The Final Phase... monday afternoon-evening

finally we arrived at museumplein for The Final Phase - this one of amsterdam's awesome big grassy areas where a big radio-broadcast concert was held. Hottest queens day on record!


we found a possie next to a cop car to resume our heineken consumption. because we could.


awesome. i out-paced this guy. don't worry, he woke up a while later covered in sweat/dribble/beer.


oh the fun of finding bits of discarded masks that depict her royal dutch majesty.




and the queens masks themselves, spruced up with our aviators. (acknowledgements to jackson for his editing acheivements on this one).


a loyal royal mob we passed as we made our way to our next destination: Rembrandtsplein


where we found our friend marcel who was up from Arnhem for the festivities.

who either hadn't worked out/had forgotten that you need only buy ONE of these plastic cups and can get it re-filled. (okay i shouldn't sneer, i was baffled to find 12 in my own bag when i got home).

i can't remember what we were yelling or singing, but it appears to be in perfect unison!

another stage above our aussie bar: put your hands up in the air, put your hands up - in - the - air! a sample of the 250, 000 people who occupied the streets of amsterdam for the events (that's over half the population of tassie). *UPDATE 4/5/07 - OFFICIAL FIGURES NOW REVEAL THAT 250, 000 WAS A SEVERE UNDER-ESTIMATION - THE DUTCH RADIO STATION OFFICIALLY REPORTS IT WAS 500, 000 (and yes, i do at least know my dutch numbers...)

some more of our party pals. han, his gf wendy (alicia's cousin), marcel, alicia and i.

this dude obviously thought the one-euro beer cups were superfluous/too expensive.

"you can always tell the beers have taken effect when you see the shoulder dance in action!" i think we're starting a whole new trend...

another stuck-shutter, but this one came out way cool.

THE GROTTY AFTERMATH...

after 12 hours of walking and dancing, its no wonder the traditional aussie thongs did little to protect our feet (as alicia painfully discovered the next morning, soberly having to go to the doctor to have shards of glass removed from her foot).

how narked would you be if you'd parked your bike here?!? this was one of about 20 around rembrandtsplein that became part of the sea of scunge.

amidst it all i still managed to appreciate my maoz falafel (not sure if alicia was quite as perky though).

how perfect a title for a piece of floating trash?

a deflated sonic rides the waves and floats our way!

these guys thought they'd celebrate in comfort next to the tram line.

and finally, ready to head home, outside the misleadingly-named 'Australian' Belgian chocolate shop.