Foreigners are spoiling things in Amsterdam again. This time, says the Parool, it is the emergency shelters when its freezing that are being clogged up by non-natives.
What on earth is this man talking about?[December 11, 2012]
Sometimes you'd think company bosses deliberately spout gobbledygook to confuse us all. Take Jan Bennink, supervisory board boss at Amsterdam coffee company DE Masterblenders.
This is nothing to do with Amsterdam but...[December 10, 2012]
This is nothing to do with Amsterdam, but I'm getting jolly sick of the obvious way news websites pick their photos.
Here, sober looking PM Mark Rutte who is 'not in the race' for some top EU job. And next to him, jolly laughing Geert Wilders, whose PVV party is now the biggest in the country, says pollster Maurice de Hond.
Is this the same Maurice de Hond who said prior to the general election that Wilders' charming collection of rabble rousers would win 19 seats when they just scraped 15. I think it is.
Oops, too much bad news about Amsterdam this week[December 9, 2012]
The Parool newspaper is worried. It thinks there has been too much bad Dutch news this week.
Amsterdam to press on with closure of 26 red light coffee shops[December 7, 2012]
The cabinet may have dropped its plans to impose the wietpas on Amsterdammers, but the city council is still going ahead with the closure of 26 coffee shops in the red light district, according to the Parool.
Amsterdam council executive jumps into Zwarte Piet debate[December 4, 2012]
Just a few hours before the Dutch celebrate Sinterklaas, city council executive Andree van Es has jumped into the Zwarte Piet debate, saying it is time to ditch him once and for all.
Amsterdam has a new finance chief[November 29, 2012]
The departure of Lodewijk Asscher to The Hague and the elevated position of social affairs minister and deputy PM left a gap in Amsterdam. His job has now been taken by Pieter Hilhorst, whose claim to fame (and suitability) is that he is a former Parool columnist.
I was in my local Albert Hein this morning. There were a whole bunch of giggling teenagers outside because our AH only allows four of them in at a time.
This weekend, het is zo ver. Sinterklaas will make his entrance into Amsterdam, accompanied by no less than 732 Zwarte Piets, according to the Parool. So that's 732 reasons not to go and watch.
Repairing an Amsterdam canal wall[November 13, 2012]
Cycling back to the office from the Pijp I noticed they are rebuilding a very long stretch of the Prinsengracht wall, were it crosses the Spiegelstraat. Its a massive undertaking. It takes a lot to keep the city's 17th century canals in shape.
Just rushed out to buy sweets for Sint Maarten[November 11, 2012]
Eek. Almost forgot. And there is nothing so awful as hiding in the back of the house upstairs because you forgot to buy any sweets in case Sint Maarten singers come by.
Wow. The new big garbage rules are a big success[October 31, 2012]
Well, that'll show 'em. Change the rules overnight and everyone rushes to obey.
See the green car at the back of this photo. That is parked exactly where the powers that be have determined we should be dumping our big garbage. Not, as you might think, around our new all-singing all-dancing underground garbage container. (Yes, they gave us a new one).
Another garbage-related issue. Where do all the mattresses come from? Every time you see a big pile of rubbish in the street there is an old mattress.
Yes!! we've got a new garbage sign[October 24, 2012]
We had a new bunch of workmen in the street this morning, putting up a new sign on the opposite side of the street. It tells drivers not to park in this particular space on Tuesday night because of big garbage day.
The sign indicates the big garbage will be picked up by 9am on Wednesday.
Why they have put this sign up I am not quite sure because the council has sent us lots of leaflets telling us to put our 'big garbage' out on the pavement in front of our door.
This may be to make it easier for the Bulgarian recyclers who patrol our street to pick up anything interesting, but I could be wrong.
So we've had our all-singing, all-dancing crush-everything-in-its-path super new garbage collection container for just one day and guess what - people are too stupid to use it.
Our garbage collection goes high tech[October 22, 2012]
All this morning's kerfuffle is now explained. We have a super duper state of the art electronic underground garbage container. See... it has a little green light on it. You press the knob, open the lid, chuck in your garbage and close it and the machine begins munching.
How many people does it take to change a garbage container?[October 22, 2012]
Lots of noise and drilling and hooting and lorry motors revving outside our house this morning. Seems like they are replacing our horrible underground garbage container with a new one - that does not quite fit.
Making money out of Willem Holleeder[October 12, 2012]
He’s all over the telly tonight as part of the Colleg Tour interview series, but a guided tour of Holland’s most notorious criminal’s stamping ground is apparently deeply popular.
No blog entry tonight. We're having a party in Haren[September 21, 2012]
Where's the crock of gold?[September 18, 2012]
Appropriate for Budget Day, but alas, the crock of gold is nowhere near my house.
Blondes and the bicycle police[September 17, 2012]
Had a very jolly lunch at the Balie today, but when I went outside, my bike had disappeared. My bike is big and black and very heavy, so it would be a bit obvious if anyone tried to walk off with it in the middle of the day.
Master chef doesn't know anything about his new restaurant[September 12, 2012]
Amsterdam's modern art museum the Stedelijk, closed for god knows how many years for renovations, will open again soon with its revamped restaurant under the 'culinary supervision of master chef Ron Blaauw'.
Okay, lousy and overused pun but yesterday was one of those days when you just had to get to the sea. I've never really understood the fashion for inner city beaches. Big piles of hot sand and deckchairs where you can buy drinks and all that, but can't enjoy that super fris dip in the briny.
The Parool reported on Wednesday that world number one tennis player Roger Federer has decided to play for Switzerland in next weekend's David Cup matches against the Netherlands - in Amsterdam's Westerpark.
Two days ago, my mate found a jacket lying on the cycle lane, complete with wallet containing 80 pounds, credit cards and all the rest. He took it to the nearest police station.
Amsterdammers can keep their chips[August 30, 2012]
The Vlaams Friteshuis in the Voetboogstraat behind the Kalverstraat is said to produce some of the best chips in the city - big and fat and Belgian style. There's often a queue waiting to buy fries over the open counter - but therein lies the problem.
Sex, drugs and Amsterdam news headlines[August 4, 2012]
So off I go on holiday for a week to somewhere even wetter than Amsterdam - yes it is possible - and return to a collection of cliche-ridden newspapers with all the die-hard staples.
Amsterdam's evening paper Het Parool has a jolly and everlasting cartoon strip called Single, which follows the ups and downs of three single nurses and various hangers on.
Amsterdam's pseudo police officers told not to swear[July 19, 2012]
Oh decorum! Amsterdam's mayor Eberhard van der Laan has made amendments to the charter for the city's police and those other civilian law and order enforcers to stop them swearing at people they are trying to arrest.
Amsterdam fashion week is under way[July 14, 2012]
The Amsterdam fashion week organisers want the city to be fifth on the list of places to be to check out the latest trends and newest ideas. Check out the NRC's photo collection so far.
Next year its party party party in Amsterdam[July 14, 2012]
Did you know there is a special foundation set up to organise all the parties which will take place in Amsterdam next year? Well apparently there is, and Friday it presented its plans for the city.
You might think it obvious, but the city's tourism bureau used the grand setting of the Concertgebouw to present its latest research into what tourists get up to in our fine city.
The first says: Turkish singer at Schiphol was treated correctly. The cabinet says immigration police not to blame.
The second says: Try copy that. Turkish family cycle to Istanbul.
Nuff said really.
Amsterdam considers using body scanners on the street[June 27, 2012]
Are concealed weapons such a big deal in Amsterdam? According to the Parool, the city council is looking into the possibility of sanctioning the use of body scanners during street stop and search campaigns - a bizarre idea in itself but then little surprises me any more about the increasingly repressive nature of Dutch policing.
A few years ago, Amsterdam was in the grip of a delightful family called the Tokkies. The Tokkies hit the headlines in 2003 after being involved in a very public spat with their neighbours which ended up with arson. The family went on to become television stars and featured in advertising campaigns which traded on their bad name.
Last year we spent a couple of days in spring trying to protect a baby blackbird which had obviously been attacked by something - mangled wing and missing tail feathers - and kept hanging about in our geveltuintje.
What wonderfully parked little Cantas I spotted during my cycle ride south for a business meeting today! So thoughtful for everyone else who has to use the pavement!
Our endless battle over the stupid underground waste container outside our front door continues unabated, despite dozens of emails, official reports and furious rows with shopkeepers and neighbours.
