Houses in Shkora Laka

Houses in Shkora Laka, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

We love this architectural style, which we have seen in Turkey but also here in the Balkans.

Wde are in Plovdiv now and while it promised so much, we are ultimnately a little disappointed, so we are moving quickly onwards to the old capital city of Veliko Tarnovo, up towards the north-east, getting closer to the coast. Plovdiv was lovely for what it is, but the nice part is really very small and the rest is a bit of a no-go area. We move on to www.nomadshostel.com.

Shkora Laka was alos a delightful place but very small. we had thought about spending the night here but were happy we moved on to regional capital of Smolyan, which although less beautiful and quaint, was larger and had more excitement about it.

Charles and Fred in Plovdiv

Charles and Fred, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Greetings from sunny and hot Old Plovdiv!

Gypsy boy

Gypsy boy, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Balkan sheepdog with flock

Balkan sheepdog with flock, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Update from Dospat in the Rhodope Mountains of southern Bulgaria: probably no internet here but a lovely view across a lake surrounded by pine forests, under a clearing sky. Just managed to find some things to order for dinner - our standard Shopska Salad with Mastika (Bulgarian Raki) with a main course to follow. Difficult to avoid pork or battery chicken here_.

The drive through the countryside today was magnificent. Blue skies, bright sunshine. Evr changing landscapes, fileds abounding with all sorts of wild flowers, butterflies and grasshoppers, horses and carts, gtpsy villages. Tobacco fields and tobacco drying under plastic, slate mining, old villages with wooden hosues, flower filled gardens, vineyards, gushing rivers, storks and so on.

The salad has arrived, Nazdrovi!

Bringing the hay home

Bringing the hay home, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

A couple of hundreds of kms and we are back in Sofia, about to leave in the bus to Plovdiv, the second city of Bulgaria. In fact, we were driving past Plovdiv three hours ago but had to drive back to Sofia to drop the car off. We were met by a very friendly lady and without any discussion at al, gave us our deposit back in cash. What a difference to, say, Eritrea where we argued for almost an hour about a liter of petrol, or Albania, where we had a long discussion about a piece of loose plastic which had fallen off.
We had a look at the train to Plovdiv but it was due to take over four hours, more than double the bus and would mean us getting to Plovdiv late and we don't have a hotel booked yet.

Very impressed with the beauty of the countryside we have passed through the last few days, especially that around Gotse Dulchevo and Dospat. Peasants working in the fields, the men with long scythes and the women raking it up, the dried hay being packed on carts, to be ppulled back to the farmhouse.by a much loved and well fed pony. Not to mention that the fields have never seen a squirt of pesticide or fertiliser and are full of a myriad of colourful wild flowers, giving succour to armies of butterflies, beed and grasshoppers, which in turn provide food to the many species of birds.

A lovely lady to whom we gave a lift - look at her smile!

A lovely lady to whom we gave a lift - look at her smile!, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

We are now in Bageovgrad, staying in the Christ Hotel, just next to an impressive church. The plan is to go back up to visit Rila Monastery, high in the mountains behind us, before going further south to near the border with Greece to visit some delightful old villages there. Unlikely to find an internet computer in the next day or two - but plenty of uploads here from yesterday.

The ground is damp from last night's rain, but some blue sky has appeared in the last half an hour, so we will see how it goes on the weather front. Thinking of keeping the car another day to venture further east towards the birthplace of Orpheus.

Magical garden near Zemen

Magical garden near Zemen, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

There are some lovely little and colourful gardens here and there, like this one we stopped off to haev a look at when driving away from Zemen Monastery. Not too many roses, despite this being the land of the roses. Still, a lovely and welcoming sight!

Communist mural in Pernik

Communist mural in Pernik, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

There are some magnificent examples of Communist art left in Bulgaria and one of the most impressive is this large wall mural in the council offices in Pernik (an old mining town which the guide book warned us not to visit). As Fred mentions, all the trouble and strife and fighting bis depicted on the right - to give rise to the better life on the left.

Beware of Bulgarian umbrellas!

Beware of Bulgarian umbrellas!, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Yes, we are still having rain and cool temperatures, even though we are in what is supposed to be the hottest part of the country. It doesn't rain too much and it is nice that the heat is not stifling, while the light is still (mostly) good enough for photos, so we are not complaining! Just a bit typical, that's all!

