AMSTERDAM

This was my first trip without PJ since we moved to Italy. A few months ago Meg, a friend from high school, got in touch with me and said that she was going to be in Amsterdam on business and was wondering if I was free to meet up. The trip sounded like a great chance to catch up [I can't believe we graduated 9 years ago!] and visit a place that I had never been.  I flew out on mercoledi 10 aprile, just a day and a half after PJ and I returned from Slovenia, and landed around 11:30am. Meg and I met up at the hotel and proceeded to do some sightseeing and shopping! Below are some highlights.

We began by walking along De 9 Straatjes [The 9 Streets] which connect the main canals and have some really cute shops and bakeries to brows through. We noticed that several of the stores sold the exact same items at the exact same price, so it may seem easy to get lost, or think you are walking in circles. There is a particular necklace store that I definitely plan to revisit when I return with PJ...if I can find it!

Meg had been in Amsterdam for a few days and had been able to do some sightseeing before I arrived. She brought me to this interesting little place called Begijnhof . The buildings are now private homes, but back in the 1300’s religious women who were with the Roman Catholic Church lived around the courtyard to serve God. When the Protestants took over, the Catholics created a secret church within a home and the main church was turned into the English Church. The entrance to the courtyard is through a small door that looks like it goes to someones apartment. Don't be fooled! It opens into the large courtyard, which would probably be harder to find if it wasn't on many tourism maps.

Outside of Begijnhof we discovered a small pub named Café de Dokter. It is considered a “brown café” which is similar to a London pub. These cafes typically have dark wooden interiors and definitely an old world antique feel. Some brown cafes can be traced back to the 1600’s. Interestingly enough, Café De Dokter happens to be the smallest café in Amsterdam and was founded in the late 1700’s.

After warming up we headed to dinner and out to do some night time wondering. Luckily the rain held off Wednesday night so we were able to capture a few great shots of the city.

On Thursday, after a morning coffee and muffin, we walked along many of the canals as we made our way towards Oosterdokseiland. We were able to catch Magere Bridge as it raised for a boat to pass through, and then lower for crossing to resume. I think I may now be in the market for a houseboat!

Magere Brug [Bridge]

NEMO Science Center [below] was deigned by Renzo Piano and built in 1997. The façade is composed of copper panels, which were meant to mimic the color of the surrounding water. The roof is public, although we did not explore how to get up there. Supposedly there are a lot of public events on the roof in the summer and in August it is transformed into a beach for visitors and locals to enjoy.The Science Center is located in an old port area, and the shape is suppose to mimic a large ship docked at port. 

We then traveled over Oosterdok Bridge [above] to Oosterdokseiland and checked out:

     Restaurant Sea Palace-This happens to be the first floating restaurant in Europe.

     The Amsterdam public library- designed by the former state architect Jo Coenen. It is   

     Europe’s largest public library and is considered the ‘Most Sustainable Public Building in 

     Amsterdam'. 

Meg and I near the ports.

Restaurant Sea Palace

Amsterdam public library

We crossed over another bridge in search of a lunch spot and found this tucked away restaurant called Hofje van Wijs. This place had delicious sandwiches and soups, which were perfect for a cold, rainy day! Our exploration continued after lunch, where we unknowingly walked through the Red Light District which, surprisingly, looks pretty normal during the middle of the day. The street happened to terminate in Dam [Dam square] with a view of Koninklijk Paleis.

The royal palace in Amsterdam is called Koninklijk Paleis and was designed by Jacob van Campen in the mid 1600’s. The palace was built in the Dutch Classicism style, however when Louis Napoleon moved in, he decorated it in the Empire Style.The Dutch royal family will sometimes use the palace for award ceremonies, visits, and functions such as royal marriages and inaugurations, but they currently do not live there. A week or so ago the Queen signed the Act of Abdication at the Palace. 

With the weather being cold, windy, and wet, Meg and I found some refuge in a few other cozy brown cafés. One café that we lucked out on finding is called Cafe Hoppe, which happens to be a National Monument as well. It was founded in 1670, and according to their website “The American magazine Newsweek called this cafe once one of the 10 best bars in the world.” 

Cafe Hoppe

Another brown cafe we visited. This one had a friendly cat.

Some buildings lean so far that they look unsafe.
I don't know if you can tell by this picture, but the buildings
on the left are not even close to straight!

After a quick, but fun, trip we headed to the airport Friday morning. It was great to catch up with Meg and I really appreciate the invite. Hopefully she will return for an Italian adventure!