We're always being told about the number of company headquarters which Amsterdam manages to attract, but the Financieele Dagblad is quoting sources on Tuesday as saying Ahold, parent of the ubiquitous Albert Heijn supermarket group, might be heading back to Zaandam.
Miserable weather for the start of the festival season this weekend, but according to the Parool, festival finances are pretty miserable as well. So much so that special offers abound and the big dance events are allowing you to pay for your ticket by installment.
Amsterdam street artists need a talent check, say Dam companies[May 31, 2012]
Companies round Dam square have asked the city council to take action to stop the intimidation of passersby by fake street artists, says the Parool. 'They are called living statues but they don't stand still,' says Herman Roelofs of the local ABN Amro.
The Parool newspaper has a lovely colour coded map showing all the things we Amsterdammers like to do, and dividing us up into seven different hued areas.
So the good folks of Amsterdam Zuid are pale blue and sedate while the burgers of Zuidoost, Nieuwe West and chunks of Noord are lime green and that great Dutch word gezelig.
Amsterdam: them kitchens keep on rolling[May 19, 2012]
Jolly fine cocktails, vegetarian giros, far too long queues for the lobster and the hamburgers; Japanese chicken and most delicious bloempot rolls with roast red pepper; lambs ragout and fondue, super speedy service at the bar - no respite for the staff so I hope they were paid properly - cheese and charcuterie with very fine olives - what a jolly evening. The sunshine and music were a bonus.
Amsterdam set to slash spending[May 12, 2012]
Financial troubles at city hall. According to the Parool, Amsterdam council has to slash spending by an extra €144m this year.
Rolling kitchens roll back into Amsterdam[May 8, 2012]
It's back! May 17 to May 20 - the Rolling Kitchens food festival in the Westerpark. Dozens of mobile kitches serving very fine bites - from pizza to oysters, and all for a very reasonable price.
The relentless use of the word 'sustainable' by companies to show they have a green and socially-aware side becomes extremely tedious at times, especially when they talk about 'sustainable banking' and the like.
Amsterdam city council has applied to buy new top level internet domain name .amsterdam, according to local broadcaster RTV Noord-Holland.
The council made the application to the international domain authority ICANN in Paris. The initial cost of .amsterdam will be €140,000 plus €13,000 a year, the broadcaster says.
The city, which at one point was considering giving every resident their own .amsterdam email address, plans to earn back the money by selling domains to companies.
Smile, you're on a Dam square camera[May 5, 2012]
There are, according to Saturday's Parool, 77 surveillance and other cameras focused on Dam square and the Damrak. More than enough you might think. But no, for Friday's Remembrance Day ceremony with queenie, they had to add another eight.
Amsterdam high schools have had their chips[May 3, 2012]
Snack bars and fast food restaurants located close to secondary schools should not be allowed to sell French fries until 2pm so that pupils can't sneak out for a greasy snack at lunchtime, say Labour city councillors in the Parool.
The idea was apparently dreamt up by councillor Maarten Poorter, who was shocked during the Day of the Healthy School Canteen when pupils at the Comenius Lyceum were offered kebabs and pizza at 10.30 in the morning.
Perhaps the good councillor could turn his attention to the ubiquitous soft drinks and chocolate vending machines in every school instead? And if he is that worried about high school health, a smoking ban in the playground would not go amiss either.
Mind you, yesterday research by the World Health Organisation showed that yet again Dutch teenagers are the happiest in Europe - so we shouldn't take too much away from them....
Fewer people but just as much rubbish in Amsterdam[May 2, 2012]
There might have been fewer people in Amsterdam on Queen's Day this year but they left just as much rubbish as ever behind them, city council officials say in the Parool. So far, binmen have picked up 100 tonnes of crap in the city centre alone.
Naples aan de Amstel[April 24, 2012]
Perhaps the title of this entry is a little unfair on Naples. After all, there were reasons why garbage piled up on the streets there. Here in Westerpark we have no such excuse - apart from our anti-social residents.
It's cold and windy and not exactly terrace weather but this is my new favourite place for a sundowner.
Apparently 38,000 people have already visited the new Eye Institute on the banks of the IJ (yes a pun...) in Noord. We will all be queuing up to watch the sunsets when the spring really starts.
Amsterdam's canal ring residents are not lefties after all[April 7, 2012]
For some reason in the Netherlands, the people who lived in the 17th century canal rings of Amsterdam are regarded in populist circles as being left wing. The likes of Geert Wilders like to refer to the linkse grachtengordel elite. But according to the Parool, it's just not true.
Our local Gall & Gall used to keep the tonic close to the entrance, underneath the hot air blower, so it was always warm. I always used to ask them to get the tonic from the back shop because it was too hot to use, even if you filled the glass with ice cubes.
One of these is a government minister, the other is a member of the Adams family.
Longer jail term for Remembrance Day screamer[March 10, 2012]
The man who disrupted the 2010 Remembrance Day commemorations by screaming and causing the crowd to panic, has been jailed for 16 months, eight-months suspended, by Amsterdam's appeal court.
Dutch kids flock to British school in Amstelveen[January 28, 2012]
Amsterdam's international schools are filling up with the children of wealthy Dutch parents who are fed up with the Dutch system and the way kids are categorised at the age of 12, says Saturday's Parool.
Trouw is reporting that Panama is bankrupt. The club has been felled by legal procedures (neighbours objecting to the noise), high ground rent (thanks city council) and the lack of parking spaces (ditto).
No Radio 538 Queens Day party in Amsterdam[January 23, 2012]
Amsterdam city council's decision to stop the traditional Queen's Day festival on the Museumplein but to try to find an alternative location has proved to be the kiss of death for the event.
Amsterdam fashion week 'escapes the crisis'[January 22, 2012]
The 16th edition of the Amsterdam Fashion Week kicks off on Wednesday and the organisers say the economic crisis is barely noticeable, the Volkskrant reported at the weekend.
A coffee shop on the Churchillaan in Amsterdam-Zuid was hit by at least 14 bullets fired by an unknown gunman in the early hours of Saturday morning, says AT5. The Scylas cafe was closed at the time and no-one was hurt.
Not all of Amsterdam is pretty, tree-lined canals and elegant buildings. Take the Overtoomse Veld - a maze of post War soulless apartment blocks in the far west of the city - subject of a major urban renewal effort over the past few years.
Was phoned a few minutes ago by someone with a very strong accent telling me the money my friend had asked him to make over to my bank account was now there.... Luckily I could hardly understand him, but did get message it was one of those jolly phishing expeditions so said I did not know what he was talking about.
New taxi rules to cover the entire city[January 20, 2012]
Amsterdam council's new get-tough-on-dodgy-taxis campaign will cover the entire city not just designated taxi ranks in the city centre, says council executive Eric Wiebes in Friday's Parool.
Amsterdam server farm raided in Megaupload case[January 20, 2012]
The raids and arrests in the FBI onslaught on file sharing site Megaupload.com have caught more than just a Dutchman programmer - there were raids at Leaseweb server farms in Amsterdam and Haarlem on Thursday, according to the Parool.
Youthful fans watch AZ put Ajax out of the cup[January 19, 2012]
These are some of the thousands of under-12s who witnessed AZ of Alkmaar knock Amsterdam club Ajax out of the Dutch Cup on Thursday with a 2-3 victory.
Amsterdam still popular with foreign firms[January 19, 2012]
A total of 118 international companies opened offices in Amsterdam and it surrounding area last year, virtually unchanged from 2010, ANP reports, quoting Carolien Gehrels, the city council official in charge of economic affairs.
Amsterdam, other big cities look for alternatives to New Year firework chaos[January 19, 2012]
The mayors of Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Rotterdam are looking at 'alternatives for the [New Year] fireworks tradition', the Telegraaf reports on Thursday.
A great year for food in Amsterdam, says Parool food critic[January 15, 2012]
Volt, a 'classic cuisine' restaurant on the Ferdinand Bolstraat gets a whopping 9+ in Johannes van Dam's review in Saturday's Parool. He describes its prices as friendly, its fish with herb vinaigrette as 'outstanding' and partridge with sauerkraut and mash potato as 'classic'.
Amsterdam-based design duo Vlieger & Vandam are cooking up a storm in America with their Guardian Angel bag collection, the Financieele Dagblad writes.
They say we might have night frosts this weekend, but our geveltuintje does not think so.
