Going Dutch

Just got back from our end of May break in Holland, the rain sort of followed us over and thankfully cleared up towards the middle of the ten days, and I’m glad to report a bloody lovely time was had by all… with both boys developing a fascination for basketball for some odd reason…(leaving me desperately trying to look sporty)



Not really a record buying/searching sorta holiday but I managed to pick up a tasty Circle double album – Sunrise (documenting their take on cosmic Sabbath) at my favourite Amsterdam record shop (Distortion), which I’m delighted to report is still a diggers paradise, with it’s mass of impromptu stacked vinyl housing many a buried gem and of course its blissfully derailed filing system – the sort of place that you could easy lose 5 hours in without noticing, but with less than an hour to spare it was a bit of a mad dash – ‘Erked’ by the fact there was no sign of that ultra rare Mandrake LP by Fursaxa – I was kinda of getting used to the notion of owning it, but it was not to be...

Sadly didn’t get to Second Life Music further down Prinsengracht mainly due to the need for apple-pie and acid etched coffee on the corner of Raadhuisstraat and the kiddies being a bit worn out…

Love the city’s canals and the ambient dinging of bicycles but the main avenue is still a bloody construction site and the Victorian grandeur of Centraal Station has been hidden behind boards for too long methinks.

Leiden

Leiden and Wassenaar were as beautiful as ever, and boy isn’t Antwerp a hidden gem of a place… Oooh - that classic Dutch architecture makes me all floaty inside and the rich vein of ‘street’ art fired the senses too...

Antwerp's historic centre

Got back to find the much delayed Nurse with Wound album Soundpooling on my doormat but more on that a little later…

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