AMSTERDAM

TO BE HONEST WITH YOU I REALLY THOUGHT WE'D BE WALKING AROUND AMSTERDAM IN WEATHER THAT WAS A LITTLE LESS WINTER-LIKE!!   FLURRIES COMING DOWN ON EASTER MORNING!   WE HAD ALSO HOPED TO BE ENJOYING THE BEAUTIFUL TULIPS AT KOEKENBURG GARDENS JUST SOUTH OF AMSTERDAM.   THE WINTER HAS DRAGGED ON TOO LONG AND THE BLOOMS WERE COMING OUT LATER THAN USUAL.   MAYBE WE'LL GET THERE LATER THIS YEAR OR WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT TILL 2014.

IN THE MEANTIME, HERE ARE SOME PICTURES OF AMSTERDAM.   SOME OF THE PICTURES SEEM WASHED OUT.  NOT SURE IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE CAMERA OR IF IT WAS JUST THE GREY SKIES.  WE ARRIVED ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND WERE HOPING TO SEE SOME OF THE OLD CHURCHES AND THE PALACE BUT WE FOUND THAT THE CHURCHES WERE EITHER CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS OR THEY HAVE BEEN RENOVATED INTO MUSEUMS OR CONDOS.   THE PALACE WAS CLOSED BECAUSE JUST OUTSIDE WAS A BIG CARNIVAL.   THEY MUST HAVE CLOSED THE PALACE FOR SECURITY REASONS.

NEED A REFILL?

ENDLESS BICYCLES.   I WOULD BET THAT THERE ARE BIKES HERE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN MOVED SINCE 1972.  

WE ALL AGREED THAT THE SWING RIDE WOULD BE PRETTY COLD!  

THE MAGNA SHOPPING PLAZA.  ORIGINALLY THE POST OFFICE BUILDING - BUILT IN 1899; IT WAS CONVERTED INTO THE SHOPPING MALL IN 1992.  

WE COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE THAT A LOT OF BUILDINGS WERE CROOKED IN AMSTERDAM.  LATER ON THE CANAL BOAT TOUR WE FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE BUILT CROOKED ON PURPOSE BECAUSE IT MADE THE HOISTING OF FURNITURE UP INTO THE WINDOWS EASIER AND ALSO KEPT THE RAIN OUT.

THE OTHER UNIQUE QUALITY OF AMSTERDAM ARCHITECTURE IS THE NARROW BUILDINGS.      TURNS OUT THAT THE REASON IS THAT WAY-BACK-WHEN THE GOVERNMENT TAXED ON THE WIDTH OF THEIR HOME.   SO, THEY BUILT NARROW HOMES!

NARROW HOMES, NARROW STAIRCASES....RESULTING IN THE NEED TO HOIST YOUR FURNITURE UP THROUGH THE WINDOWS.

BEER BIKES....SOMETHING TELLS ME THAT THESE GUYS AREN'T WORKING OFF AS MANY CALORIES AS THEY ARE TAKING IN.   

YES WE WALKED AROUND THE RED-LIGHT DISTRICT.  CAN'T REALLY AVOID IT!!   BUT WE WERE THERE DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS.  NO GIRLS IN THE WINDOWS YET!   THERE CERTAINLY WERE SOME INTERESTING STORES TOO!

THIS IS THE NATIONAL MONUMENT DEDICATED TO THE VICTIMS OF WORLD WAR II

MONTELBAANSTOREN WAS BUILT IN 1512 (with the decorative spire added in 1606).  IT IS PART OF THE ORIGINAL PROTECTIVE WALL OF THE CITY.   IT'S NICKNAME IS "SILLY JACK" BECAUSE WHEN THE CLOCK AND SPIRE WERE ADDED THE BELLS WERE VERY UNRELIABLE, RINGING AT ODD TIMES OF THE DAY OR NOT RINGING FOR DAYS ON END.

HARD TO SEE THEM BUT THERE WERE FLURRIES ON EASTER MORNING!

BELOW ARE DECORATIVE PLAQUES THAT WERE ONCE ON MANY AMSTERDAM  HOMES.  THEY USUALLY TOLD WHAT TYPE OF SHOP WAS WITHIN THE BUILDING.  

THIS IS A COLLECTION OF PLAQUES AT THE AMSTERDAM HISTORIC MUSEUM

THIS PLAQUE DEPICTS THE STORY OF THE MID-EVIL BATTLE OF 4 BROTHERS FIGHTING CHARLEMAGNE ON THEIR EXCEPTIONALLY STRONG HORSE, BEIAERT.  IN THE END THEY HAD TO DROWN THEIR HORSE TO GAIN THE RELEASE OF THEIR CAPTURED FATHER.   THE LEGEND HAS AN UNUSUAL ENDING BECAUSE IT TELLS ABOUT THE DEATH OF BAIAERT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE HORSE.  

SO I WAS WONDERING IF THIS MIGHT BE SOMEONE FROM FRANCE...ESCAPING THEIR 75% TAX BILL!!

THIS AMAZING BUILDING IS CALLED "THE EYE" AND IT IS THE FILM INSTITUTE OF THE NETHERLANDS

"NEMO" - THE AMSTERDAM SCIENCE CENTER

THE DUTCH LOVE THEIR BICYCLES.  IN FACT, EVEN TODAY WHEN THE DUTCH PLAY GERMANY IN SOCCER THE DUTCH CHANT...."RETURN OUR BICYCLES" OVER AND OVER.   APPARENTLY THE GERMANS TOOK THEIR BIKES DURING WORLD WAR II AND THE DUTCH HAVE NEVER FORGIVEN THEM! 

MORE CROOKED BUILDINGS

A QUIETER PART OF TOWN

WHY DIDN'T I STOP HERE FOR SOME DELICIOUS GOUDA CHEESE?

AN INTERESTING BIKE - BUT I WOULDN'T LEAVE IT OUT WITH ALL THOSE OTHER BIKES!!

HOUSEBOATS ON THE CANAL

HMMM...NOT SURE ABOUT THE PLACE WE STOPPED FOR LUNCH

ONE OF THE 1,200 BRIDGES THROUGHOUT THE CITY

WE SAW A FEW OF THESE CARS THROUGHOUT THE CITY - WE SAW ONE WITH 3 PEOPLE IN IT!   THEY DRIVE ON THE BIKE PATHS!

FINALLY, MY FAVORITE PART OF AMSTERDAM WAS THIS SMALL AREA CALLED "BEGIJNHOF".   AN INSIGNIFICANT WOODEN DOOR ALONG A BUSY STREET TAKES YOU TO THIS LITTLE HIDEAWAY.  THE AREA WAS ORIGINALLY POPULATED BY BEGUINES, WHO WERE PIOUS CATHOLIC SINGLE WOMEN WHO PERFORMED WORK LIKE NUNS BUT DID NOT TAKE THE OATH.  THE MAJORITY OF THESE HOUSES DATE TO THE 17TH & 18TH CENTURY ALTHOUGH ONE DATES BACK TO THE 15TH CENTURY AND HAS BEEN COMPLETELY RESTORED.  

BETWEEN 1578-1795 ROMAN CATHOLICS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO OPENLY PRACTICE THEIR RELIGION IN AMSTERDAM, ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNMENT DID TURN A BLIND EYE TO THE BUGUINES.  THE LAST BEGUINE PASSED AWAY IN 1971 BUT STILL ONLY WOMEN RESIDE IN THESE HOMES.  THE LAST CENSUS COUNTED 93.