And while we are on the subject, we always have to have a laugh when we see an umbrella in Bulgaria - after the famous incident in the 1970's or 80's when someone was killed in London by the Bulgarian secret service with a poisoned umbrella!

Old farmhouse construction in Bersin

Old farmhouse construction in Bersin, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Reminding us so much of the buildings of Kratovo, just over the border in Macedonia and the houses in Safranbolu in the Black Sea region of Turkey. Even the name of the vilage - Bersin - sounded quite Turkish.

Sunflowers vs Chicoryflowers

Sunflowers vs Chicoryflowers, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Out n the countryside of Bulgaria, one thing we were looking forward to was the fields of sunflowers and, sure enough, we had not driven too far before coming across this sight. Beautiful, lighting up another grey day!

Charles with his new Fred

Charles with his new Fred, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Wandering around in the gloom of a grey summer Monday in Sofia, we came across a sign to a Fred Perry shop just around the corner. Almost heaven for dear Fred but he had already got a lot of what the shop was offering. We didn't have so much money with us so Fred very kindly spent the money he had on buying me this - before we went back later in the afternoon to buy two checked shirts for Mister Fred!

To be honest, it was not warm enough to walk around in this so I put my (matching) shirt back on after taking this photo.

Back at the hotel, we managed to book a car - although the lady behgond reception did her best to get us into a more expensive car (50% more) than the one we wanted, but it looks like everything is arranged now. We will take the car south for three days before heading west by train and bus towards Plovdiv and later the Black Sea coast.

Now we have to find a place for dinner. Went to a very nice place on the fist evening - where we were served delicious food by a handsome and smiling waiter, while it tipped down with rain. Went back there last night, only had a little bit of rain but a less than happy waiter and not-quite-so-deliicous food... so now we have to find a new place which does not just serve pasta and pizza, as modern restaurants in the Balkans tend to...

Sofia in the evening sun

Sofia in the evening sun, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

It didn't rain too much during the day yesterday and the clouds kept trhe heat away and the light refracted. The sun burrst through in the eveing to give us this beautiful light.

We spent the day walking around, as we had the first. One more day in Sofia and then we go off into teh country - still need to arrange something - thinking of renting a car to go down south to the mountains, see some monasteries and pretty villages. So some work to do today to organise.

We sort-of like Sofia, it has some pretty buildings and some run-down areas, but the people are not exactly very approachable and we miss the sunny temperament which makes it always such a pleasure to be in Turkey.

Inside the Mimar Sinan mosque

Inside the Mimar Sinan mosque, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

And next to our hotel we have the main synagogue of Sofia an djust beyond that a beautiful Mimar Sinan mosque, one of the few surviving Ottoman structures in Sofia. Wonderful to connect to this man's work again!

Fred in front of the oldest church in the Balkans, St George's

Fred in front of the oldest church in the Balkans, St George's, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Here we are in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria.

It was very hot when we arrived but we had a good taxi ride ot our very comfortable hotel in the centre and after a quick splash, we set off to investigate what the city has to offer.

Here is Fred outside what is one of the oledest churches in the Balkans.

The church has been beautifully restored. It was built at the time of Constantine The Great who visited Sofia many times, on the location of a previous temple. It was later converted to a mosque under the Ottomans but restored to being a church in the 20th century. There was a service going on when we visited... there is something very enchanting about an Orthodox service.

Off on our summer holidays

Off on our summer holidays, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Off on our summer holidays today - to another country which mixes Ottoman, Black Sea, gypsy, Balkan, Eurovision, but it isn't Turkey!

We'll be back on 9th August, all being well, but will probably be uploading on our way around,

Here a gypsy band entertaining just before a wedding in Sinop last summer.

Kosovo, with a lot of help from your friends

Kosovo, with a lot of help from your friends, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

The International Court of Justice ruled yesterday that Kosovo did not act illegally when declaring independence from Serbia in February 2008. The vote amongst the judges was 10 to 4.

Kosovo came into existence after the US and some EU countries bombed Serbia and encouraged Kosovan nationalists to set up their own country. Both the UN and the EU have a heavy presence in Kosovo. As can be seen on the paintings on this peace wall in the capital Pristina, the Kosovans are very grateful and thankful towrads the US and the EU, Bill Clinton, George Bush and Tony Blair all being particularly popular.

