testing

2008-07-09T19:28:00.001+02:00

testing

2008-03-12T19:04:00.000+01:00

Psst

2008-03-01T22:55:00.001+01:00

In case you hadn't realised I've moved.Go to I am not a Tourist

The Gaper is not Yawning

2007-05-27T20:18:00.000+02:00

These figureheads were used outside buildings to indicate that it was a pharmacy. The one pictured at right is still above a pharmacy (on Herenstraat) but one near this is the sign for the "de Vergulde Gaper" a cafe on Prinsengracht.They're named "gaper" because they appear to be yawning, in fact they're not yawning they're receiving medicine - sometimes you can see a pill resting on his

Flower Power

2007-05-26T16:41:00.000+02:00

I had lunch at a cafe near the flowermarket today and noticed that the back of the flower sheds has been decorated to look like the front of the market. It looks quite tacky - particularly as the trompe d'oeil effect is spoilt by the water on this side of the stalls.It's supposedly the world's only floating flowermarket, but it's barely that, the stalls are firmly attached and most of what you

Wild Spirit

2007-05-21T23:07:00.000+02:00

The photos are now all up at the Westerkerk, they're wonderful wildlife photos by Steve Bloom. The exhibition will be on from now until the end of July and is lit at night - actually at night might be the best time to go.The photos are stunning, I think my favourite is the one of elongated shadows cast by giraffes.

Outdoor Exhibition

2007-05-17T21:58:00.000+02:00

There's an outdoor exhibition of photos of animals outside the Westerkerk. But when I went past earlier this week the exhibition stands where assembled but empty. The looked forlorn and a little tomblike under the dappled light of the trees.

Tip for Tourists #25386

2007-05-15T22:34:00.000+02:00

When you are walking around the city and you feel like you're on the sidewalk/footpath with a lot of lovely space, just check that there isn't one of these painted on the ground where you're walking.There are a lot of cycle paths in Amsterdam to serve the thousands of cyclists. If I cycle to work it takes me about 25 minutes and only about 2 minutes of that is not on a cycle path. Amsterdam

Cavalia

2007-05-12T01:10:00.001+02:00

Maybe I just don't like horses enough, but I thought it was bad.I was so looking forward to it as being Cirque du Soleil meets Spanish riding school, and it just failed for me.The horses were lovely, beautiful animals, and it was lovely to see them move. There were moments of genuine genius on the part of the horse. But then there were strange acrobatic bits that didn't seem to help the story,

Westertoren is Open Again!

2007-05-10T20:53:00.000+02:00

The Westertoren has been enveloped in scaffolding for months. The stretch of Prinsengracht in front of the tower was blocked off, and there were men and lots of equipment all over the place. A couple of years ago the Westerkerk was similarly enclosed for renovation, and when revealed was lovely clean bricks and cream frames around the windows.In the last couple of weeks the tower has been

A Crimefighting Super Hero Comes to Amsterdam

2007-05-09T19:17:00.000+02:00

Having been a (near) victim of a pickpocketer a few months ago, and harassed by a couple of juvenile delinquents last week, I'm delighted to see that Spiderman is in town.

Remembrance Day

2007-05-04T21:41:00.000+02:00

Today is the day that the Netherlands remembers all those who died in the second world war. The biggest ceremony was on Dam Square in the centre of Amsterdam, where members of the royal family laid wreaths, and the mayor of Amsterdam gave a speech.Representatives of the returned services were at the ceremony and also laid wreaths, but the whole commemoration is remarkably un-militaristic.One of

Queen's Day is....

2007-04-30T17:04:00.000+02:00

Selling stuffCrowds Children earning money, creatively CrowdsOutdoor BarsCrowds (not helped by some muffin-brain trying to drive his car over this bridge)Gezelligheid!

Queen's Night

2007-04-29T18:13:00.000+02:00

Queen's day is all about wearing orange and the vrijemarkt.Koninginnenacht (Queen's night) is all about wearing orange and parties. In my 5 straatjes there are about dozen outdoor parties, and the bars are all getting set up ready for tonight.The city is really crowded, with lots of people here specifically for Queen's day celebrations, it's hot (well for Holland, in April), and apparently some

Queen's Day Countdown.

