The biggest garage sale in the world!

And the biggest party of the year!!

AKA- QUEEN'S DAY!!

This is the day that all Dutchies celebrate the birthday of the Queen, Queen Beatrix. To do this, they all wear orange (for the "House of Orange") and booze it up and party all night. The night before Queen's Day (the night of the 29th), is Queen's Night, where all the adults go out and party it up. But in Utrecht it is a bit more special, as the flea markets that are usually only on the day of Queen's Day (the 30th), are allowed from 6pm onwards...the only city in the Netherlands where that is allowed. So, there are several streets that are designated 'vrijmarkt' (free-market) streets...and people set up a table or a space on the ground, and sell all sorts of random things, basically, all the crap they want to get rid of. I saw everything from clothes and shoes to kitchen wear to home decoration to bike wheels and parts to computer keyboards and all sorts of other random things. Little kids set up a little place of their own and sell their old toys and books. Some kids also play their instruments to make a few extra euros like street performers.

Who knew so much junk existed. Two neighborhoods on the north side of Utrecht were designated flea market areas. M and I set out at 615pm, and already the streets were packed. It was estimated that there were over 300,000 people in the center of Utrecht that night. We found some good buys on Sunday night. We bought a 25-box CD set of classical music for 10 euros, an old school geography atlas of the world from 1956 for 1 euro, a new and unused fondue set for 5 euros, 2 books, and some candle holder thing.

We went home for dinner and break from 8-10. Then we went back to the train station to pick up M's sister. We also brought along our own booze and walked the streets with the thousands of others and boozed it up. hehe. Although Passoa and orange juice can't get you that drunk. We were out til about 130am. There were police on horses at midnight, not allowing any more people on to the Dom square because it was too full. We wanted to go there as there was some music there, but of course, elsewhere thru-out the city were many different stages set up with other music.

The next day we set out with some more booze at noon, and wandered the streets again with thousands of others again. But we didn't find anything good this time around...worth buying at least.

But what always surprises me is what a mess is made- the beer cans and smashed beer bottles all over the place and in canals. Broken glass is not good for bike tires, I can tell you that much.

But today the streets were cleaned up already (thank goodness for my bike tires!) and it was kinda weird going thru such empty streets that were so packed less than 24 hours ago.

So, now everyone will put their orange shirts and hats away and save them again for 364 days from now for next year.

Even Nijntje was dressed up for the party!