My recent post from the royal palace in A’dam caused cousin & occasional guest contributor Sam to point out that he’d seen plenty of SPQ “x” signs all over during his visit last year. Herewith two examples he sent, one from Haarlem (left), the other from Amsterdam. Thanks for the sharp eyes, Sam 🙂
The earth is competing another rotation around the sun since the day I was born, so I’m self-featuring here to celebrate the beginning of another journey around the sun with the chance to explore places like Muiderslot’s “Prince’s Room” in which most or all of these photos were taken.
Off in the distance is Pampus, an island qua fort which at one time no doubt helped protect the lucrative trade-shipping lanes in and out of A’dam, back before this whole stretch of water was turned into a freshwater lake rather than part of the natural sea lanes that connected A’dam to NL’s various colonies from Indonesia to Surinam.
Amsterdam Pride centers around 3 weekends in late July and early August, this year with a “Pride Walk” the first weekend, this post’s featured “Pride March” the second, and the “Pride Boat Parade” the third weekend. I finally joined or observed all three this year, including the boat parade this weekend just past. So nice to live where one is legal and less fearful of physical, social or legal harm and threats.
The Druids had Stonehenge; I’ve got this nifty building to gauge the passage of the seasons as our ball of dirt orbits the sun on its tilted axis… 🙂 Took these in sequence on May 21; the sun has since move further north (and west, it feels like to me, but I’m no expert) as it rose each morning (to left, in these images) and now moved back south (and east, it seems to me, but again: no expert). I do know that, come the winter solstice, I won’t see the sun rising at all from my mostly north-facing apartment.
(so much world, so little time....) 