2007-04-28T18:07:00.000+02:00

Everyone, including us, has marked out their space for the vrijemarkt on Monday. Some people put discrete and neat signs in their windows, but mostly people mark the ground with their names or the word "Bezet" (occupied). It's common to use masking tape, which no-one removes and so the remnants are on the ground for weeks afterwards, or chalk - and then hope it doesn't rain.The weather prediction

The World's Biggest Flea Market

2007-04-26T19:56:00.000+02:00

We're on the countdown to Queen's Day on Monday (Koninginnedag, in Dutch), the city council has published a map of the city with information for the day.Queen's Day commemorates the birthday of Queen Juliana, when her daughter Beatrix became queen she didn't change it to her own birthday - thank goodness otherwise we'd be doing this in January.Preparations have begun already with people marking

Toy Story

2007-04-21T14:57:00.000+02:00

There's a market on the Noordermarkt every Saturday selling organic produce, this morning I picked up a collection of herbs, fresh parsley, peppery rucola and fragrant basil. I walked back through the market, taking short-cuts between the stalls. There was a group of Americans admiring bright bags made from pre-used ties. The locals are checking out the plant stall choosing herbs and summer

Blue Blue Sky

2007-04-19T20:42:00.000+02:00

The sky above Noorderkerk yesterday morning, laced with jetstreams. I was running late, and glanced up to check the time on the church clock to see this sky.

New Commute

2007-04-13T20:53:00.000+02:00

I had a meeting this morning at an office in Sloterdijk, so I cycled out there through the Westerpark. It was warmish, but overcast. Perfect weather for cycling. At the end of the park there's a large Tuinwijk, this is an area of houses set in gardens, the houses are small, some are rather scruffy, some have satellite dishes.The whole area is protected by a shallow canal, the local wild birds

Artplein

2007-04-08T22:46:00.000+02:00

I wandered around town today, I had to pick up one or two things, but I was in no hurry. The city wasn't that crowded, and it was warm and sunny. So I strolled back along Spui, which on Sundays is transformed into Artplein.Artplein is a small art market where you have the chance to choose original works of art and buy directly from the artists. There are all sorts of artists there, from the

Easter Bunny

2007-04-05T20:43:00.000+02:00

There is a Dutch tradition of leaving curtains open, setting up swags of decorative lace curtains, and arranging ornaments in the windows. Windows are often directly over the street so leaving the curtains open is a privacy loss, but the ornaments do distract your eye.I was told, by a Dutch friend, that it's a stroke of Calvinism. This way you can see into the house, and you can see that no-one

Graffitti Mystery

2007-03-26T21:15:00.000+02:00

These two cabouters (gnomes) appeared on my street this week. I'm keeping an eye out for others in the neighbourhood. I think they're hilarious, but I've no idea why they're there, or whose artwork they are.

It's Officially Spring

2007-03-21T19:55:00.000+01:00

Today is the official first day of spring, it follows the warmest winter on record, and lots of spring flowers have already sprung. Or in the case of the crocuses sprung and finished. I've already planted spring flowers, the climbing temperatures were just too tempting, so it's particularly harsh that the temperature has plummeted and it snowed on Monday.Tomorrow the Keukenhof opens - the most

Pinch my bike

2007-03-13T22:53:00.000+01:00

This is why one bike lock is never enough in Amsterdam.The first bike I bought here cost about 50 euro, it was bright blue, with a bike rack on the back and had 5 gears. My Dutch friends thought I was crazy to buy such a pretty bike, it was bound to be stolen. And it was, from a train station outside Amsterdam.So, with a friend's help I acquired a new one, for about 15 euros. It was probably "

Instant Garden

2007-03-10T17:30:00.000+01:00

I couldn't resist; today is clear and sunny although there is still an unfriendly chill in the air, I bought spring plants and they're now brightening up my terrace. The tulips in the background were planted back in January but won't flower for another 6 -8 weeks.... I just can't wait that long.

Happy Year of the Pig!