There are strongly divided opinions about this ruling with many fearing that this will encourage other secessionist states, others welcoming this as an ancouragement to secssionist states. I think that each case needs to be looked at on its own merits.

Dinner on the balcony

Dinner on the balcony, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Introducing Robbert and Linda

Introducing Robbert and Linda, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Robbert and Linda are over from California and, all being well, they will come to visit us tomorrow, and with their two boys (Who we have never seen). I lost Robbert (a colleague who I had recruited in 1995) to Linda a few years later whne he fell in love =with her on one of his frequent trips to the head office in the US.

I used to see quite a lot of them when I had my job with my previous company, but have not been backsince I lot that job in 2005 and this is the first time they have brought the boys across to Europe, So thrilled to see them agaiun.

Linda's family have a ranch in the hills above Hopland in Mendocino County where her father (who is not so young) looks after horses as well as looks after a vineyard and makes his own wine, not to mention going out turkey or boar hunting.

Here we they are in the Russian River which flows through the hills just below Hopland.

Nailcote Hall

Nailcote Hall, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Ater the wedding, we made our way to near Covenrty, to this beautiful old house called Nailcote Hall. Here we would meet our Dad and Breda for a nice dinner at 6. Didn't get there much beforehand, so just had time for a short snooze and a freshen up before coing down.

I had put the films he had given me last year onto DVD's and asked the hotel if they had a DVD player and sure enough they did, so we were shown into the library where the dvd player was set up. We sarted off with the film of my Dad with his grandparents and aunties, not to mention his onw parents in their garden in Guildford from back in 1955. All was going well until the film stopped after about 7 minutes,... and the next film and the next film too... Despite all the stress of the previous couple fo days in getting this done, it did nto work in the end. Bloody technology! Anyway, Dad was glad to see what he did and it was nice to share it.

Afterwards we went for a quick photo session in the gardens before sitting down to a very pleasant meal, dowsed down with plenty of Tuscan Chardonnay (from Cortona).

The next day, the weather wasn't quite as good as we had expected but it was perfect for Richard, Thomas and I to play a round of golf on the par three course which they had in the grounds. I have never been too much of a golf player but I had great fun driving the ball - less fun in the putting departmemt unfortunately. Richard did very well and Thomas started getting the hang of it, being unlucky to have his balls landing in the bunkers or in the lake!

The Roffeys

The Roffeys, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Here we are having a post wedding drink in a beer garden in Theale, just west of Reading, before we went our separate ways again.

Mum! We missed you!

Malcolm and me

Malcolm and me, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Gary8345 Pro User says:
I like the "Malcolm and me" pictures. This one is lovely, it shows real affection in Malcolm's eyes.

hedgiecc Pro User says:
My how he's grown! Great shot of the two of you

Stuart-Lee Pro User says:
just superb!! Fantastic posting with the older shots! : )





And here we were back in 1983, when Malcolm was only three years old...

Scenes from the wedding party

Scenes from the wedding party, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Having a Bon Jovi moment with the lads from www.djspacebar.com

The mother and the sister of the groom, Samantha going a bit Country and Western here with her blow-up plastic guitar!

Malcolm and Kristina

Malcolm and Kristina, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Congratulations to Malcolm and Kristina on your wedding! It was great fun and lovely to see you both so obviously very happy and in love with each other. Best wishes for all the happiness in the years ahead.

Nice to have the boys back

Fred turning 50, looking back, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Fred and James arrived back from Istanbul yesterday evening, having had what appeared to have been a wonderful time out there, despite the rain. Fred was very impressed with James' interest in everything he came across in Istanbul and Fred was almost the perfect guide, with James looking after the map reading!

He we all were back in the summer of 1996 down in Thurlestone in Devon, when James was almost three.

This is what we thought of the ref!

De inhuldiging van Oranje, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Ah poor chap. He has told the papers that the two hours during the Final were like being in hell and that he is physcially and emotionally broken. The BBC supports him and so does whatever organisation there is for referees in England, blah-di-blah...

