April 30, 2013 AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

                                  Amsterdam, Netherlands

Today, April 30, 2013, Willem Alexander was officially inaugurated as "King of Netherlands" after 123 years of having a woman at the reins of the House of Orange- Nassau. His mother, Queen Beatrix at age 75, abdicated the throne in favor of her eldest son who is 46 years old. Reports claim that the new monarch is married to a "commoner" from Argentina who is dearly loved by a great majority of the people. International media reported that the huge crowd of well-wishers in Dam Square, the city center of Amsterdam, were mostly wearing "orange "
clothes. It must have been a sight!

As always, when TV newscast is on a country I have had the privilege of visiting, my thoughts instantly revert to a memorable experience there. I have been to the Netherlands during the decade of the 70's twice:
Firstly, when I visited Amsterdam after an UNCTAD (United Nations Commission on Trade and Development) conference in Geneva, Switzerland  and secondly, as a member of the UN Scholars' Study Tour of Europe which covered visits to Paris, London, Copenhagen in Denmark, Antwerp in Belguim and  Amsterdam, The Hague and the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

 This blog is on my first visit to Amsterdam as a tourist.