2007-03-02T19:14:00.000+01:00

This was taken far from my five streets - over in the jungle of offices in the Bijlmer area. In a small pond squared in between shops and offices is a strange sculpture made of found items - junk. This is the latest addition. Here's the rest of the sculpture, and if you want to see where in Amsterdam the pond is, check google earth, with co-ordinates 52 18 45.05N, 04 56 56.17E.

Honesty

2007-02-24T12:34:00.000+01:00

There's a record store in Noorderkerkstraat with a huge collection of proper vinyl records and supplies of all the needles you'd ever need to play them. It's tiny, cramped, with a fake courtyard of 3m square which has a musical themed mural - a dancing double bass. The store also has a sideline in fresh fruit, set out in baskets in front of the store.The man running the store wears traditional

Spring is Sprung

2007-02-10T10:56:00.000+01:00

Last week we had a snow storm, that played havoc with the train system for one day and melted overnight. The week before we had a serious storm that brought down trees, threw tiles off rooves, caused traffic accidents, and in which some people died.This week the market has bulbs on sale, some of which are already in flower. There are hyacinths, narcissus, tete-a-tete, and my favourite; grape

How is your New Year Resolution?

2007-02-04T17:11:00.000+01:00

If it included getting yourself into shape, then perhaps the naked gym is for you. They're planning to open as a gym for naturists on Sundays. I guess it saves on washing the dirty gym clothes, and perhaps you'd feel more motivated to move those unwanted kilos, and tame the cellulite. But on the other hand, we've all got wobbly bits, and I'm not sure I need to see other people's as they work the

Pickpocket Postscript

2007-01-22T21:09:00.000+01:00

Back in November I was almost the victim of a pick pocketI ended up going to court last week to make a statement against the Zakkenroller (pickpocket), I took the bag I'd had with me on the day, and I answered all the questions of the Rechtcommissaris (prosecutor?) and the accused's lawyer for half an hour or so.At the end of the process I had to sign a statement, and the case will be heard in

Dis is da shit!

2007-01-22T20:49:00.000+01:00

Dis is da shit! We deliver excellent quality horse manure for your plants and garden! Old, organic, rich in nutrients, not smelling. €10 for a large sack or buy 15 sacks for the price of 10! Phone us for a deal ....Amsterdam Weekly has a classified section and this was "ad of the week". Given how much dog shit is available for free on the streets, I'm wondering if there's a missed business

Storm Warning

2007-01-19T18:55:00.000+01:00

Yesterday the Netherlands was lashed by a serious storm, the biggest in however many years.At work we watched the cloud radar and the weather updates online, while outside the building was lashed with winds over 100 km/hr. At one point the raindrops were moving up the window panes. The office is near enough to Schiphol that we could see the planes bouncing around and drifting south as they fought

Flying Trees

2007-01-07T21:43:00.000+01:00

There's a date that Christmas trees go on sale, and there's a date that Christmas trees get thrown out. In this case the tree was literally thrown out - of a fourth storey window.I was walking along the Keizergracht, I saw a woman in the middle of the street with a broom. She was looking down the street, and then looked up at a window and waved. 3 seconds later this tree came flying out. She

Happy New Year!

2007-01-07T19:53:00.000+01:00

The Dutch celebrate New Year with fireworks, but this year the weather wasn't great, a lot of wind, and a lot of rain. Which meant there were short bursts of fireworks between the showers. Also there's been a law change this year and the superbig packets of "double happy" fireworks, they can now be sold in lots of 10,000. It's a bad name for them, 10,000 going off next to me didn't make me double

Christmas = Chocolate

2006-12-27T17:23:00.000+01:00

One of the best things about Christmas is Chocolate. One of the best things about this year's Christmas was these chocolates from New Zealand. Inspired by the beach, and remember Christmas is in the middle of summer there, there are fish, seashells, starfish and pebbles. Beautiful and delicious. I half expect to find a mermaid in there each time I open the box.

Bookworms of Amsterdam

2006-12-25T21:30:00.000+01:00

Amsterdam will be the world book capital in 2008. I know this was announced in June, but I've only just found out. I was looking at the public library website to find out whether they're open tomorrow (they are).It seems like an extra special Christmas gift for a bookworm in Amsterdam.