Ajax-AZ cup tie replay 'sold out' [January 12, 2012]
Some 20,000 free tickets for this months replay of the Ajax-AZ cup tie have been given away to schools and sports clubs - making the event a sell-out, the Telegraaf said on Thursday evening.
What to see the Ajax-AZ replay? Find a bunch of kids[January 10, 2012]
Children aged 12 and under will be the only supporters admitted to next week's cup tie replay between Amsterdam's Ajax and AZ of Alkmaar, the football association said on Tuesday.
Amsterdam to toughen up policy on street artists?[January 10, 2012]
Amsterdam city council is to look at possibly tightening up the rules surrounding street performers because of growing problems, says local government magazine Binnenlands Bestuur.
Dutch dj Afrojack and Paris Hilton incognito[January 9, 2012]
Dutch DJ Afrojack and hotel heiress Paris Hilton have been spotted incognito, appropriately, in Paris. She's wearing a dark wig. But why is he wearing such wrong colour, off-yer-bum too-big jeans? BTW: the hoodie and shades really give it away.
Amsterdam toilet entrepreneurs aim to earn more than a penny[January 8, 2012]
Amsterdam company 2theloo, which started with a private washroom on the capital's Kalverstraat last year, has expanded into Belgium and Poland and is set to run 50 petrol station toilet facilities for Shell in the Netherlands, according to the Parool (7/1/2012).
Over the past three years, at least 51 people have drowned in Amsterdam's historic canals, according to a Telegraaf report.
The paper says just one death was the result of a crime. All the rest were accidental and often involved drunken men relieving themselves over the edge and falling in.
Experts are calling for more ladders and life rings to be attached to the quays, the paper said.
Spotted today while cycling along the Bilderdijkstraat - a bunch of tourists in helmets on segways - those stupid two-wheeler thingies that you stand on and hopefully move forward.
Amsterdam councillor owner of an illegal hotel?[November 16, 2011]
Can it be true? The front page of today's Parool states that VVD councillor Frank van Dalen is the owner of an illegal hotel on the Prins Hendrikkade, along the old waterfront.
The paper states Van Dalen owns the building where the hotel - Prince Hendrik Apartment Suites - is located. The building has been condemned by the fire brigade as unsafe, does not have a permit to operate as a hotel and yet is still open for business.
Van Dalen has apparently applied for a licence to have the building turned into a hotel, even though that would conflict with local zoning laws. An application to change the zoning laws is now under consideration, the paper says.
The city centre has now written to Van Dalen saying he has to meet fire regulations 'within a very short space of time' or the building will be closed down. He says the whole building is rented out to a company called Amsterdam Location which in turn 'rents it out to tourists'.
Van Dalen describes the whole situation as 'pure Kafka'. This Amsterdam wonders why we have fire regulations and hotel licences if people can carry on running a business without them.
A bad chair day[July 25, 2011]
Forced to work to the office today thanks to a bike which had decided not to steer anymore. Well, at least the rain had stopped.
And even though it is not 'big garbage' collection day until tomorrow, I spotted one chair and a car seat waiting to be collected. Last week it was mattresses - at least four of them, all stained and limp. I just wonder where it all comes from.
Also came across a most odd funeral cortege, picking up mourners in the Marnixstraat. I say mourners but that was not exactly obvious. The driver, neat in dark grey tails, bowed as he opened the door to a ragtaggle of a family. One, a young girl, in a black dress, but mum in a bright blue flowery top thing and dad in a pale grey tracksuit. Perhaps its was the dress code?
Artistic licence[May 29, 2011]
ArtZuid is a rather fine sculpture trail around the smarter streets of Amsterdam Zuid, including work by Rodin and Henry Moore.
So clever of the local gas board to get in on the act with this artistic arrangement of plastic tags marking where the high pressure gas pipes are.
When is a museum not a museum?[May 2, 2011]
Took aged parents to the new Grachtenmuseum - canal museum - on the Herengracht. A wonderful spring day with brilliant blue skies and a pesky wind blasting the elm seeds everywhere.
The building is imposing, the staff (and there are lots and lots of them) are cheerful and attentive, but is it a museum? Not really. Infotainment at its very best more like. It's not full of things to look at and be amazed by - its a computer-generated audio-visual tour.
Coats off way down in the basement, pay for your ticket on the ground floor and pick up your headset and then move upstairs.
Its all very clever and well done. Room 1 contains a raw white model of Amsterdam in the beginnings, while the voice and special effects relay the early history.
Room two is a plain room with table and chairs and covers the expansion of the city - the members of the planning committee speak while maps and plans unroll on the table and disappear.
Room three is a bit odd. A musical accompaniment to a sort of Bob the Builder animation of piles being hammered in. No info at all as to what it is about or what is happening for the beginner. A misser.
Room four, or was it five is huge screens with a compilation of film footage about Amsterdam - from squatters riots and speed boat chases on the canals - not sure which film. All commentary in Dutch so we dispensed with the headsets while I did a quick translation.
Room five or four was the best - a huge dolls house with hologram characters which moved and told stories and round the edge of the room a frieze of canal houses with peepholes showing pictures, photos and reconstructions. Lots of fun but again, a little short on info and high on tainment.
There are also three stijlkamers - period rooms, which are lacking in furniture but fine rooms anyway and, apparently, also available for rent. Which makes me slightly suspicious about the whole concept.
Indeed, the very cheery staff were happy to tell me that they were also planning to set up this special online facility for booking guided tours around the area.... No sign of that as yet... but obviously another spin-off.
Entrance ticket was eight euros - was it worth it? For the digital generation who like a touch of history probably - for people who like to look at old things, no.
Secret camp[April 15, 2011]
Today on the train heading for Schiphol airport, I noticed eight or nine tents or temporary shelters made from plastic in the trees bordering the railway tracks just past the Westerpark. Some were throw-up tents, others were tarpaulins slung between trees. People are living there...
Escaped balloons[March 26, 2011]
Cycling home past the park after a jolly lunch, I came across two bunches of balloons caught up in a tree. They had obviously escaped from the nearby fun fair.
Something to shout about[January 23, 2011]
I have to confess not going to the theatre very often in Amsterdam. In fact, I may have been twice to see an actual play - apart from school productions - in the past 20 years.
This week, we changed all that, and headed off to the Stadschouwburg in Amsterdam for the premier of Expats, a play about five Dutch people living on a compound in Beijing put on by theatre group Het Toneel.
Despite my limited exposure, there are two prejudices I always have about Dutch acting - they shout a lot and there is always an excuse to take your clothes off. With Expats, they got the nudity out of the way right at the start, which was one of the funniest bits. The shouting, alas, continued all the way through the performance.
The play itself, billed as a black comedy, was funny in places - especially the banality of the conversations between the six - but the plot was really silly and there were too many leaps which left you wondering what was going on. The set, however, was gorgeous!
Best of the lot was ex soapie Daan Schuurman who is shaping up well as a character actor and only shouted a little bit. The chap who played the American did a good job with the accent - and the English bits of the script were cringe-makingly authentic, especially all the stuff about 'where do you come from'.
The play is touring the country so you've got lots of opportunties to see it. The script is in Dutch and English, but unless your Dutch is really great, you may have a hard time working out what they are talking about.
Still, the audience seemed to love it, and happily gave the cast a standing ovation at the end. But then, I was told later, Dutch audiences always give a standing ovation anyway.
It's a slippery slope[December 22, 2010]
Tried cycling in Amsterdam over the past few days?
Wondered why cycle lanes have turned into skating rinks having been completely ignored by the gritters?
It's all down to those waste of space borough councils, of course, according to local tv station AT5.
Apparently, Rotterdam city council has a policy of ensuring all roads and cycle lanes are gritted to reduce the problems caused by ice and snow, but Amsterdam does not.
In Amsterdam, the city council is responsible for keeping main roads clear but cycle lanes and minor roads are the responsibility of borough councils.
The snow has become so solid on the capital's cycle lanes that it now needs to be chipped off by hand but there is no one available to do the work, AT5 says.
I can think of a few borough council officials who could become available....
Spot the snow plough[December 20, 2010]
Having smashed up my camera with an ill advised race outside to capture a long row of snow-covered bikes, I am, alas, photoless to illustrate any more items about Amsterdam in the snow.
I don't think in all my years here I have ever seen so much. Nor have I seen so much as the tail lights of a snow plough or grit lorry... where are they all? Or is this the result of government spending cuts already.
