While you were away...

We had a fabulous five days in Amsterdam, and we are still recovering after the hectic Gay Pride partying - but what did we miss while we were away?

Not a lot, truth be told.

It's no great surprise - since we experienced extremely hot and sweaty temperatures in the 'Dam - that the rest of Europe has also been experiencing continuing heatwave conditions, not least the overheating rivers of Switzerland, pugs getting heatstroke, bananas ripening in Nottingham, and a shortage of fans across the UK; we also missed Boris Johnson's much-criticised opinion on burkas and the furore it has caused among the liberal elite; we (of course) ignored the latest ranting Tw*tter tirades of Trump against China and Iran; and we missed the announcement of the the death of stalwart of 80s-90s children's TV in the UK Barry Chuckle [I always found the Chuckle Brothers disturbingly creepy, but hey ho].

We missed the 118th anniversary of the birth of HM The Queen Mother, what would have been the 90th birthday of Andy Warhol, and the 80th birthday of national treasure Sir Terry Wogan; as well as the birthdays of some living legends, such as the last of the crooners Tony Bennett (92), Dame Barbara Windsor (81), our Patron Saint of Copla Andaluza Isabel Pantoja (62) and Geri Halliwell (now Horner, 46)...

...and speaking of La Pantoja:

Isabel Pantoja - Como Dos Barquitos

As the Dutch might say, Lekker!

Pak alles wat je kan!

Hanging out with Cher outside Amstel 54 (formerly known as the Amstel Taveerne)

Darlings! We're back from the delights of the beautiful city of Amsterdam - a little tired, but basking in the memories of a most fantastic holiday indeed: Gay Pride on the canal, FEBO, street parties, sleaze, fizzy lager, oompah music, gorgeous-and-very-very-tall totty galore, Van Dobbens broodje, genever shots, ticker-tape-confetti cannons, wonky buildings, more fizzy lager, sing-a-longs-in-a-language-we-don't-understand, and everything...

...and speaking of sing-a-longs, I always delight in bringing back a little something for your listening pleasure - so, from this visit, this incredibly catchy number from (the rather cute) Andre Hazes Jr. is absolutely the perfect thing; it's a song that went down a storm at every party event we stumbled into!

André Hazes Jr. - Leef

Leef! Alsof het je laatste dag is
Leef! Alsof de morgen niet bestaat
Leef! Alsof het nooit echt af is
Leef! Pak alles wat je kan...

En ga-a-a-a, a-a-a-a
Pak alles wat je kan
En ga-a-a-a, a-a-a-a
Ga
Pak alles wat je kan!

Which translates as:

Live! As if it is your last day
Live! As if the morning doesn't exist
Live! As if it's never really over
Live! Grab everything you can...

And g-o-o-o-o, o-o-o-o
Grab everything you can
And g-o-o-o-o, o-o-o-o
Go
Grab everything you can!

...which just about sums our long weekend up, really, dear reader!

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!

Amsterdam Europride 2016 Flyboard show

[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:

Tara McDonald - I need a miracle

No. It is not good to be back.