Amsterdam vacation continued....
The following are a variety of things that we saw, places we visited and things we did.
I hope you find them of interest... I am pleased to share them with you.....
Keep in mind that Holland & Belgium is normally a very cold, wet and often overcast country.
Also keep in mind that it was at one time occupied by Nazi Germany during the war and
shows a definite influence of those times. Many of these photos are of buildings and art
dating back to the 1500's.
We start here with a quick trip thru Amsterdam.....early on a Sunday morning so you can see
things without the interference of all the: people, bicycles and traffic.
(click photos for enlargements)
One thing you quickly realize is that over MOST of Europe, Germany, Holland, Belgium and etc
people use BICYCLES for their main form of transportation rather than a car. There are over 600,000
bicycles in Amsterdam alone! They clutter the streets and have more right of way than pedestrians.
(click photos for enlargements)
Amsterdam has some very unusual architecture both with today's modern buildings as well as during the past.
Everything in the cities at least are all so CRAMMED IN, every square inch is used to the max. After awhile it
sure makes you realize and appreciate the benefits of wide open spaces....like we enjoy here in the U.S.
It is NOT uncommon for people to live in a 230 Sq Ft Apartment in the city. That's basically a 10X23 room!
A one car garage is a MAJOR upper class luxury in most of Europe.
(click photos for enlargements)
Driving and traffic in the major cities is a nightmare and VERY confusing as to which part of the street
you are supposed to be in. Messy overhead wires, trolley electric cables, bicycles parked everywhere. It's
old, beautiful, romantic and yet messy and very confusing all at the same time.....and really hard to walk.
Cobblestone streets everywhere and after a week of walking on them your feet are actually bruised all over.
(click photos for enlargements)
They are also very proud of their more than 250 different beers, especially in Belgium. As we learned of Amsterdam's rich
and important history it quickly becomes evident that Amsterdam is truly a melting pot of the world and one of the
most important major cities in all of Europe. It truly has played an even more important role than London or many
other major well known cities. The fact that it and many major cities in the Netherlands were once UNDER water
is so hard to imagine. But simply looking at all the leaning, crocked buildings built on reclaimed unstable soil and
man made surfaces brings it all into perspective. There isn't one SQUARE building in all of the Netherlands....HA
As you will see if you look closely....
You'll also notice that it's still very much a city of progress and prosperity with LOTS of new construction, remodeling
and renovations going on everywhere.
MAP of AMSTERDAM
(click photos for enlargements)
(click photos for enlargements)
It's not cheap living on the water in Amsterdam. The parking fee for a house boat along here is around $125,000.
PLUS the cost of the houseboat.
The line of people seen in the photo above is to see the home of Anne Frank.
If you have not read the book or seen the movie, I highly recommend either or both.
The Dairy of Anne Frank
The diary of a 13 year old Jewish girl is a book composed of extracts from a diary written by Anne Frank while
she was in hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands. The family was
apprehended in 1944 and Frank ultimately died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. After the war,
the diary was retrieved by Anne's father, Otto Frank.
(click photos for enlargements)
(click photos for enlargements)
As you will also see (later) both Amsterdam and Antwerp Belgium are the real Diamond Capitals of the world.
Besides having a huge Red Light district and LOTS of Marijuana and Hashish bars,
I might also mention that BOTH of these major European cities are also major GAY cities as well.
It was very evident everywhere we went. Along with a huge amount of GRAFFITI on anything that didn't
move and on some that did.
PLEASE: Let me know if you are enjoying my photos or if you are having any problems viewing them...
(click photos for enlargements)
This is ING's main World Headquarters, located @
Amstelveenseweg 500
1081 KL Amsterdam
The Netherlands
ING,
which stands for "Internationale Nederlanden Group,"
(click photos for enlargements)
ING is everywhere, around the world....
CONTINUED......
For a tour of Edam-Volendam,
Netherlands and MORE photos.....
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