Today I decided to take the plunge and cycle to work... being a cowardy custard my bike is small enough so my feet can easily touch the ground in case of skidding. Given large stretches of the route involved negotiating slush-covered cycle lanes or hard ice, at least I was saved the ignomity of falling off.
Amsterdam may be in the grip of winter but it is also in the grip of a massive child abuse scandal at three creches. (See DutchNews.nl for more). Apparently so many police officers are involved with investigating the case that proper policing levels for the New Year festivities may be hit. A bizzare claim by the city's mayor who is also chief of police so he must know what he is talking about.
Talking of New Year. A bunch of people living in the swanky Concertgebouw neighbourhood are going to court in an effort to have the traditional Museumplein concert scrapped.
Apparently they suffered terribly last year with the sound checks, the noise and people peeing on their doorsteps. The latter I can sympathise with but as for the rest - you live in a city for god's sake. It ain't quiet.
Same goes for the houseboat moaning minnies who want the Prinsengracht canal made one way to reduce the nuisance caused by all those pleasure boats disrupting their peace.
Given the Dutch weather, I'd have thought it is actually sunny enough to have jams on the water on about three days a year - excluding Queen's Day of course.
Talking of boats and canals - Thursday evening sees the traditional (well, second year) of the Christmas canal boat parade - in which a flotilla of boats will sail from central station along the Prinsengracht to the Amstel, all lit up by fairy lights.
Last year's event was rather jolly, low key and anarchic but this year, alas, it is in the hands of a dreaded stichting - which describes itself as a charity on the website without stating what it is actually raising money for.
Jolly has now become jolly expensive - for €99 you get drinks and 'meal-replacing snacks' on a boat - not the boat of your choice, you understand, but the boat the organisers assign you to. This could mean a boring old canal tour boat or an atmospheric 100-year-old wooden cruiser - its pot luck.
Stop Press: just had a quick dekko at the website and it seems they've changed the menu yet again. You can now opt for a €99 extended dinner or a €30 ticket for pea soup and drinks. Tickets not selling well perhaps?
The meal replacment snacks still feature in the body text, however, so what you'll end up getting is anyone's guess. Cheese cubes and liver sausage anyone?
Amsterdam skies[December 15, 2010]
A brooding storm hangs over the city.
And you know what they say about a red sky at night.
Photos by Anne Lakeman
Winter magic[December 7, 2010]
Amsterdam is at its prettiest in winter, especially today with the hoar frost clinging to all the trees and dusting everywhere with icing sugar.
Alas no illustration of this - a quick trip outside to photograph a long long row of snow-covered bikes turned into an impromptu triple toe loop and a smashed camera. Curses.
What's in a name? [December 3, 2010]
One of these is a glossy magazine to promote Amsterdam to the international business community. The other is glossy magazine for young gay men and women with lots of pink euros to spend.
The Cohen cover - in which he looks like a flasher who has been caught out - actually dates from last year. I have no idea if the city council-funded Proud still exists... but I know which cover boy I prefer.
Your roots are showing[December 2, 2010]
Thursday's Parool informs us that work on cleaning up queenie's palace on the Dam is well under way and that fears the building may end up a uniform blonde colour are unfounded.
Apparently, the experts have carefully assessed 25,000 blocks of Bentheimer sandstone for colour and treated each one differently to ensure the palace does not end up looking uniform.
However, the crowning glory on all this careful work, which has taken over a year so far, is not going to be the bell tower. It has has been cut out of the rennovation project and remains in its untouched state.
The reason? The €40m budget to clean up the palace had to be cut by €6m and that meant the bell tower had to be left as dirty as it was. Efforts to find the extra cash - largely needed to fund the construction of circular scaffolding - have so far failed.
You would think that queenie herself could have stumped up the difference, but alas so far she has kept her hand tightly on her purse.
Bus off
Lack of cash is also set to hit the city council when the new government presses ahead with forcing us Amsterdammers to put our public transport system out to tender.
The council doesn't want to and we voted against it in a referendum several years ago, but transport minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen says we've got to do it anyway.
To make sure the council really has no option, SvH has decided to cut the money she gives Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague for public transport by €120m, so says the Parool This, she says, is what the councils could be saving if they had allowed private companies to take over their tram and bus services.
But that figure is based on a five-year old report, and ignores the great efficiency strides which the city has already taken, according to council officials at least.
Perhaps she could donate a little bit of the money to the queen's palace rennovation project?
Queenie breaks the dress code[November 29, 2010]
It is not often that Amsterdammers pull out all the stops when it comes to the red carpet - apart from ditzy soap stars who will, of course, wear anything to get attention. So it was most odd that queen Beatrix was the only one not in evening dress at Sunday's grand opening of the all new DeLaMar theatre.
Our spy who was there thinks her dresser should be sacked.
Nevertheless, a most jolly time was had by all. The Telegraaf has more pictures.
What's in a name[November 28, 2010]
Just rediscovered an old newspaper clipping from August which focuses on the new names which the Amsterdam tourist board has come up with to attract people to outside the city centre.
So, the eastern harbour area (Oostelijk Havengebied) becomes the Amsterdam Docklands with a focus on its modern architeture.
The Plantage and Watergraafsmeer become the Groene Plantage or Groene Museumkwartier - thanks to the zoo, botanical gardens and the Frankendael estate.
The Pijp is the Bruisende Smeltkroes - the bubbling melting pot. Oud West is Little Amsterdam - which the Parool goes on to say means it is similar to Notting Hill in London because it is picturesque, small-scale and a home and shopping paradise. Nothing to do with it being a smaller version of Amsterdam then?
Noord is Kinestisch Noord because it is becoming a creative industry hub. Sixth on the list is Westerpark, which remains Westerpark.
The tourist board's Hans Dominicus told the paper that he saw a future for Nieuw West and the Bijlmer as well. 'Where do people go in South Africa? To the townships,' he is quoted as saying.
Oh dear.
Books on demand[November 26, 2010]
All go at the American Book Center yesterday with the launch of the Espresso Book Machine, which prints books on demand.
Lots of people tipped up for the launch and the prize giving for the AnyBook Awards - and the presentation of the first newly-written book to role off the printer.
Now just to write that on demand novel.
Mulled wine wars?[November 23, 2010]
The Dutch never used to be very big on Christmas - a roast hare or a piece of venison with the family and perhaps a tree is as far as it used to go.
But being experts at making a quick buck, how could Christmas remain unsullied for long? Now you can't escape it - although we always have the row about Christmas tat appearing in the shops before the Sinterklaas stuff has been put away.
Now it seems Amsterdam is going overboard to make a few extra euros - sorry, enjoy the Christmas spirit.
According to Tuesday's Parool, the city is about to become embroiled in mulled wine wars, with both the Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein hosting their own Christmas markets. But whereas the Rembrandtplein event will run until January 2, poor old Leidseplein's permit to sell alcohol expires in 12 days.
Both squares also host a natty little mini ice rink and, of course, the obligatory garden sheds tarted up as snow-covered chalets. Renting one on the Rembrandtplein will cost you just over €4,000 for the six weeks - a nice little earner for someone at any rate.
Quite why Amsterdam thinks these tacky copy of a German Christmas market will prove a massive draw to winter tourists is anyone's guess. Fortunately real snow is apparently on its way to give a little taste of authenticity. Perhaps we'll get a blizzard to bury it all.
Screaming for culture [November 21, 2010]
Joined the several thousand people on the Leidseplein on Saturday to 'scream for culture' - part of the nationwhie protests against the government's plans to cut spending on the arts and put up btw on ticket prices from 6% to 19%.
The screaming and singing was pretty loud but I doubt they will hear it in The Hague.
It is, as one of the speakers (all restricted to one minute) said, the revenge of Geert Wilders, who refused to sanction any compromise against the tax hike - even though the VVD was quite prepared to go along with it. Wilders thinks everyone in the arts hates him. They do now.
Football, I hasten to add, only has 6% on ticket prices, yet we pay a fortune in policing costs.
A book with no words and then words fail me[November 20, 2010]
Rather splendid publication caught my eye online this morning - Het Amsterdamboek - with 10,000 picture of the city. It's on my Christmas list.
I was also struck by a story in Friday's Parool about Amsterdam police's 'autumn offensive against armed robbers'.
And very offensive it is too. Apparently the police are carrying out controls at 250 places all over the city to collect information about 'young men on scooters or driving in expensive cars'.
