AMSTERDAM AND MORE

We are still making our way around the  strreets of Amsterdam -- from Browersgracht to Utrechstraat to Raadhuisstraat.  Areas like Regulierstraat, the "De Megen Sraaaten" area and the Nieuwespeigalstraat.  Those are not spelled incorrectly.  Just imagine us trying to pronounce them.  They have that nice guttural sound that we just get can't down.  Maybe by the end of  four months we will do better.  Don't bet any money on it however.  

We did take the tram last wek to visit the Resistance Museum. Built to remind the people what can and did happen here.  The museum centers on the courses of action people could and did take when the Germans invaded.  One could adapt, collaborate or resist.  The theme is prevalent throughout the musem as different people are hilighted and the course of action they chose described.  It is a well done museum but as always leaves you with a feeling of such remorse - all the loss.  

                               140,000 Jews in the Netherlands          

107,000 were deported        5500 survived           101,500 died 

25,000 in hiding                    18,000 survived        7000 died

8,000 other (sterilized)                                             8000 died

That pretty much tells the story.

This is a memorial not too far from the museum.  We had missed the stop on the tram so had to walk back a bit.  We needed to get our steps in or would have caught the tram back.  But as I've said before it's just a lovely city to walk in and so often you miss so much including sore feet, knees and back but also this monument which is part of the daffodil project which is a world wide nonprofit Holocaust Education and Awareness Organization.  The organization aspires to plant 1.5 million daffodils in memory of the 1.5 million children who died in the Holocaust.  The shape and color of the daffodils represent the yellow stars that the Jews were required to wear during the Holocaust. The flower represents the renewal of nature after the harshness of winter. Despite tragedies life does continue. 

This is one of the trams which provides transportation through the city,  It doesn't take long to learn to use them and people at the stops are more than willing to give you assistance if you need it. When the distance is just too far or we are just too tired one of these gets us pretty close to our destination.

Of course we seldom use the tram because we like sore feet, knees, and back so this particular day we walked down to the Floating Flower Market.  I was looking forward to picking up some flowers for the house and I had visions of blooming flowers all over the area.  Well , not quite true.  Mostly we saw tulip bulbs, and amarylis bulbs, and other flower bulbs.  Of course I should have known - I am in Holland after all.  The market is a great place to get "things" you have to grow.  I did see a flower stand but than deided I could get some closer to home.  The area is geared to the tourist although I'm sure many natives do go there to purchase their bulbs.  Interestingy enough directly across from the flower garden are many cheese shops.  One 
shopping for the tourist.  They also had "wooden shoes" available if you wanted to pick up some of those while here in the Netherlands.  I also thought the market would be "really"floating.  No, again!  It's just on the canal.

This is the back of the market

These are the million of bulbs I"m talking about and this is only one stand and you see how many there are if you look at the picture above. 

Nine and half AAAA please.....

it is just fun to look around.  I was at the gym today talking to someone who has lived her since 1979. 

He 's originally from California, came over with the USA Time magazine and was complaining a bit about the tourists.  He said so many more are coming to Amsterdam now than previously.  I can't say I've been going to all the tourist places.  Kind of holding off until early September and than willl hit the more popular museums.  It's nice to have that luxury.  Where we are living people come to look but don't really stay long.  It's just a very pretty area but few hotels so mostly locals hang around in the evening, etc.  

On our walks I have seen these on so many stairways and I really couldn't figure out what they were for - dumb me.  Look and then  you guess - what for?

As you can see the stairs are so steep.  These are a small set of stairs going to the lower level of the building.  The addition to the steps is to wheel your bike up and down.   How did I overlook the obvious.

One evening we decided to take a wine and cheese candlelight canal cruise.  We were seated with a nice couple from College Station, Pennsylvania.  We had a delightful time gettig to know them.  I couldn't help but notice that two young couples were seated across from us and they never exchanged a word during the entire 2 hour cruise.  What a wasted opportunity.  It was fun to see the canals from a boat ( I'm still looking for that boat owner who needs a crew, or maybe just a drinking buddy).  They had a lovely assortment of cheeses and bread at each table and they were very generous with the wine of drinks that they served.  We were o the cruise with a group of young girls who were all dressed up and were very quiet at the beginning of the trip.  Things changd as the night wore on.

Yup! This is the group.  All dressed up and so sedate...

This Chinese restaurant was built to accommodate 800 people.  However when they tried that here in Amsterdam it almost sank.  Eight hundred people here weigh considerably more than 800 Chinese.

An interesting note is that National Geographic's studies have shown that the men in Amsterdam are the tallest of any nation.  

This is a replica of the Amersterdam in front of the Nationall Maritime Museum.  The oriinal was completed in 1748 and took two months to built.  This replica was built by 400 volunteers using the tools of the period and it took 5 years to complete.  

This is the Maritime museum.

This is a picture of a group of houses that is called the dancing houses.  These are just one canal over from our home.  They were built for wealthy bankers and merchants and did double duty as both houses and work spaces.  Because the soil was so swampy they had to built the houses on stilts and that caused the to wobble and sink into the river, so now they are each a litte off kilter.

In 2013 the Amsterdam Canals celebrated their 400th birthday. Amsterdan was originally founded as a fishing village and derived its name from the Amstel River and the dam that was built in 1220 to avoid the floods from the ZuiderZee entering the inlands.There are a 165 Amsterdam canals that combinee for a length of over 60 miles.  The Zuiderkerk or South Church was the first church built between 1603-1611 in the city for Protestant services .  Claude Monet painted the church 13 times during his visit to the Netherlands.  The church is visible from the canal.  There are 1281 bridges in Amsterdam compared to 409 in Venice. Twenty five hundred houseboats line Amsterdam canals and many have been afloat for more than a century.  Thre oncrete kind are the most desirable.  The law mandats that wooden boats need to be repaired every three years.  

These were taken from the street as we walked home after the tour.

It seems the most beautiful time of the day is starts around 5:00.  It is usually the warmest time and the wind generally dies down.  People congregate in the local bars and coffee houses and it's just truly a magical time.

We often go to our litte bar in the nieghborhod and enjoy a piece of their scrumptous apple tart.                                                                  

                                                                       

 

Our local bar is decked out  with little orange creatures in support of The Netherland Soccer Team.

One day while walking down a streeet close to our house a church that I had waaaalked by many timmes was open and I decided to take a peek inside.  Two gentlemen were working there and so I inqauired a bir about the church.  I discovered the building is no longer a church, the churches are loosing people and this church and others are being used for other things.  This day it was being used for a graduation ceremony.  Upstairs in the church are office spaces.  IIt is a beautifu building.

I think I'll do "More" tomorrow.  This has gotten quite long and it's game time!  

GO BIG ORANGE!!!!!!!!