Queen's Night - Queen's Day

I stayed in bed most of the morning as I was still sick with a heavy cold and miserable. Anne texted me from work reminding me to buy the lotto ticket for Queens day before midday to make sure I was in the dreaw, so I wandered over to the lotto shop and bought one.  I am hoping it's the 33m euro winner!

Jori and Anne cooked dinner, then we headed out to walk around the streets.  Everywhere we went were people partying on the street..  Bands/music played from trucks.  The whole of Amsterdam was Party Central!

We had our cameras so played around with some night photography.  I managed to lose my prescription reading glasses around here somewhere. They must have fallen out of my bag when I lifted the camera out.

The Red Light District...

We headed to Dam Square where people wee already camping out to get the space up front with a view to the balcony where outgoing Queen and the incoming King would wave from..

Some went all out with their costumes...

The next day we headed out again. Now instead of parties on every corner, market stalls had sprung up everywhere, and everyone was wearing Orange - including Anne...

 Boats went up and down the canals filled with party goers.  Load music was pumped out of these boats and people were dancing...

Even the dogs were dressed up...

Seems to me the whole day was the day to let your hair down and just have fun...

Cupcakes beings old complete with iced crowns...

The streets were awash with the colour orange..

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 More cupcakes for sale, but right next to these, two young girls were selling pancakes.  The competition was very tough.  We bought the pancakes!

We headed back to the apartment for a late lunch, then packed the backpack up with beer and headed down to Vondelpark.  I took my big 400mm lens with me for the birds...

But also got the crocodile! The wind was freezing. It wasn't that warm, and this would have been cold.  No doubt he had been drinking beer so probably coudn't feel it!

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Did catch this black faced gull in flight as well.  We had a great day!