The police are apparently plucking cars and scooters out of traffic on instinct. Then the scooter drivers and motorists are photographed - if they agree - and their vehicles searched.
The paper observed a control in the Rivierenbuurt involving 200 police offers over a nine hour period. The aim, the paper says 'is to fill up a computer file with information about robbers and potential robbers'.
So if the police stop you because your car looks too expensive and they take your photo you will end up in a database of potential armed robbers will you? The article does not make it very clear but you have been warned.
Quite how legal this all is obviously by the by. They've just introduced stop and search powers in our neighbourhood. I'm waiting for the chance to say no and quote the European human rights act.
Local weed for local people[November 19, 2010]
Amsterdam's mayor Eberhard van der Laan is not very happy about the new government's plans to introduce passes for coffee shops - to keep the tourists out.
He's written to the grandly named security and justice minister Ivo Opstelten to say that introducing passes will only increase the nuisance caused by drugs tourism.
The mayor points out that unlike in the border towns, tourists using the capital's coffee shops also visit museums and rent bikes and do all sorts of other things to spend cash.
Van der Laan is not the only one to think it a stupid idea. Local VVD councillors (from Opstelten's own party) also say it might work in the border towns but not in Amsterdam.
And as the Parool points out, the Raad van State is currently looking into a case brought by disgruntled tourists in Maastricht, who say the measure contravenes EU legislation - article 1 of the constitutions for the sticklers for accuracy.
Amsterdam has around 250 coffee shops, most of them in the centre and catering to tourists. But I'd have thought drunken British men on stag weekends cause more trouble than those who smoke themselves stupid on skunk.
And you can bet your bottom dollar if the passes system goes ahead, a whole new breed of dealers will set up in business to buy weed and sell it on on the streets - exactly the reason coffee shops were set up in the first place.
We're back[November 17, 2010]
It's been an extended absence, but This Amsterdam is back up and running again. At least that is the idea. Sometimes other things take over and blogs get ignored. But now we're back.
Rain[August 28, 2010]
Back from a short holiday in sunnier climes and I am immediately praying for an Indian summer. This is so depressing.
Mind you, it always rains at the Uitmarkt, the launch of the new cultural season in Amsterdam. It's like a bad joke every year.
This year there as been so much rain the water level in the canals is 17 centimetres higher than normal. So watch out taking your boat under that bridge. You've got less room than you think.
Stylish places to stay[July 30, 2010]
Two rather fab looking places to stay in Amsterdam have caught my eye over the past few days.
The Parool last week carried an item about the only bed and breakfast on IJburg - an amazing-looking wooden house with a very stylish interior. The owners chalk a welcome to new guests on the sidewalk in front.
Drawback here is no website, so you have to book through any old b&b agency.
Then Elsevier magazine picked out a tiny apartment in a clandestine church dating from 1750. Pricey but rather wonderful. 'No where else will you be able to sleep so close to god,' the owners say on the website.
Case in point: the website itself does not have any photos. Bit of a waste. www.ophetaltaar.nl
Polite notice [July 16, 2010]
So this was first said Fuck de poliee and then they corrected it to Fuck the polite. Indeed, awful people. Far too many of them in Amsterdam.
Waiting for Oranje[July 13, 2010]
The Oranje hoards are out in force waiting for their heroes. And Heineken has done very well at getting its message across as well. Never seen so many kids prancing around advertising beer... or a bertje, as the t shirt puts it.
There is a helicopter buzzing around overhead, the odd squawk from a vuvuzela, and a continual ribbon of people walking towards the canals where the team will travel.
A long stretch of the Herengracht is closed off to all but the lucky few who live there, because of fears that people might sit on the roofs of the houseboats... In 1988, many almost sank under the weight of well wishers.
Third time not lucky[July 12, 2010]
One day ago loved and desired, now left out in the rain. The Netherlands fails to win the World Cup and suddenly no one wants you anymore.
Oranje 3, Uruguay 2, we're in the final[July 6, 2010]
There was a kind of odd still over the city before the match kicked off. A few souls were scurrying home, but it was definitely lull before the storm.
And while the match was in progress, it was so, so quiet. The main street at the end of our road had just the occasional car or bus and lost cyclist. In the packed window of the bar opposite, one character in a massive orange afro wig was sitting stock still.
From next door, the shrieks from a teenage girl reverberated around the block. You can follow the game by the sighs and the roars and the celebratory cheers - or the oooh and stunned silence when Uruguay scores.
Then it is all over, and there is a lot of cheering and shouting and blowing of vuvuzelas and it all goes quiet again. For just a few moments. Then suddenly the city is on the move. Everywhere. The bar bursts into life, the afro wig is dancing. The streets are full of cars with hooting horns, like a Turkish wedding. Grown men are on the streets hugging each other.
According to AT5, some 40,000 football fans had packed on to the Museumplein to watch the game on giant screens. They will be back again on Sunday. Will it be Germany or Spain?
Picture lifted from AT5 website, where it had no credit
A lot of shopping[July 2, 2010]
This household has spent a lot lot lot of money during the World Cup. One beesie for 15 euros worth of Albert Heijn groceries - unless the cashier takes a shine to you of course.
The city is very hot today - Friday - and the streets empty. At 4pm all will go silent. And then, hopefully, the roar of victory.
Peony problems? Not this year [June 23, 2010]
This needs recording for prosperity. For the first time since we had the wretched plant, no-one has stolen or broken off our peony flowers. Okay, so there are only two, and one is a bit puny, but this is a first!
Saw the ubiquitous artist Ans Markus in the supermarket today, her shopping basket laden down with nasty euroshopper biscuits and probiotic dairy products, including lots and lots of activia - go get your bowels moving. One might suggest a different diet would help.
Roses [June 4, 2010]
I had to turn round an cycle back on my hunt for a post office when I spotted these amazing pink roses clustered around the door of a very ordinary building.
Great Expatations[June 2, 2010]
Went to the premier of a bizarre little film called Great Expatations - yes the level of pun pretty well says it all. The aim of the film is to enlighten companies and service providers about what expats do and don't like about Amsterdam.
So there they were - a multicultural collection of talking heads and cliches about horrible birthday parties and the tax office being banned from speaking English - all this interspersed with titling, complete with interesting use of English. Read crap grammar.
It was not the most expensive production so hopefully not too much money was wasted - and at least the people who commissioned it were pleased with all they learned.
Here's the AT5 report on the affair, alas without subtitles.
The entire event ended with a borrel at a nearby bar Amsterdam Bright City, which is supposed to be an international meeting place on the Zuidas. Pity its website is only in Dutch.
I came across these weird seeds like a drift of coarse snow close to the Vondelpark on Wednesday. The pavement was covered in a thick layer.
Cheeky little monsters[May 21, 2010]
There is something very odd about the way these sneaky little cars that are not cars are allowed to park where ever they like with impunity.
Doubtless their popularity will soar now that the borough council we live in has decided to whack up parking fees to make money.
They think its all over[May 17, 2010]
So the strike is over... and lots of nice overtime to earn cleaning this lot up!
The carpet dumpers strike back[May 12, 2010]
Wednesday and the pile has grown considerably, thanks to the thoughtful people who decided to contribute their old carpets.
Overheard, two teenage boys on bikes passing the heap. Says one to the other, 'so you've decided to tidy up your bedroom then.....'
In case you wondered, the blue car is still there.
And the rubbish keeps on coming[May 11, 2010]
Tuesday morning and the heap has grown massively overnight. There were two Russians having a good scavenge when I went out to take the photo. They'd found a rather fab bling fake diamond crucifix and were also making off with the Society Shop bag.
The blue car still has not moved.
Round Italy cycle race in Amsterdam [May 10, 2010]
Rushed off down to the Zuidas business centre to be an eyewitness to the start of the third day of the Giro d'Italia cycle race - which for some bizarre reason has gone Dutch this year.
All very jolly in the sunshine and a good excuse to leave the office. It was also perhaps the best possible day to work for Royal Bank of Scotland. The bank's Zuidas offices offered the best view possible of the start.
(Thanks Carol for this photo)
After the cyclists moved off on their way to Zeeland it was time to enjoy the much-heralded grand outdoor pranzo organised by the city for the internationals and expats working in the city. (well, you had to pay €15 but it is the thought that counts.)
It was, alas, a very fine initiative which did not exactly live up to its publicity.