Prettige Kerstdagen

2006-12-21T22:11:00.000+01:00

Christmas trees went on sale on 7 December, there are tree sellers all around the city - the one is outside Westerkerk by the Anne Frank House. I still haven't bought one, instead mine's a 50cm high fake one with the world's most pathetic lights on it. Cute Pink Fairy on the top though.

Clean is Good

2006-12-14T22:13:00.000+01:00

My first apartment in Amsterdam had normal windows and long balconies so cleaning the windows was as simple as a bucket and sponge on a sunny day. Then I moved to the historic area of Amsterdam where it's all sash windows which slide up to open, obscuring part of the glass so they're impossible to clean yourself.The answer is simple; window cleaners.One morning I opened the curtains of my room

Cats afloat

2006-12-11T22:23:00.000+01:00

Cats hate water, making a boat a perfect place for a cat asylumn.I've lived in Amsterdam and only just discovered that someone had already thought of it. In fact Henriette van Weelde thought of it back in 1966.It's known as the poezenboot, and floats happily on the Singel. They ask for volunteers, donations, and donations of newspapers.I thought about volunteering, but I'd probably take home too

Graffitti

2006-12-02T10:31:00.000+01:00

Around Amsterdam you'll often see Graffitti in this format, with a quirky provoking slogan, and signed "Loesje". You can also buy cards with some of the more popular slogans. I like the way this message has been folded in half, subverting the orignal meaning.At first it was really confusing, there were too many signs in too many places for it to be just one person, some were in Dutch and some in

Rommel Piet!!!

2006-11-28T21:17:00.000+01:00

We distorted a Dutch tradition and pretty much trashed our office. We threw streamers and glitter over the desks and sprinkled the key boards with candy and pepernoten.We also wrote a poem on the white board to explainWe had to come early this yearIt's just too busy and Sint fearsWe won't have time to visit everyoneSo last night, as you see, we begunWe came here first, 'cos you've been so goodWe

Pimp My Bike #2

2006-11-24T21:22:00.000+01:00

I saw this bike at the back of the church last week. In very loyal orange.

Watch out!

2006-11-18T19:47:00.000+01:00

I took the tram home from the city the other day, a very crowded tram. At the first stop a guy stood quite close to me to let people past. But something about the way he was staring out the window, or perhaps that he didn't move away again after the people had passed, made me a little nervous.I looked down at my bag to see his hand deep in my bag. (A regular handbag that had been zipped up).I

Autumn is Too Short

2006-11-18T17:28:00.000+01:00

A Chinese friend of mine once described the climate of Beijing as:Summer is too hot, Winter is too cold,Spring is too windy,Autumn is too short.This year Amsterdam has taken on that climate. Summer was way hotter than we expect in the Netherlands, I think August was the hottest in fifty years. The warm weather drifted on through September and even in early October we'd sit outside in the sunshine

Bella is Back

2006-10-15T11:42:00.000+02:00

Bella is a black cat with peridot green eyes, who lives at the bar behind the Noorderkerk. She's mostly sweet, but if her eyes have grown very round she wants to play and she can get a bit crazy. She would often be outside the bar in the mornings when I went past and I would pat her, she got to know me well enough to "ask" me to open the bar door on cold nights so she could get back inside its

Pimp My Bike

2006-09-26T19:53:00.000+02:00

Amsterdam's most common crime is stealing bikes, the second most common is selling stolen property - the stolen bikes.So one way that you can tell a real Amsterdammer is by asking how many locks they have on their bike. The correct answer is three. When I bought my locks the shopkeeper asked me what sort of locks I wanted "Amsterdam locks" I answered. He gave me two heavy fat chains and charged

Best of Both Worlds

2006-09-08T18:04:00.000+02:00

There are houseboats lining most of the canals of Amsterdam. Some of them are in old traditional canal boats and some are custom made floating houses. There is even a house boat museum that you can look around. All the houseboats are connected to gas, electricity, water and sewage. Most of them never leave their designated spot on the side of the canal. The floating home style house boats often

Games for Grown-ups

2006-09-01T18:51:00.000+02:00

On my way home this afternoon there were three towers of blocks being built on the Noordermarkt, in front of the church. Who says we don't know how to have fun in Amsterdam!

