King's Day, Amsterdam, 2023

King's Day is the king's birthday, celebrated all over the Netherlands, but most famously in Amsterdam, where it is known, charitably, as Europe's largest street party. We had heard that most of the action takes place on the canals...more easily cleaned up than the streets...so we decided to play it safe and stay on terra firma, mostly on Damrak street, not far from the station and our train. Just in case. While Vicki stood in the 45 minute queue for frites at the MannekinPis friteshuis, I ventured forth a few blocks hither and thither for some documentation. All this was in the afternoon, after Keukenhof, presumably before the main King's Day activities really got going.

Look closely, there's a canal down there somewhere

Thus (pix off the web)

Across Damrak is the MannakenPis and its very long queue; we
thought its fries were not equal to Vleminckx'

All kinds of orange merchandise available

I think the only piece of orange clothing I own is a T-shirt from
Kauai with a rooster on it; securely and safely stored in Missoula

The €5 t-shirts were tempting, however

Penelope, note: your favorite restaurant is in Amsterdam

In a street gutter, strangely meaningful...

160dB dancing outside the bar there

Onesies were popular, until it started getting warm

Probably their first King's Day without chaperones

Still daylight...

Heading back to the station

Having a little trouble with the footing, dear?

Helpful interpretive signage; there's a €100 fine for wildplassen

Where it all ends; note the 9:1 ratio of plein-aire pissoirs, with
3 urinals each, to the more private porta-potties