One could ignore the blasting dance music (do we really need to listen to Salt n Pepa's 'Push it' at full volume over lunch).
But the long queues of hungry diners snaking around the lunch area were less easy to ignore. If you wanted to be fed, you had to queue - worse than the works canteen.
And the Italian lunch itself turned out to be a very strange collection of bread, parma ham, Indonesian noodles (no it was not spaghetti), English sausages, half a tomato with cheese on top and melon. Most odd.
Then the sun went in. Time to go home.
Not the return of the bin men [May 10, 2010]
And the strike goes on. What quite so amazing is the way people suddenly abandon all pretence of putting their rubbish in bin bags, but happily toss empty boxes and bottles onto the pile.
This is Sunday's additions. Does that blue car ever move?
The Society Shop bag just chucked on the pavement makes a tasteful frontpiece to the pile.
But it's not like this everywhere. Round the corner from our house, these neighbours have heeded the request of of one of their own... whose sign pleading with people not to dump their garbage on the street is working.
The bin men don't cometh II[May 8, 2010]
Friday morning. Perhaps some people have not realised there is a strike. But a black cat has.
Friday afternoon... the umbrella stands have mysteriously moved and have been joined by a rather tasteful empty olive oil can.
Saturday around 1pm. It's getting closer. Some bright spark has decided to add some large plates of glass to the front of the pile.
The bin men don't cometh[May 7, 2010]
The underground waste thingie by our house the day the bin men's strike began on Thursday.
And this was it by Friday morning. Its funny how people immediately stop all pretence of actually putting their rubbish in bin bags, but just heap empty deep frozen croquette boxes and old sports bags onto the heap.
The bin men are striking for paltry 1.5% pay rise. The council has offered them a big fat zero and a one-off bonus of 1% of annual salary. It is a bit rich that the council which is now presumably forking out big piles of cash to city council executive board members who are no longer with us makes such a fuss about paying street cleaners a few cents extra a day.
Mind you, the city council has decided not to go to court about the issue, which could indicate they are sympathetic to the the bin men and would like the national local authority umbrella to take a softer line in the negotiations.
There is of course, some imaginative recycling going on as well. Spotted this interesting garden fence on the Amsteldijik.
Liberation Day[May 5, 2010]
Liberation Day in Amsterdam. The bells sounded for what seemed like ages to mark the German capitulation exactly 65 years ago.
Baby baby[April 26, 2010]
Why is this completely clean and respectable looking cot out with the garbage? A new mattress and it is all you need.
Nice work if you can get it[April 18, 2010]
Quoted in the Parool, Els Iping, who has just stood down as head of Amsterdam's centrum borough council: (yes she of the 'vertrutting' - blamed for banning people from drinking on cafe terraces while standing up etc).
'I'm not going to do anything at first. I'm from the theatre so that attracts me. Or perhaps something with city development. But first I want to go sailing with my man. We once sailed to Paris and I'd like to do that again'.
Luckily Iping will have a nice fat city council jobless package to tide her over. Or does she think it would be going a bit far to let taxpayers pick up the bill for her extended holiday?
Els is only 57, so she's got another 10 years of working life ahead of her.
Ding dong....[April 12, 2010]
She's gone. Ageeth Telleman, the twit who said yes no yes no yes to forming a coalition with the PvdA in Amsterdam after the local elections has stood down. Or was pushed... the party has now taken a vow of silence. Nobody is saying anything. Probably in the hope that Labour might invite them back to the negotiating table for the third time.
D66 has lost the plot[April 7, 2010]
Oh dear. After saying that it definitely does not wish to share power with the Labour party - in some fit of pique about the appointment of local Labour party leader Lodewijk Asscher as temporary mayor - D66 has now declared it would like to talk to the PvdA after all.
So that's a yes, no, yes, no, yes.
For after a members' meeting on Tuesday night, the party's really stupid local, sorry, bright spark leader Ageeth Telleman says the D66 is actually rather keen to reopen talks with the PvdA and green party GroenLinks. Surprise surprise.
The party's website includes the bold headline D66 wil snel formeren - D66 wants to get on with the formation as soon as possible - as if the party has any more to say about the issue.
Fat chance after breaking off the talks twice - and using the rather final term 'definitief' in your previous press release.
The party did rather well in the local elections - which is why everyone thinks it should join the coalition - apart from the delightful Ageeth that is.
She's blown it.
Her performance as local party leader is on a parr with the gentlemen of the PVV, who followed their master's orders and insisted on a headscarf ban in Almere and The Hague, only to be called back after Wilders realised his party's support is crumbling.
The people of Amsterdam, whether they voted for Ageeth or not, are probably better off without her.
There is having no where to park your bike and ... [April 2, 2010]
The other day I came across someone who does what she calls knitting art graffiti - perhaps this is bike art?
Or was it the revenge of the writer of this polite little note:
For those without Dutch - instant inburgeringcursis: 'Can't you read. Bugger off with your bikes. In the bike rack, by the yoga school or on your back. But not here.'
Amateur hour in Amsterdam[March 31, 2010]
What is D66 playing at? The sort of left Liberal democrats were in talks with Labour on forming a new city council executive then pulled out because Labour leader Lodewijk Asscher was appointed temporary mayor for three months. Then they joined the talks again after pressure from god knows where and, yes, you guessed it, have now pulled out again.
Is this amateur hour or something?
In the meantime, the thousands of people who voted D66 in the local elections, taking their share of the vote from just three to eight seats on the 45-seat strong council, are watching in disbelief.
D66 was the big winner in the local elections in Amsterdam, yet for some bloody-minded principle about a temporary mayor they are about to skip out and stay in opposition.
Don't get me wrong. I am firmly in favour of elected mayors, but I am also in favour of parties which actually win seats seizing the opportunity to get on board the coalition train. By not taking this opportunity, D66 is serving the people who voted for the party very poorly indeed.
Prinicples are very good things to have, but in a land where compromise is king, some principles are worth ditching - temporarily at least until the city gets a new mayor.
Does not bode well for the party's performance in the nationals if push comes to shove and they end up holding the balance of power.
A bit of excitment in our quiet street[March 30, 2010]
All go down our street yesterday evening. The rascals in a house a few doors down had converted the entire ground floor into a marijuana plantation. It took the police and their trusty removal men from Seon about three hours to empty the place of empty pots, lights, complicated electricity set-ups and god knows what else.
Best bit of the whole spectacle was probably when the collection of local yobbos who were watching with great amusement cheered as the first wheelbarrow of plants was trundled out.
Post election blues[March 21, 2010]
So, here we are, two weeks after the local elections and it looks as if Amsterdam is not going to show Rotterdam and The Hague how forming a new administration can be done.
While the port city and political capital wrestle with the presence of the populists and the islamophobes, the situation in Amsterdam had looked pretty straightforward. Labour, down five seats but still the biggest party would lead the formation of a new coalition. D66, the big winner in the local polls would join them, and someone else would be added into the mix.
But then Wouter Bos decided to quit as Labour leader - the man who did not want to be prime minister. And Job Cohen, Amsterdam's mayor is lined up to take over. Which leaves a gap in the capital.
Two gaps actually - no council executive and no mayor. So it seemed pretty obvious that local Labour leader Lodewijk Asscher would step into Cohen's shoes temporarily - until queenie got round to appointing a new mayor.
And all seemed to be moving ahead nicely until D66 announced somewhat abruptly it did not agree with Asscher as acting mayor at all. The decision to appoint him showed how power hungry Labour is, said local D66 leader Ageeth Telleman. The party assumes the mayor's job is its by rights and that goes against everything D66 stands for.
Her decision was curiously timed because it was only on Wednesday that D66 and Labour had said they would form the 'axis of power'. So what changed.
Given the extremely positive reaction from national D66 leader Alexander Pechtold, it is not hard to imagine a little push from The Hague. After all, the Cohen affect on Labour's fortunes in the polls has been very positive - and which party has been hurt most? D66.
So an alliance between the two parties in Amsterdam might not be the best thing for the Liberals ahead of the June 9 general election. The cannibalisation of D66 support has got to stop.
D66, of course, is in favour of an elected mayor rather than a politically-appointed one. And in that, the party is completely correct. Amsterdammers should be able to chose who our representative to the outside world is.
And the thought of Labour's home affairs minister Guusje ter Horst sneaking in via a wave of the royal hand is not the most pleasant one. Her name is circulating as the front runner for the job.