I must have worn the wrong hat

I must have worn the wrong hat, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

This was a 'petteflet' from Heineken which I picked up during the day.. I put on the milkmaid's hat for the match but it didn't seem to work, nor did the good luck kitty. Oh well. What a great achievement to get into the Final and get so close... well done Holland and well done Spain!

We can dream!

We can dream!, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Is it going to happen this time? We only have a few hours to wait to find out!

We had a massive thunderstorm last night, which destroyed some of the hollyhocks outside (a good thing I had photographed them before) and caused lots of damage around the country - good for my comapny, I hope!

This has cleared the humidity away a bit, but it is a bright hot sunny day outside again. I'll be taking the camera and the bike out to see what I can find. Will probably watch the match with some friends at Cafe Stephens on the Nieuwmarkt, although the local bar, Elsa's is quite tempting.

It is all quite exciting!

We could spend the rest of our lives taking photos of flowers

We could spend the rest of our lives taking photos of flowers, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

More of these street fighters - as seen in a quaint little street near our house. All dwellings are tiny tiny - used to be for low paid workers - as can be seen in the photo below with the Citroen.

These ones look a bit like a northern European variant of the tropical hibiscus flower - yet to be features on millions of swimming shorts!

Holland vs Uruguay - interviewed by WinkBall

Orange in Istanbul!

Orange in Istanbul!, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

I can't remember his name any more (I hate myself for this) - although it was almost a year ago and all we did was buy some very very COLD water off him down in Eminonu - I can just remember HOW cold that water was. Ouch! Anyway, he was from Karadeniz as well - Kastamonu, I think.

Anyway, he was very happy to haev his photo taken and gave us this super sweet smile - this was after the candid shot I had taken of him in the previous photo, where he is holding three bottles of that ice water...

he is wearing an official 2006 World Cup in Germany T shirt in what is a very pleasant shade of orange.

I am glad I had not uploaded him before as I can do so now and it is all of a sudden very relevant, now that Holland are in the World Cup final and Fred is in Istanbul!

Fred's in Istanbul

Fred's in Istanbul, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Fred is in Istanbul right now, taking my nephew James around for a week (his first visit - lucky chap). A nice start to both their summer holidays, staying in a nice hotel in Sultanahmet. Not faring too well with the weather as it has been raining there while we are having a heatwave again here in Amsterdam (33 degres again yesterday). Anyway, here are some pics from some lads playing football at Edirnekapi from last Christmas. Fred and James mean to go there later today!

The perfect days of summer!

Our hollyhocks!, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Fred collects hollyhock seeds when we are on vacation, so these could very easily be stock from Turkey or Macedonia!

The garden is getting a bit dry over ere as we realise that we have not had much rain for quite a while - because even when it was being so cold in May and the middle of June, we did nto have too much rain. Still the hollyhocks don't seem to mind, as loing as they can get their roots nice and hot under the sun.

Unfortunately, the hollyhocks have bustled out the phlox which have growing by the front door for the last few years. And in teh meantime, the tobacco plants which we had under the tree at the fromnt have wholly migrated to the warmer soil nearer the house, leaving space there. One very elegant solution - go to the garden centre and buy some delicious smelling phlox and plant them in the space left where the tobacco plants are not growing.

Also bought some trellissing for the back of the house for the sweet honeysuckle to twist itself around. We had to break the honeysuckle down when we had the balcony reparired, which was such a pity. It desparately wants to grow back up and in a few days twists itself around anything vertical left nearby - like the spade or the ladder, now a nice piece of trelliss!

And with the ewther being so p[erfect - endless warm evenings when it never seems rto get dark and certainly doesn't cool down, I have been sleeping outside on the balcony at the back, being first woken up by the dawn chorus at 4, followed by teh alarm clock at 7, by which time the sun is shining on the leaves of the trees above,m set off against a brilliant blue sky. Perfect! A shame Fred isn't here to enjoy it!

Beach football on the Dam

Beach football on the Dam, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Dam Square is often used for events at weekends, sometimes a fun fair, sometimes a pop concert and sometimes street or beach football. A few weeks ago there was a European beach football tournament on the Square, with a ready-mafde sandy beach laid out and some gorgeous beach weather to go with it. Here we see a nice contrast between the laid-back atmosphere of the beach and the city centre buildings. The red and green of the chap in the foreground are the colours of Hungary!

