Wednesday 10 August 2016

Priks, Queers, Van Dobbens, ticker-tape, grachten, dancing in the streets and Conchita!



Needless to say, we had an absolutely fantabulosa time at Amsterdam Gay Pride over the weekend, pink moustaches and all - from the drag stage at the Amstel, to the Prik [yes, that is the name of a bar, as is "Queers"] party, to the cheese-music-fest at "Stopera" Waterlooplein, to the joyous Zeedijk street party, to the closing Rembrandtsplein "Free Festival" [even if we did get there too late to see Conchita Wurst perform, it was still a great event!].





We sang our tits off at the Sunday "oom-pah-music" singalong at Cafe 't Mandtje (in Dutch!), danced in the streets, ate (lots) of FEBO and Van Dobbens' broodje, walked for miles along the grachten, and drank copious quantities of fizzy lager [I hope not to even see another pint of bloody Heineken for at least another year]...

...but it was the Europride Canal Parade that was the most spectacular! Eighty floats, millions of spectators, crowds of happy boat people, muscle-men, rainbows, twinks, angels, drag queens, leather men, inflatable boat decorations, Conchita, hover-jetting superheroes and all - we stood in awe for hours.


[Conchita's the one in the brown frock behind the pink ticker-tape]






[There were some gorgeous go-go boys]


The water-jet display was wonderful!



[It's actually a windmill!]



A feast for the senses - and a brilliant way to celebrate [in advance; it's today] my birthday! Here's the official "theme song" for Europride 2016 - I Need A Miracle by Tara MacDonald:


No. It is not good to be back.

10 comments:

  1. How very festive! Looks like you had a great view from that bridge - what a spot! Happy birthday!

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    1. We were very lucky to stand behind some short people on what became a very busy bridge (near the Homomonument). Three hours without moving - our bones were aching, but my heavens, was it worth it! Jx

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  2. It's never good to be back dear! Thanks for sharing!!! Amsterdam has got to be one of the best Prides there is. I see they had to tie string to your very large phallic!!!!!! Thank goodness someone had the sense to take control of it.

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    1. Well, my dear, if there wasn't a hawser firmly attached... heaven knows where if may have ended up! Jx

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  3. It all looks wonderful, though I think I'd have been a little scared of the flyboarders in case they came a cropper :-)! So glad you had fun on your (nearly) birthday. Love and hugs Hils xx

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    1. The flyboarders were amazing - but then again so was the whole thing! Fun, indeed. Jx

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  4. Your summer rates so much higher than mine.

    *makes note to DO something about it*

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    1. Darling, I highly recommend donning a pink moustache, doing a kinky "conga" line down the Zeedijk, and getting a giant inflatable phallic windmill and several tons of pink ticker-tape to explode in your face on a canal bridge. It does wonders for the soul. Jx

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