On the sloping plane

 Don't usually like sloping horizons but in this photo I thought it was a nice composition. Whats your idea.

Liberation

 

Yesterday we celebrated the liberation of WWII again in the Netherlands including the wreath laying at Dam Square and 2 minutes of silence throughout the country. That the liberation is not quite for everyone shows this picture I took last year 4 days after the wreath laying.

Again

 Another of those fantastical courtyard behind a grocery store in downtown Amsterdam where the greengrocer has collected murals. One for Sami's Colourful World here.

Better times

 When we still had municipal lawnmowers. (Header part of town near the flea market and city hall)/

In the shopping street

 Amsterdam did become very international. Don't know if I think that's such an improvement. Actually the opposite. One for James Weekend Street/Reflections here.

From the couch

 

One for Skywatch Friday here.

In the middle of a little field

 Stood what earlier was called a black tulip. How it got there is a complete mystery to me since there was no other tulip anywhere in the area (no garden), but someone must have put the bulb in the ground. You don't see these that often.

Seen in a bicycle store

 Also a funny idea.

The situation on the moment

 One for Sami's Colourful World here.

Museum square

The Rijksmuseum seen from the Stedelijk museum. (Header our local cheese shop)

 

Kings day

Today the whole of the Netherlands became one big car sale. Starting at 5 o'clock last night, people were allowed to take their stuff out on the streets, and many children also held dress rehearsals for today. (Hence this photo from last night). I'm about to get back into the swing of things but all the big cities have already urged people not to come because it's going to be suffocatingly busy. We will see. 

Little update from this afternoon. You had to struggle through this.

Nice sky

 One for Skywatch Friday here.

Bike city of the world

By the way, I do believe that the girl on the right is dressed too thinly for the weather here.

 

You just have to get it.

 One for signs2 here.

City composition

 After leaving school, children gather in front of the entrance to the neighborhood ice cream store.

Children's playground

Came across a fenced-in children's playground that had animal pictures all around, and not all of the sweet kind. Unfortunately, the lighting conditions were such that it was difficult to take good pictures of them. See e.g. the wall with only bats. In any case, still nice for Sami's Colourful World here.

Today

 

Surely it is getting very crowded and full in the city, here on the Groenburgwal.(Header our bakery in Almere)

Street photography troubles

 Sometimes your picture fails completely because someone interferes or offends you. Well I posted it anyway as a random composition of chance. It happened yesterday and it was so crowded on the street that it looked like the inside of a big warehouse. All those tourist for Easter I guess.

Sunset

On the dike. The sign says look out birds. One for Skywatch Friday here. 

Annual event

 The willows along the bridleway have been cut back.

What's that for sign

 Well can't be out of place with a store full of men's socks. Linking for Tom's Signs2 here .

Just a portrait then

 Believe the cat was less happy about it.

Londonderry

 Yes there is still a weapon to go with it though it is broken in half, looks like the troubles are still not completely over in spite of the butterfly. One for Sami's Colourful World here.

The Netherlands Bank

 

Feel me a bit blue today ( inside a vault)

first I had to pass this door

Then that one

And in the old times you would see a lot of these cars and racks with gold bars but today the National Netherlands bank is empty of gold and the vaults are now open for everyone to look inside as national museum also to show their art collection. Strange enough the rest of the building is still the national bank and not free for the public. Wonder how much this have cost for the taxpayer.

Funny?

 Today a "live" Easter bunny actually appeared in our local mall. A first for me.

Found the contents of our candy store a little more interesting anyway.

Spring Sky

 About time the trees got more green again. One for Skywatch Friday here.

During a demonstration for women's rights

 

Somehow I still have the thought that not everyone is treated equally.

A sure sign

 If you see such a sloping little building it is with 99% certainty a cogeneration switching station. Have already seen 4 of them in Almere. Pipe layout makes this seemingly the most advantageous form.

Golden oldie

 Morning fog early morning in the Almere Woods. One from the Archive.

What does this remind me of anyway

I was looking for a mural in my archive and found this instead.

 The photo is from 2015 . They certainly had foresight back then but don't really dare call it a mural.

Remarkable heads

 Yes the flea market always attracts special visitors anyway as it did last Thursday. (Header from the parking of my former work during winter lighting festivities on the canals.)

Rainy street

 One for James Weekend Street/Reflections here.

A bit Skywatch

 At the Tax office in Almere. One for  Skywatch Friday here.

New arrivals

 What used to be reserved for Christian religious orders has now seemingly passed to Muslim youth. It takes some getting used to when they are waiting for the bus but time will eventually smooth everything over.

That needs the cheese slicer.

 Another store on the verge of collapse, it just won't stop.

Another one then from yesterday's market hall

 At the request of fellow blogger Taken for Granted once again an overview of the total ceiling of yesterdays markethal.

For a good idea of the size another picture of the daytime dimensions . Yes that is quite an architectural piece of art by MVDRV.

The Horn of Plenty

 The 11,000-square-meter artwork on the interior façade of Rotterdam's Market Hall shows greatly magnified fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, flowers and insects.  According to artists Arno Coenen & Iris Roskam, who wanted to evoke a childlike sense of wonder with this work, the Horn of plenty is a worship of nature and an ode to the universe. Coenen realized the work in collaboration with Architectenburo MVRDV. One for Sami's Colourful World here.

The merchant and his trade

 On the flea market. (Header children transport from the archive.)

Just looking around

 One for James Weekend Street/Reflections here.

V.Gogh's Sky

 At the v Gogh and the Stedelijk Museum, there is now an exhibition of a journey Anselm Kiefer made in the footsteps of v. Gogh for whom he had a vehement admiration as the conclusion of his art training entitled “Sag mir wo die blumen sind.” Here his interpretation of Starry Night. It was overwhelming and very cleverly made. One for Skywatch Friday here.

Actually unbelievable

 That this photo was taken on March 3, 2025 in Amsterdam on the Keizersgracht. Yes climate change.

Three guesses

 

What kind of dogs our neighbors have.  ( Header Amsterdam downtown in the evening)