Amsterdam

A business/vacation trip to Amsterdam in May 2009

First impression of Amsterdam: flat, lots of water, and bicycles are everywhere!

Zuiderkerk and the Groenburgwal canal

Reguliersgracht -- standing on the first of the "Seven Bridges".
Below: the same view from water-level on a glass-top canal boat.

Brouwersgracht ("Brewers Canal").

Some of the house lean out over the street, so that it's easier to haul large items up into the upper floors with the gable hook. (The stairs are too narrow and steep to accomodate large furniture and appliances.)

Note how this building leans out over the street.

Not every house has weathered 300 or 400 years without some problems. These are a few of my favorite "crooked" houses.

Note how the new windows have been custom made to fit the slant!

We saw more than one house braced in this manner with large timbers.

Parking presents a whole new challenge in Amsterdam. One bad move and your car is in the canal.

The driver also faces an interesting challenge getting in and out of the vehicle!

Maybe that's why everyone in Amsterdam gets around on a bike....

The triple-deck bike parking is one of the first things you notice when you leave Amsterdam's Centraal train station.

This photo was taken on a glass-topped canal boat cruise. The reflections are distracting, but you can see the bikes more clearly.

A gallery of Amsterdam "fiets" (bikes):


Theses "baskets" are usually used to transport small children.

Two "Party Bikes". Note the beer keg under the table.

We joined a tour on "Yellow Bikes" and rode through the "Waterlands" north of Amsterdam.

Dogs and Cats

Taking a nap in a store window.

The quintessential Dutch dog waiting at the door of a cosmetic boutique.
This breed of dog was a frequently found in paintings by the "Old Dutch Masters".

And finally...
In Amsterdam "UVA" has a different meaning. Of cours it's UvA, not UVa.

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