The woman who is responsible for spending a fortune on impossible cobblestones on the Dam, with a drink driving conviction while mayor of Nijmegen and who brought us Big Brother while home affairs minister...
Anything to avoid that. Perhaps D66 has a point after all.
And, this anonymous graffitti artist has got it right.
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.
A cruise around the port[July 5, 2009]
Advertised in the Parool a few weeks ago - a cruise round Amsterdam Port, the bits where ordinary mortals can rarely go. Seemed like a good idea so I booked two tickets and off we went on Sunday afternoon.
All aboard the good ship Euro (wierd name but there you go). Sunshine so no places left outside - the early birds had grabbed chairs and tables to make themselves comfortable. So we were stuck inside, which had the other disadvantage... we could hear the guide too too well.
We should have known it was trouble when she started off rattling on about how they built the IJ tunnel and the Noord-Zuid metro, while we sailed off in the opposite direction. I'll spare you the details, but she said zeg maar an awful lot.
And she did not know much about the port either.
Coal mountains
Apparently artificial fertilizer is used in the making of soft drinks.... And coal, zeg maar, is not healthy so the people who work in the coal dock are asked to wear masks... And that is a big ship but I won't zeg maar, tell you its name. (The Rochdale 1... owned by housing corporation Rochdale which is at the centre of a major corruption scandal). And those white round things there zeg maar are used to store oil and other things like chemicals. The words storage tank completely escaped her. And cocoa beans have to be kept dry and are used to make chocolate zeg maar.
Then as we neared central station again and passed the modern monstrosities which have obscured Zandhoek from the sea, she told us that the Houten Hoofd (she meant stone or Stenen) was popular with families and you could have a nice meal there and that roof terraces are popular in Amsterdam and no-one can see you.
Oh boy... by the end of the trip we were not much the wiser about the port but in near hysterics. Needless to say she did not get a zeg maar tip.
Hollyhocks on the Bloemgracht on the way home
Amsterdammers: Hendrick[July 5, 2009]
Hendrick has flowing dirty blonde hair which waves past his ears in an arty sweep. He is not tall, but he has presence, helped by fine-cut clothes and a well-tailored camel-coloured overcoat in winter.
He smokes French cigarettes and although raised to be polite, often shows boorish behaviour, especially by badgering waitresses and shop staff. He eats out most nights in trendy city centre restaurants even though he is getting a bit old for some of them. He is usually tipsy at the end of the night.
Hendrick runs a PR company, thought no-one seems to know exactly what he does apart from attend openings and occasionally feature in the gossip columns. Most assume he has family money. He drives a black SUV which he parks where ever he likes.
Hendrick lives in a large apartment on the Keizersgracht, which he shares sometimes with girlfriend Mariske and a cat she bought him. Mariske is 20 and a second-year history of art student at the University of Amsterdam. She has long blonde hair and likes to prance around the flat in skimpy tops and tiny denim skirts.
Hendrick does not have much to talk to her about - she knows nothing about footbll for example - but she looks good on his arm at parties. But he was terribly embarassed when she brought a bunch of her blonde student friends to a restaurant launch and they addressed all his friends as sir.
An almost black hollyhock[July 3, 2009]
The hollyhocks are coming into their own all over the city right now. This one, on the Willemstraat, is almost black.
It's been a hot week. Oldest child finishing school with all the performance that entails - endless partying for it, and endless 'so what are you going to do with the rest of your life' from us. The formal graduation ceremony was hell. Hundreds of parents and teenagers packed into a boiling hot gym while teachers do their best to say something intelligent and or amusing about every child.
Afterwards, as child headed off for fun with friends, we had possibly the worst dinner ever eaten at a city restaurant. Dried up, cold spare ribs, dried up cold corn on the cob and an alleged baked potato which had in fact been boiled and topped with a blob of something white and sticky. Other half was given cold baked sardines and chips which had obviously seen better days and been re-cooked several times. Shape is a sports club on the 2de Hugo de Groot straat and used to do great quiches and chips. What happened?
Honeysuckle in the sun[June 24, 2009]
On the Brouwersgracht. Magnificent
Roadside shrine for a schoolboy[June 24, 2009]
This impromptu shrine has sprung up on the Marnixstraat, where a 12-year-old boy was killed last week. Boris was on his way to school when a lorry drove into him at a notorious traffic black spot. It was the day of the school party, marking the end of his time in primary school. The boy's death has prompted the council to suddenly talk about doing something about the lack of bike lanes on the Marnixstraat - once it has carried out the necessary research of course. Locals have already painted their own zebra crossing on the road.
When is a car not a car II[May 29, 2009]
Not only can you park these little tin cans on the pavement, because they are not officially cars, but you can also park them in invalid bays without buying a parking ticket. The solution to all Amsterdam's parking problems.
How to park your SUV[May 29, 2009]
Those SUVs might be too big for the narrow city canals and their owners might be not exactly the most considerate of drivers but hey, this is a really sociable bit of parking.
Peony thieves - thank you[May 26, 2009]
Thanks indeed to the bastards who snapped the heads off all the peonies growing outside our front window and trampled on them. Nice work.
I thought it was storm damage at first, but the heads have all been broken, not just battered by last night's rain. Never heard thunder like it. A continual roll that lasted almost 10 minutes with lightning over and over again.
Pink roses in Amsterdam[May 25, 2009]
Cycling back along the grand houses overlooking the Sarphatipark there were so many flowers. On a sunny spring day like today, Amsterdam is perfect.
Trees covered with caterpillars[May 24, 2009]
A ghost tree, spotted in the Amsterdamse Bos on Saturday. A group of four trees were entirely covered by dense grey cobweb containing thousands and thousands of caterpillars.
A bit of web searching reveals these to be the caterpillars of the ermine moth, or hyponomeuta padellus. The trees are not damaged and spring back into life when the caterpillars have gone.
When is a car not a car?[May 22, 2009]
This might look like a car, but apparently it is not. According to the advert blazoned on its side, you don't need a driving licence, you don't pay any parking fees and you can park on the pavement.
Plant thieves
Some bastard has stolen our window box... again. It has happened before when we had really beautiful ones, overflowing with summer flowers. This one contained two scabby cordylines. Stolen to order perhaps?
Roses from Amsterdam[May 18, 2009]
It's Spring again, I'll bring again....
The yellow roses are always the first, then come the deep red ones and then the pink and all the other colours. Glorious. (Snapshot)
Tourist draw
According to the Parool newspaper, one in five Amsterdam tourists will not visit the city any more if the council goes ahead with plans to shut half of the coffee shops in the red light district - coffee shop being the misnomer for a cafe where you can buy five grammes of cannabis over the counter.
The research was done by the bright sparks at Amsterdam University and involved 550 tourists who were in the city over the Easter weekend.
So, fewer tourists who come to the city to get off their heads will keep on coming if 26 coffee shops are shut down? Even if another 26 are still open? Really?
Still, it is very unlikely the council will take any notice of this little piece of scaremongering. It wants to attract a better class of tourist to the red light district, with upmarket cafes and sex clubs. And they don't want to be confronted by the pasty-faced travelers who stumble blinking into the daylight after a large piece of space cake. (Paroola)
That wintry feeling[May 12, 2009]
Walking through the drifts of elm seeds is like kicking through snow.
It's back....[May 11, 2009]
Well that did not take long then. Emptied just last week, our brand new underground garbage collector is filling up already. Actually, this time the problem is two-fold. Firstly, the container is either full or someone has tried to force in a bag too big for the stupidly small entrance and it has jammed. And secondly, no-one collected the 'big garbage'. It says very clearly on the container that the big garbage is collected on Monday. Unfortunately no-one told the council garbage collection service. My neighbour phoned up the complaints hotline and they told her that according to the computer, our rubbish is picked up on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Underground containers be damned.
Taxi driving you mad
The council has published its long-awaited plans to get the city's taxis under control again. So what are we going to to? There will be a 'guest person' to show people to a taxi at central station between 4pm and 2am. Doubtless a massive pay cheque, danger money and a safe house for that nice little job. Then there will be two extra supervisors, who can hand out fines - ditto on the safe house. And mystery guests will 'control' if drivers accept short journeys and don't go to the Dam via Zuidoost. And there might, says the Parool, be tougher demands on taxi drivers who are allowed to use the bus and tram-only lanes - such as making sure they actually know where they are going. Oh boy. They've really seized the bull by the horns then. As the Parool reminds us, a city council bright spark came up with a similar package of ideas way back in 2005.
