Monday 22 June 2015

The Medieval centre in Amsterdam

 
Just two weeks after our trip to Stockholm, we set off again, this time to Amsterdam. Last time we were in Amsterdam was this time last year, so we were not expecting much to change. Some things had changed though.
 
 
 

 
Nutella is taking over the city - stacks of them are to be seen everywhere. It's like a madness.
 
 
 
 
The other thing that has changed is that in the space of a year most bridges now have lovers' locks - some in the weirdest places. It feels like now that the locks have been removed from the Pont Neuf in Paris, the people of Amsterdam have to make up for it.
 
 
 

 
Otherwise, not much has changed. We stayed in the same Art Deco hotel, an old cinema that has been converted into a hotel
 
 
 

 
 
The Three Graces on the top balcony of this building
 

 

 
are one of the very first things we would see every morning.
 

 

 
This is the heart of Amsterdam, its medieval core which is remarkably well preserved. The overall layout has changed little since the 17th century.
 
 

 

 
The Art Deco Grand Hotel on the left hand side of this picture
 
 
 
 


and the canals as mysterious as ever.




This is Café de Doelen opposite Staalmeesters another café/restaurant where we occasionally have an evening meal, sitting outside if possible, which is what we did on the evening that the photograph was taken



 
It's situated in a quiet street that has some very interesting shops
 
 
 


 
including Droog, a cutting-edge design shop
 
 

 

 
and this bridge
 




which, if I remember rightly, Van Gogh painted
 
 
 


 
 

 

 
This is the district where the University is
 
 

 

 
parts of it are busy
 

 

 
but on the whole it's very quiet here

 
 

 
and a real pleasure, walking here at night
 
 



The Dutch seem to have an aversion to drawing their curtains shut





which gives us the opportunity to have a look inside their houses as we walk along




 
it's all so very lovely.
 
 
 


Dam square is very near our hotel. This is De Bijenkorf, a large department store





the Palace





De Niuewe Kerk, the new church, even though it isn't that new anymore




 
the Amsterdam Museum, with plaques on the wall
 
 

 


These date back to the Middle Ages when many people couldn't read, and used the plaques to identify the name or profession of the owner. Over 650 plaques have been preserved throughout Amsterdam





the museum's inner courtyard





another courtyard where the café is situated.





This is a White Bike, and this is what the notice says: 'People of Amsterdam! The asphalt terror of the motorised bourgeoisie has lasted long enough! The white bicycle scheme is the most famous Provo plan of all. The objective is to drive out the city's 'monstrous, polluting cars'. The plan is: thousands of white bikes without locks in the city. Anyone can use them and leave them wherever they like. In July 1965 the first bikes are painted white. The police impound them immediately'.
 


 
 
 
The Red Light district is near here as well. Seeing women for sale in the windows is not to our taste, but sometimes it's difficult to avoid walking through, particularly since we have to walk through the district to get to the Bird, the best Thai restaurant in Amsterdam




this is one of the oldest districts of the city






and parts of it are very beautiful.




The Oude Kerk is here, the oldest church and oldest building in the city





and the area around it is busy but calm

 


lots of bars and restaurants all around
 
 
 






tiny alleyways




beautiful buildings


 

 
 
 
 

 


and some sculpture



 
This is Majoor Bosshardt. Alda Margaretha Bosshardt was an officer of the Salvation Army who offered help to the homeless, people struggling with addictions and sex workers in and around the red light district. She was knighted in 1966 and in 2009, two years after her death, she was elected 'Greatest Amsterdammer of All Time'.

 
 


It was early evening when I took these photographs




 
and the tops of the buildings turned golden from the setting sun.
 
 


Finally, some more plaques on the side of this café.




 

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