H&S gone mad

Lunchtime in London, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

So! Why did I take this? Because I wanted to show the sad and sorry state of the schoolchildren in Britain nowadays, being forced to wear dayglow jackets whenever they leave the school premises.

I was further moved to take this photo by the fact that a couple in South London have bene reported to Social Services for allowing their children to cycle to school unaccompanied (almost all of the trip is off road too). Apparently, this shows that the parents are possibly not fit to look after their kids.



Markus..@gl1 Pro User says:

i take it she didn't call the police on you then ??

CharlesFred Pro User says:

Ha ha! No she didn't, but it does look as if she has a mind to. It sickens me to see all these children having to walk around in dayglo jackets all the time.

peterpeers Pro User says:

other option: give glasses to the drivers!

Bootcrease Pro User says:

CharlesFred, what's wrong with them wearing hiviz ? If I were a teacher I'd appreciate the help it would give me in keeping track of my group.
Something bad must have happened to a plain-clothed child in these circumstances in the past. That is day, but it's quite reasonable that they're taking steps to prevent that in the future.

CharlesFred Pro User says:

I think it is bad because schools and the authorities are teaching children to be afraid to public spaces and to think of any grown up who looks at them as a potential paedophile. Bye bye innocence, hello alienation and break down of society.

Bootcrease Pro User says:

I agree with you on that but I feel this a slightly different issue. The other day a man won a case against BA after they made him change his seat on a plane because men were not allowed to sit next to unaccompanied minors. If he had been a women then it would have been okay, and that's not fair.
But I would support identifying school groups (adults included) with special clothing, I feel that is harmless and might help if there is a problem.

CharlesFred Pro User says:

As for your comment. B/c, I suppose I am guilty of mixing my stories - cycling to school and wearing dayglo jackets and I can understand that one can have differing attitudes to each.

Bootcrease Pro User says:

I think The Sun is worse than the paper to which I will not otherwise refer.

I look at the Health and Safety issue from another direction. I remember for instance the Russian nightclub fire from last December when fireworks were let off inside a hall with wooden ceilings and just one exit. Such a disaster is much less likely in the UK because of our health and safety rules, and I'm proud of that.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM8VMC7E9T8


But I do accept that sometimes it gets taken too far by people who just want to say no.


CharlesFred Pro User says:

Soory B/c, I thought I had posted a response to you but it obviously didn't reach flickr.

I suppose you are right about H+S, of course it is good to be concerned, just as long as it doesn't go too far and as long as you are aware of alternative risks which you are taking.


CharlesFred Pro User says:

As for The Scum, it too is rotten but at least you know what you are getting, whilst that other rag likes to hide itself under a cloak of respecability.

I remember that hateful article they wrote when Stephen Gately died, as just one recent example.


Markus..@gl1 Pro User says:

if you have more then one group at the same place and both groups wearing those hi viz things whats to stop the groups getting mixed up,

Afrazov says:

Sorry C but I did not get the gist of the discussion above, why exactly are the day glo vest being made compulsory for kids to wear? I mean what is the purpose behind this?

Doug Watt Pro User says:

If they're making the kids wear those day-glo vest in the UK they'll be doing the same thing in the US any day now.

Poor kids, we had so much more freedom to explore and room to play when we were kids.

Markus..@gl1 Pro User says:

@Afrazov its just in case some random car drives in to a pedestrian only area and fails to see that there are kids walking through and runs them over

CharlesFred Pro User says:

Ha ha ha, Markus, that is SO funny! And you are quite right of course!

I am sorry, Doug, but you are probably right.Unfortunately, I even saw it happen in Holland earlier last month as well.

Bootcrease Pro User says:

Am I the only one here who takes health and safety considerations seriously ?

Markus..@gl1 Pro User says:

There's H&S and there is downright over reaction, most off the good H&S get lost in the stupid stuff like having to wear safety glasses to play conkers and a woodwork class not allowed tools

Outside the Dutch pub in London

Outside the Dutch pub in London, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Nice to meet up with flickr friend Eddie (hedgiecc) to watch the thrilling semi final between Holland and Uruguay. We met up outside the Dutch pub in Soho called De Hems but it was full and there was a queue which ahd lasted more than two hours for people to watch it there. After the match we went back to experience some of the orange atmosphere.

