amsterdam - day two

the lovely bridges of amsterdam

this truly was the day that was filled full of ooomph - it was our only full day in amsterdam so we took to the streets by 10 am...only thing was...none of the shops opened until 11, and some not until 12. so our plan was to go to pancake bakery for breakfast but since they opened at 12...and our tummies were angry...we found an amazing baker close by (bakkerij lekker brood en zo) where we had ham and cheese croissants. i highly recommend the place.

we wound our way through the old part of town, which is by far, the most beautiful part of amsterdam you will ever see. as you pass over each bridge, you think the views couldn't possibly be any more beautiful than the last but then...it is!

picturesque amsterdam

you pass some of the skinniest row houses you'll ever see, and the architecture is so unique. you pass houseboats, more bridges, more skinny houses, and then super skinny cars too. you pass churches, monuments and museums and before you know it, its lunchtime and you're at metz & co, eating an italian panini and drinking orange fanta and enjoying the stunning view from their top floor cafe.

so instead of a play by play of what we saw when, i'll attach photos and give you descriptions of the key highlights of our day!

westerkerk
the westerkerk is one of the oldest protestant (and now presbyterian) churches in amsterdam and built in the dutch style,  the interior is actually quite plain (theory that money should be spent on the poor versus the opulence of the cathedrals) but amazingly enough, very modernly painted. every single tile in the church houses someone's bones, so it was near impossible not to walk on them (i normally try not to). the highlight (aside from the organ) was the burning bush located at the back and left of the church. a place where you can light a candle for a loved one for one euro, and say a prayer or two. it was sad to see an older gentleman there weeping. broke my heart.

rembrandt is supposedly buried there although no one knows quite where. as he was quite poor in his dying days, he received a pauper's unmarked grave. and since they clear out those graves every 20 some odd years, the chances are they will never know. his bones are probably now just a part of the dust.

as this church is across the street from the anne frank house i think its safe to assume (although i guess i could look it up) that this was the church and the bells that anne heard in her 2 years of hiding in the spice mill and offices.

westerkerk

homomonument
near the westerkerk (and in fact in its plaza) you will find the three pink granite memorials commemorating the gay men and lesbians who have been persecuted because of their homosexuality. why the pink triangle? it was one of the symbols the nazis used to identify gays and lesbians during their reign (like the yellow star of david to brand the jews). but good on the gay and lesbian community for taking that symbol and making it the second most recognized gay/lesbian symbol (first being the rainbow flag) to instill gay pride. when i worked with sage theatre, we produced a play called bent by martin sherman where naturally, the inverted pink triangle was key to our costume design.

homomonument

houseboat museum
if you ever wanted to know what they look like inside, just hop on board this museum. it only costs £3.50 but its quite cool. you can see how warm and cozy it is inside and actually, see the great use of space. they did say, however, that the newer boats built for houseboat living, are built of cement and float better (how does that figure) and that houseboat living is not that much cheaper...maybe a bit in price, but you pay in the long run for upkeep and maintenance like you wouldn't for a regular home.

houseboats in amsterdam

amsterdam gables
the gables in amsterdam are quite neat and our guidebook told us where in the city we could find the best examples of the neck, bell and step gables built side by side. we couldn't find one with the fourth (triangle) in a row, but we'll take what we can get. 

neck, step and bell gables

the bloemenmarkt
every city has one, and i sincerely think everyone needs to go see one. this particular market (yes full of tourist fromage) held tulips of every colour (my fave is black), and floated atop one of the canals. i was lucky to score some excellent dutch christmas ornaments. and sneak a peek at some lovely flowers.

bouquet at the flower market

amsterdam magere brug
considered one of the most beautiful bridges in the city (i disagree), this is an old dutch design that straddles the river amstel (like the beer). it was supposedly named after sisters (surname Magere) who wanted an easier way to visit one another and had to walk miles out of their way to cross the amstel. it takes a woman i tell ya....it takes a woman.

the bridge that sisters built

our lord in the attic
there was a time when catholicism was banned in amsterdam, so there were secret churches hidden in the city. this one in particular, is well preserved and in fact, still in use. on your way up the stairs, the house appears to be just that...until you get into the attic and find a church that could easily fit 100 worshipers. amazing. currently under restoration, i'd suggest a visit there if you go.

laura coming up the steep steps in the lord of the attic

tomaz
luckily, when you go to amsterdam in the right frame of mind, you find gems of places to eat. so yes, there is dutch cuisine that extends beyond pancakes, fries, pizza and hot dogs. and you can find it at tomaz. the food was amazing, and in vast quantities as well! i started with a pear, gorgonzola and rosemary quicke and then finished with the beef hot pot (my god, it was so tender) with couscous and veg. we were way too full for dessert but the decor was amazing, the ambiance perfect, and the music...i had to write it down - portuguese artist mariza.. i'll be purchasing this on iTunes as soon as i get back to canada.

lighting at tomaz...love it

so ya, that was day 2!