In May 2018, Debra and I spent five days in the Netherlands – three days of sightseeing in Amsterdam and two days on tours in other parts of the country. Click HERE to read a short introduction about our fabulous trip.
This story, which is part of a series, is about a morning of sightseeing in Amsterdam.
This story, which is part of a series, is about a morning of sightseeing in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam, Netherlands (May 6, 2018) – This morning, as Debra relaxed in our room at the Albus – it was, after all, her birthday! – I explored the Centrum borough. It is one of eight boroughs in Amsterdam – the inner-most and last one created (2002). It contains a majority of the city’s landmarks, including the Ann Frank House, Central Station, Dam Square, and the famous de Rosse Buurt, otherwise known as the Red Light District. Centrum is also home to a university, historic buildings, churches, and more. Without a doubt, there is a lot to see in this borough.
|
During the Middle Ages, Amsterdam was protected by walls. The earthen walls built in the 14th century were replaced with stone walls in the 15th century. There were five gates in the stone walls, including Sint Antoniespooort (“Saint Anthony’s Gate”). In the 16th century, as Amsterdam grew beyond its walls, the gates fell into disuse. Saint Anthony’s Gate was restructured and incorporated within the two-story, Renaissance style de Waag (“The Weigh House”), which is located on Nieuwmarkt (“New Market”) square. As the oldest remaining non-religious building in Amsterdam, de Waag served as a guildhall, museum, fire station, and classroom for teaching anatomy. The architecture of the building, with its circular towers, high windows, and arched entrance, looked like a pint-sized castle.
|
|
Throughout my travels, I loved to visit churches and cathedrals. I was in luck this morning, as there were ten in Centrum to choose from. Two churches with spires that stood tall above the surrounding buildings caught my eye as I wandered about.
|
The first was Oude Kerk (“Old Church”). The original church was built of wood in the early 13th century; within a century, it was replaced by a stone church that was consecrated in 1306. In the 16th century, the interior was destroyed during the Reformation (the revolt against the Catholic Church) and, subsequently, Oude Kerk became a Reformed Protestant church. As I stood near the main entry, I saw a coffeeshop, a nursery, and, of all things, windows with sex workers (more on this later). Talk about the juxtaposition of good and evil!
|
|
The second was Zuiderkerk (“South Church”), which was built in the Renaissance style and completed in the early 17th century. The 230-foot tower was erected a few years after the church was dedicated. Claude Monet painted the church during a visit to the Netherlands (on canvas, of course!), and three of Rembrandt’s children were buried there.
|
|
|
Like many large cities, Amsterdam has a “Chinatown” – although “Asiatown” might be a better moniker. Located beside Nieuwmarkt and the Red Light District, there were shops and restaurants representing many Asian countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and China. There was also a Buddhist temple nearby. I loved the architecture of this corner building, which housed Tokok Dun Yong, a Chinese market, on the first floor, with residential housing above.
|
|
Amsterdam has 165 canals (more than Venice) with a combined length of 60+ miles. Historically, the canals were used primarily for water management, transportation of goods, and defense. The canals are still used for maritime activities – pleasure and sightseeing craft ply up and down the canal system, and there are more than 2,500 houseboats (like the one in the right-hand photo) that are moored along the canal banks. UNESCO added the canals to its World Heritage List in 2010.
|
|
|
Dam Square was the site of a dam that was built on the Amstel River in the 13th century to prevent flooding. The present-day square is the site of the Royal Palace of Amsterdam and the National Monument. The monument, which is 72-feet tall, was dedicated in 1956 to remember the casualties in World War II and subsequent conflicts.
|
|
I was at Dam Square two days ago, on May 4th, to observe the “Remembrance Day” ceremony. Hundreds of citizens, led by a line of drummers, marched to Dam Square, where thousands more had already congregated. The Queen and King walked from the Royal Palace to take part in the ceremony along with other dignitaries. It was a moving experience – one that I was glad to be a part of.
|
|
Anne Frank was a 13-year old Jewish girl who, with her family, lived in hiding in Amsterdam for two years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in World War II. They were betrayed and sent to concentration camps in 1944, where Anne died. Anne kept a diary while she hid, which was recovered and later published (1947) as The Diary of a Young Girl. The four-story house where they hid (the “Anne Frank House”) was converted into a museum; it opened in 1960. Nearby was a statue of Anne Frank.
|
|
|
When David Letterman hosted Late Night, he would present a “Top Ten” list of items around a theme – for example, ten creepy things said by John Malkovich. It was funny stuff, although I think I groaned more often than I laughed. Well, as I wandered through Centrum this morning, I came up with this theme: Things that there are a lot of in Amsterdam. I also came up with a list – five, though, rather than ten.
- People – There are more than 1.6 million people in the greater metropolitan area. Always crowded, it seemed like many of them were on the streets this morning.
- Bicycles – There are half as many bicycles as there are people – an estimated 880,000. As I walked, it felt like I took my life in my hands, as bicyclists did not yield my right of way.
- Restaurants – TripAdvisor lists more than 3,500 restaurants across the full range of cuisines. I was certain that I walked past hundreds this morning.
- Weed – While pot isn’t legal in Amsterdam, the city has a “policy of tolerance.” It’s common to see people smoke weed in public, and “coffeeshops” (like the one in this photo) that legally dispense marijuana are commonplace. This “policy of tolerance” is one reason Amsterdam is such a popular tourist destination!
- Sex and Eroticism – While I could not find data on the number of legal purveyors of sex and eroticism, it is a BIG business in Amsterdam. (Remember the sex workers in the windows near Oude Kerk, located in the Red Light District?) To reinforce my point, here are a few pics I snapped this morning: An Erotic Museum (no, I did not go in!) and a condom shop, which displayed an array of colorful condoms in its window!
|
|
|
I enjoyed my stroll through Centrum, where I saw a few things I intended to see and a few more by keeping my “eyes wide open” as I wandered about. After lunch, Debra and I toured the world-famous Keukenhof Gardens, where we “tip-toed through the tulips.” The gardens, which I will write about in a future blog, were stunning!