4th July in Amsterdam!

4th July in Amsterdam!, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

It's Hollyhock time! If it is Wimbledon, it's time for Hollyhocks. They have really taken over the streets of Amsterdam in the 20+ years which I have been living here.

Most of the hollyhocks we see are semi-wild in that the seeds fly around and self-seed. They like to grow near pavements where the roots get nicely warmed under the paving stones. It is intriguing to see from year to year where they grow , as the healthy plants are to be found in a different spot - and then to see what colour they will be,

These ones are orange for the football team!

4th July in Amsterdam!

4th July in Amsterdam!, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

It was a lovely day in Amsterdam after the rain, humidity and darkness of teh day before. Woke up nice and early to clear blue skies and birds singing and church bells =ringing. In tiem for Andrew Marr and some flickr-ing, before going to the local swimming poool - Flevobad, for the afternoon. Found a nice spit on the green grass and flowering white clover to lie down, sleep and and also to go swimming - spent a whole hour swimming lengths in the main pool, a bit boring but it felt good. Back for more sleeping and reading before taking the bike around town to see what was going on - the photos of which are displayde here. This one of the children's paddling pool in Oosterpark. Had a couple of friends round for a surprise dinner on the balcony and ended up watching an edition of The Commander which Fred had taped yesterday. Back to work tomorrow.

4th July in Amsterdam!, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

From the local Wertheimpark neighbourhood party - every year I manage to see this party as I cycle past this park. Every year the same band, dressed in the same colourful clothes, playing the same music with the same eccentric enighbours drinking their wine and getting up to dance. Fun!

Hup! Holland! Hup!

Hup! Holland! Hup!, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Going orange for Oranje!

Getting into the spirit, before the quarter final between Holland and Brazil.

The kick-off was at 16.00, whichj is work time and my boss had arranged a video conference for the whole afternoon. I managed to let him agree to phone in from home, so I coiuld make a quick get away to watch the match in town with my friends.

Usually these calls do not la;st so long but due to some reorganisation at work, there were new people on the call and it took much longer than normal, on the very day you didn't weant it to. Still, after a frustrating first half listening in and watching some of teh action without sound, the call suddenlty ended before Holland scored their first goal. I sped down to the centre and managed to get to Cafe Stephens in time tio see Holland score their second goal and se Brazil collapse totally under the pressure.

Great excitement in the heat of what at 33 degrees was the hottest day we have had in Amsterdam for a few summers.

Went to Fred's school's end of term party in Oegstgeest in teh evening and came back to rescue my bike form being stolen (in the excitement of rushing down to watch teh match I had forgotten to lock it up against something solid). Bike was still there at 1 am and it was after 4 when I finally cycled home, with the sky lightening from the north east, the birds singing and a delicious scent hanging in the air. What a perfect end to a great day!

Green, yellow and blue for Brazil

Green, yellow and blue for Brazil, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

The Keti Koti festival in our local Oosterpark marks the end of slavery in Holland and its colony in Suriname in 1863, a colourful event, many Suriname women dressing up in African prints.

Hwere are a couple who manged to combine the national colours of Brazil, probably quite by chance. Brazil was due to play Holland the folowing day on 2nd June.

Keti Koti Festival 2010

Keti Koti Festival 2010, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Celebrating 174 years since the abolition of slavery in Holland, Suriname and the Dutch Antilles on 1st July 1836.

1.

Jandorus

Let us not forget ! Let us not point to others, judge and condemn.
But accept. Without any distinction.
A colorful beautiful serie Charles, thanks.
2.

CharlesFred

Thanks, Jan.
One sad thing, which was refferred to by both Andre Rouvoet and Lofdewijk Asscher is that we in Amsterdam, still have a form of slavery in the form of the foreign prostitutes who work here.
Not to mention the cheap clothes made by chiildren abd chocolate, where the cacao has been harvested by slaves.
3.

fotomark.net

Great colors, great spirit, great capture!
4.

friedkampes

This summer festival series is wonderful! Compliments!

6.

Elián

Magnificent photograph of a magnificent event. I keep learning so much! (http://www.ketikotiamsterdam.nl/index.html)