Mokum zit voor altijd in mijn hart

We're back...

Baby Steve, Houseboy Alex, Madam Arcati and I had a fantabulosa five-day break in our beloved Amsterdam!

We always enjoy wandering the grachten, exploring the gay watering-holes on offer - including the entertaining The Queen's Head, the [newly-reopened in a new location] eternally jolly Café Montmartre, the generally sleazy Spijker Bar, and the Sunday sing-a-long at the longest-serving gay bar in the world Café 't Mandje...

Café 't Mandje Sunday sing-a-long August 2025

...as well as non-gay ones such as [our most regular of all, given its location across from our Hotel Anco and the fact it's a perfect people-watching spot by the canal] Trinity Bar, [the former gay bar called De Engel van Amsterdam] Our Corner, another bar with a beautiful canal-side view De Haven van Texel, and the historic bruine kroegen ("brown cafés") Café Pieper, Café Hoppe and Café 't Papeneiland.

Hedonists, us..?

Of course!

We were there [as previously mentioned] a little later than we would normally be for my birthday, of course, for one of the biggest events of the Amsterdam 750 celebrations, Sail Amsterdam - with 10,000 ships and boats from over 20 countries, including some utterly breath-taking tall ships in full sail, it was quite spectacular.

Seamen everywhere!

Speaking of which - we were very pleased to be there for the Crew Parade:

Sail Amsterdam 2025 - crew parade - "Gorcht Foch" (Germany)

We didn't only drink and people-watch, of course - although that was what we spent the majority of time doing - we did eat, mainly at the Amsterdam institution FEBO [as everyone there does!], we made our usual pilgrimage to the legendary Eetsalon Van Dobben, and we had plenty of other typical Dutch food along the way, including the best Dutch apple pie ever at the aforementioned Café 't Papeneiland. Hardly a vegetable in sight. As always.

It was a wonderful break, indeed.

What did we miss while we were away? Not a lot, to be honest. Gaza, Ukraine, Trump. The usual. Oh, and:

• Gay rapper and pop sensation Li'l Nas X was arrested for strutting his stuff down the street in just his pants, then whopping them off and carrying on completely naked! I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation. That doesn't involve drugs at all, M'lud...
• Notting Hill Carnival passed without too many arrests, for a change, in the heat of the Bank Holiday weekend that the UK experienced.
• In Sweden, a 741-ton, 131 foot tall, 113-year-old wooden church was moved, on rollers, three miles across town to avoid falling into an abandoned mine's sinkhole.
• A Justin Bieber impersonator tricked a nightclub into letting him perform while racking up a $10,000 tab.
• The Burning Man Festival in Nevada, USA, was swamped by a devastating dust storm.

...and we missed the centenary of the simply divine Miss Honor Blackman, as well as the 95th anniversaries of the births of both Princess Margaret and Sean Connery.

But... did I bring anything back for your delectation, dear reader?

Of course:

Kris Kross Amsterdam, André Hazes, Tabitha - Ze Komt Uit Amsterdam

Is it good to be back?

NO!!!