I wandered up to the Westergasfabriek with a couple of friends today to enjoy the Neighbourhood Food Market. Lots of great food to try, including some pretty amazing smelling Paella. It was tough to choose, but in the end we went for some delicious salads with unusual combinations. Followed by great coffee from the Espresso Bus.
The next Neighbourhood Food Market at the Westergasfabriek is on 16 June.
OK, they’re talking about Holland for the first 1.27, but most of the images are from Amsterdam.
Besides “I’m living in the northern province of cool” doesn’t have the same catchiness as a title.
Just for fun I went to another market on Sunday, this time at Museumplein. To match the location it has an arty theme. It’s a great idea, and a great location, but today it was a bit cold to really enjoy it. If I’d found anyone selling woollen hats there would have been a purchase.
We’re not really doing spring as a season this year. We’ve had some nice days but the temperature remains dismal. The tulips I planted on my terrace have refused to flower – and I don’t blame them. Luckily there’s the market – with masses of tulips for sale this weekend.
This year’s winning photo is from the Gaza conflict and shows a family taking the bodies of two children to bury them. The anger and grief is etched on every face. There are other photos from the Gaza conflict and many from the Syrian conflict including this one called Interrogation, which I looked at for a long time.
Did you notice the shadow?
This is a picture of a man being tortured. He is being held on the floor while the soles of his feed are being whipped.
As always there are many photos of the most distressing subjects – war, death, grief. I overheard three women as they made an early departure saying “we need to leave this”. It’s tough viewing.
But there are also photos with a ray of hope; a woman who works as a rubbish picker at the worlds’ largest rubbish dump, when she takes a break she reads. And then there’s the glorious series showing Emperor Penguins.
The exhibition is at the Oudekerk until Sunday 23rd June.
On the first Sunday of the month there’s a market at Westergasfabriek, which focuses on craft and fashion items. Today it was combined with a ‘Bevrijdingsfestival’, to commemorate that today is Liberation day here in the Netherlands. The list of participants is long, and participants seem to vary from month to month – which means it’s worth going back and visiting again.
Here are some photos from today’s visit.
We’re on the countdown until the last Queen’s Day. As usual there will be the vrijmarkt (free market) on Queen’s Day next Tuesday, but there will also be bigger parties than usual to celebrate the Coronation of the new king. He’ll be known as King Willem Alexander, and it’s the first time the Netherlands has had a king in more than a hundred years and he comes to the throne with less formal power than his predecessors. There are banners up around town to celebrate the coronation.
Around my neighbourhood chalk and tape adorns walls and pavements as people “book” their space for the free market.
For a guide the day’s festivities check out Invading Holland. It’s too much partying for me – I’m leaving until it’s all over.