Fruit Picking

2006-08-26T14:52:00.000+02:00

August is holiday season in a big way. It's school holidays across various parts of the Netherlands so a lot of my colleagues are away, and lots of my favourite shops/stalls are closed.I do a lot of my regular shopping at the local market, or at local family run businesses. Obviously these people need a holiday as well, but it does feel really odd when your favourite suppliers just aren't in the

Mystery Tourist Sites

2006-08-20T22:47:00.000+02:00

I've been looking around some tourist sites about Amsterdam, and some of them are flat out inaccurate. Travelocity has got photos of Amsterdam, which is lovely except that at least two of the photos aren't taken in Amsterdam. Anyone looking for these tourist sites in the capital city is going to be sadly disappointed.Travelocity says you'll see these sculptures in the garden at the "Rijksmuseum",

R.I.P.

2006-08-15T21:40:00.000+02:00

There's a large sunflower, with bowed head, tied onto the railing of a bridge in Amsterdam tonight. I saw it as I walked home. I thought it was cute, until I noticed a single lit candle directly below the flower. Then I realised; someone died here.I looked around and noticed some striking marks on the road that told of an accident, two cars and a pedestrian or perhaps a cyclist.It's not logical

So That Was Summer

2006-08-11T11:16:00.000+02:00

"Guess what!" said a greying man as he stepped out of the cafe."It's stopped raining?" answered his daughter looking up hopefully. Looking up at dangerously heavy grey clouds wasn't that reasuring and the two of them pulled out rain capes before unlocking their bikes and cycling away.After three weeks of punishing heat, the hottest July on record, August is turning autumnal very fast. The

Take Pride

2006-08-05T18:08:00.000+02:00

Today was a festival of feathers, glitter and iconic music in celebration of gay pride in Amsterdam. The participants make something like the traditional floats of other parades, but in this case they floats really do float - they're made on boats and the whole parade takes place on water, specifically looping around the Prinsengracht.There's a party atmosphere, as regular Amsterdammers line

Moving House

2006-05-11T14:19:00.000+02:00

The stairs in Amsterdam houses are steep, narrow, with shallow steps and a turn at the top of each floor. Particularly in old parts of the city like the Jordaan, where these photos were taken. It's not possible to take large furniture up or down the stairs when moving in or out of a house. Instead we use the hooks that you see on the top of all old Amsterdam houses (and some new ones), with a

How to Enjoy Queen's Day in Amsterdam

2006-05-03T22:33:00.000+02:00

Koninginnedag or Queen's Day is one big city wide party, followed by one big city wide flea market. This year the population of the city rose by 300,000 for a weekend party. So it's crowded, noisy, dirty and pretty difficult to get around. After many years of research I've come up with four ways to enjoy Queen's Day.(1) Leave the City This has the advantage of giving you a long weekend away when

Elsewhere In Amsterdam

2006-04-30T12:30:00.000+02:00

Queen's Day celebrations go on all over the Netherlands, but the centre of Amsterdam is probably the busiest. This year there were about 350,000 visitors to the city (Amsterdam's population is about 750,000), which was considered low due to the unseasonably cold weather. Given that there will be no public transport for the whole day, the only way to see other parts of the city would be to walk

Queen's Day Countdown!

2006-04-25T21:15:00.000+02:00

So it's Queen's Day this Saturday. This means that the whole city will be orange. Most of the centre of the city becomes an open air market for the day with everyone selling their junk. There's fierce competition for the best positions, particularly along Prinsengracht. The images above show where people have marked out their territory with tape - a week before the big day. That's my bicycle in

Signs of Spring

2006-04-20T20:39:00.000+02:00

The temperature has crawled into double figures, tulips are peeking out, the terraces are filling up, cats are sunning themselves and finally I'm updating my blog. I think everyone took the chance over Easter to get their boats out on the water again. It's not quite bikini weather but I'm no longer needing the big coat, scarf, hat for the trip to work in the mornings. On the downside it was

Prinsengracht New Year

2006-01-01T18:09:00.000+01:00

Beste Wensen! Happy New Year!Last night at midnight I was standing on a bridge in subzero temperatures.The bridge crosses Prinsengracht, where it meets Brouwersgracht, from here we could look down canals in four directions. As the churches, Noorderkerk and Westerkerk began to strike 12 everyone in Amsterdam let off fireworks, we turned from one direction to the other as coloured explosions lit

