Bezet

Possessed. Occupied. Busy. Taken.

Amsterdam is bezet.

Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) is tomorrow, and the city is caught up in orange fever. Possessed by a spirit of anticipation and joy for this unique Dutch holiday. Occupied, as if by a foreign army, with visitors from across the country and around the world crowding the pleins and parks. Busy and bustling with friends and strangers -- connecting on the streets of Amsterdam, hunting for good deals in the vrijmarkt ("free market," similar to American "garage sales"), listening to good music, enjoying the finer things of life...

I'm taken by the charm of Koninginnedag. I look forward to it every year.