Post Mortem update
Today four copies of Private Eye arrived. Doubtless posted by the delightful Gemma. A very strange coincidence then that on Friday two of the original missing copies (from early April) turned up. Just after I started making enquiries at Moving Mail about the very late birthday presents. The four replacement copies came via Brussels. From a company based at Brussels airport alled City Link. Most mysterious.
Tayouken Piss[May 8, 2009]
Is he taking the piss or what? This gem of a sculpture, featuring six lifesize copies of Cameroon artist Pascale Tayou, is one of the highlights of an 'international sculpture route' in Amsterdam's Bijlmer district.
The three kilometre route runs from the Kraaienest metro station to the Arena. In total 15 artists are showing their work which has been curated by art historian Helga Lasschuijt.
Tayou's sculpture, under a bridge is called Takouken Piss, les pisseurs d'Amsterdam. He lives in Brussels.
Am I the only person in town who wonders what on earth has happened to post from the UK?
I've just been forced to contact Private Eye magazine in the UK after realising I have not had a magazine for about eight weeks.
After a few days of sunshine, the wisteria is at its very best.
The street cleaners picked up the mountain of garbage from outside our underground containers this morning. (Garbage Watch)
The problem with peeing II
Interesting letter in today's Parool from Stefanie Blomberg who hits the nail on the head. It is, she says, as if only men have the need to pee. These delightful portable urinals are placed all over the city on festival days - paid for by the oh so generous taxpayer - but what are women supposed to do? Indeed. They either have to hold it in, to put it bluntly, or pay 50 cents to use the loo in a bar. Given both sexes pay taxes and both sexes need to pee, perhaps women could get a discount on this, she suggests. Gentlemen, the choice is yours, she ends her letter. We await their reply with interest. (Paroola)
What a load of rubbish III[May 3, 2009]
Our brand new underground garbage storage system on Sunday night.
The city's most expensive taxi ride[May 2, 2009]
The Parool informs us today that a deal has been reached with taxi company TCA that a trip between the cruise terminal (PTA) and central station - 1.2 kilometers according to Google maps - is €12.50. Even though the maximum nationally-set charge is €7.50 for two kilometers.
However, the higher fee can be charged officially because the journey is so short, both sides tell the paper. Great deal you struck there then, PTA. And no tourist lugging a massive suitcase is going to disagree with you.
There is only one solution to the problem of Amsterdam's taxis. Bring back licences and only give licences to drivers who have proved they can speak at least English and who know where they are going.
The council has promised to unveil its solution for the taxi chaos next month. We await with baited breath.
What a load of rubbish II[May 2, 2009]
Saturday morning, full already
The street cleaners arrive to take away the excess bags
Fifteen minutes later
And an hour later
A week ago they installed an underground rubbish storage system in our street. There are precisely two for our entire block, both sides of the road. Hardly surprising then that they are constantly full. The entrance is also stupidly small. The aim of these systems is to spare the bin men's backs. But not the street. This one will run and run.
What a load of rubbish[May 1, 2009]
Why can't people take their crap home with them?
The problem with peeing (a male problem)[April 29, 2009]
Amsterdam has set up 600 portable urinals around the city to cope with tomorrow's expected excesses. 'A tsunami of urine' is the Parool's headline. Thank you for that, chaps. Why is it women are expected to be able to control their desire to pee all over other people's doorsteps?
The new Ajax away shirt and a few problems with the post...[April 28, 2009]
The new Ajax away shirt - available in the fan shop from May 1. The shirt was unveiled with much pomp on Monday afternoon and will debut on the pitch at next Sunday's match against Sparta.
The wisteria on the sunniest walls is now in full bloom. Amsterdam has the most amazing collection of wisteria. This plant creeps up to the top of the house, frames the attic window and goes on over the roof.
Ready for the off[April 26, 2009]
Three days to go and our local bar is ready for Koninginnedag. Oh boy. This year the council is imposing new rules on boats - apparently there is a 35-page document with all the rules to make sure Koninginnedag goes off smoothly. So no boats over 10 metres long on the Prinsengracht, and no loud music and no beer on board - more than one can and you will be considered a dealer. Well that is all going to be perfectly enforceable is it not?
Martin Bril RIP[April 24, 2009]
Two days ago a much respected Dutch writer and columnist called Martin Bril died of cancer at the age of 49. Bril was an Amsterdammer through and through - he wrote about the city and his life in the Parool and later the Volkskrant. As a foreigner I probably never appreciated the nuances of what he wrote but I used to see him occasionally walking a dog.
So he's dead and the Dutch press have pulled out all the stops. His death was headline news and generated pages of articles in Thursday's Parool and an overload of the Volkskrant website - which set up an online condoleance register, as is now the fashion.
Today, Friday, the Parool's birth marriages and deaths section has nine separate paid-for advertisments pointing out that Bril is dead. His close family have a small, simple one, the next bit of family have a bigger one, then comes a double column announcement from the Parool, a short one from friends and neighbours, then a long column from the Volkskrant signed by the editor....etc etc
The Dutch practise of advertising your grief in the papers - at considerable cost - is an odd one indeed. Bril did very well. It would have been nice to read his comments on the tradition.
Mission accomplished[April 22, 2009]
So, Charles van Renesse of city marketing agency Amsterdam Partners estimates the rather pathetic 'row' about the somewhat tacky advertising campaign for Queen's Day has generated four million euros worth of free publicity. Fantastic work guys.
But at the same time, he now admits that a poster featuring Vladimir Putin in a t shirt which says 'Kiss me, I'm drunk' is a bit off for someone who is a staunch teetotaller.
So the Obama Putin poster has to go. As do the 50,000 free postcards which have been distributed to bars and cafes all over the city. 'That will take two days. If you are quick, you'll have a collector's item,' Van Renesse tells the Parool.
The French are very cross about their poster - featuring Sarkosy and Berlusconi. But there is no move to have that taken off the billboards. Nor has anyone said much about the somewhat buxom Hillary Clinton in an orange afro wig.
Bizarre thing about the entire campaign is that the aim - so says Van Renesse - is to attract foreign visitors to Queen's Day. Quite how they will achieve that when the posters are only going up in Amsterdam itself remains to be seen. Unless Amsterdam Partner was hoping for a bigger row than it actually got.
Perhaps someone out there should be asking exactly what Amsterdam Partners is promoting. Do we really need any more people flocking here on Queen's Day anyway?
Hard to believe this is just the other side of central station on the water front in Amsterdam Noord. Who lives here?
Plastic waste
Looks like Amsterdam is heading for a run in with the environment minister over its refusal to think about starting separate collections of plastic waste from January next year. Environment minister Jacqueline Cramer says it has to happen but the city's Carolien Gehrels says it is more environment friendly to keep burning plastic waste to make electricity. The council has apparently commissioned a report into the 'environmental balance' between burning and separate collection. Few surprises expected there then.
Dutch girls[April 20, 2009]
Interesting juxtaposition of posters in Amsterdam West. There are an awful lot of posters of silly blondes with their boobs hanging out around at the moment - reminiscent of garage walls circa 1975. Kind of sad really.
Two stepped book cases and a baby bath[April 19, 2009]
This week's haul from the garbage. Spotted on the Prinsengracht. Two small stepped shelving systems - perfect under a flight of stairs and a fine looking baby bath.
A fish made of roses[April 18, 2009]
A fish made out of roses opposite a florists on the Prinsengracht. Does not look quite so spectacular on the photo. Alas.
We had a new bunch of workmen in the street this morning, putting up a new sign on the opposite side of the street. It tells drivers not to park in this particular space on Tuesday night because of big garbage day.
All this morning's kerfuffle is now explained. We have a super duper state of the art electronic underground garbage container. See... it has a little green light on it. You press the knob, open the lid, chuck in your garbage and close it and the machine begins munching.
![](<img%20src="http://www.thisamsterdam.com/talesfromthecity/img/wheres_the_crock_of_gold/Rainbow%20in%20Amsterdam.png"%20width="500"%20height="319"%20alt="Rainbow%20in%20Amsterdam.png"/>)
Our endless battle over the stupid underground waste container outside our front door continues unabated, despite dozens of emails, official reports and furious rows with shopkeepers and neighbours.
Just went for a walk around the city centre to play in the snow. Sometimes this is when I like Amsterdam best.