Merry Christmas Prinsengracht

2005-12-04T14:46:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow, 5 December, is the Dutch Sinterklaas. All over the country families will gather and gifts will be given in the name of Sinterklaas. The tradition includes 'surprises' hiding your gift inside something, and creating a teasing poem. For the last few years I've had Sinterklass party at my house for Dutch and non-Dutch friends. Seeing how the non-Dutch interpret the tradition is always a

Prinsengracht

2005-09-21T22:56:00.000+02:00

From the Oldest Pub to Anne FrankAt the top of Prinsengracht, where it meets Brouwersgracht is the oldest pub in Amsterdam; Papeneiland. Yes it serves Heineken, obviously. It's got big windows, and the light streams in and bounces off the blue and white tiles. In summer there are chairs outside with ingenious glass holders attached, you can sit in the sun and inhale the fumes as cars pass you on

Noordermarkt

2005-09-21T22:46:00.000+02:00

Lunch today has a poignant flavour. My friend is leaving the Netherlands in a couple of weeks to move to Asia. It's mid September, cooler and the autumn tinge matches my mood. The cafes on the Noordermarkt will still set their tables out under the trees for another week or two, we choose a table and check the menu.The Noordermarkt is the triangular open space around the Noorderkerk, bordered on

Lindengracht

2005-09-06T21:34:00.000+02:00

One of the joys of my five streets is the weekend market, so early this morning I did my week's shopping. I started at the bakery, buying bread and appel flapjes (apple in a triangle of pastry) and worked my way back home with increasingly heavy bags. I picked up some juicy fish, rodebaars (perch) for dinner. The guys running the stall are comedians, unfortunately their wit is wasted as my Dutch

Noorderkerkstraat

2005-09-06T21:27:00.000+02:00

This short street gets a long name, it's named after the "Noorderkerk" (Northern Church). If I crane my head out the window of my apartment I can see the church tower with the year it was opened, 1623, shining in the sunlight. Without opening the window I can hear the clock chiming every half hour. For a while there was no tower and no chimes, but about August last year it was replaced and the

To Start

2005-09-06T21:01:00.000+02:00

Thanks to Julia for inspiring this chain of "five streets".I live in Amsterdam, within walking distance of Anne Frank House. This area is known as the Jordaan and was originally built as housing for the working class and immigrants. It's a vibrant area, with festivals, markets, boutiques, restaurants, cafes and characters. I'll introduce you to some of those in my "five streets".

5 Straatjes

testing

testing

Psst

The Gaper is not Yawning

Flower Power

Wild Spirit

Outdoor Exhibition

Tip for Tourists #25386

Cavalia

Westertoren is Open Again!

A Crimefighting Super Hero Comes to Amsterdam

Remembrance Day

Queen's Day is....

Queen's Night

Queen's Day Countdown.

The World's Biggest Flea Market

Toy Story

Blue Blue Sky

New Commute

Artplein

Easter Bunny

Graffitti Mystery

It's Officially Spring

Pinch my bike

Instant Garden

Happy Year of the Pig!

Honesty

Spring is Sprung

How is your New Year Resolution?

Pickpocket Postscript

Dis is da shit!

Storm Warning

Flying Trees

Happy New Year!

Christmas = Chocolate

Bookworms of Amsterdam

Prettige Kerstdagen

Clean is Good

Cats afloat

Graffitti

Rommel Piet!!!

Pimp My Bike #2

Watch out!

Autumn is Too Short

Bella is Back

Pimp My Bike

Best of Both Worlds

Games for Grown-ups

Fruit Picking

Mystery Tourist Sites

R.I.P.

So That Was Summer

Take Pride

Moving House

How to Enjoy Queen's Day in Amsterdam

Elsewhere In Amsterdam

Queen's Day Countdown!

Signs of Spring

Prinsengracht New Year

Merry Christmas Prinsengracht

Prinsengracht

Noordermarkt

Lindengracht

Noorderkerkstraat

To Start