Sharing some of the experiences encountered moving to and living in London … and then moving to Amsterdam! And then, moving to Austin, Texas where Adventure Cow has taken over this blog!
And it is beautiful … I have probably written that several times in this very blog. But, as we spend more time here, I find so many little things that make me smile; and I may or may not find these things in other cities; so, it is time to start documenting them here:
We always smile when we have dinner at a canal-side restaurant. This is a favorite; Cafe George on the Liedesgracht. View, food, and service.
My side of the table at Cafe George. The view here includes plenty of canal cruisers out and about on the water.
The allotments of Westerpark always make me smile – even more so now that they are decorated to celebrate their 85th birthday. If you are Dutch, and its your birthday, there must be “slingers”. (paper pennant strings)
On any given day, I cross over a dozen canal bridges; the water, the boats, the trees, always make me smile.
This is one example of a cobblestoned walkway, much of central Amsterdam still consists of cobblestone paths. A challenge in many ways and possibly why the shoes of choice in the city are trainers or Doc Martens – high heels do not work here.
The Dutch understand that kids and grownups need opportunities for fresh air. Even if there is no land – you can float a playground and benches to provide this option. One of many, this picure was taken at Westerdoc.
Houseboats at the Westerdoc make me smile
Houseboats on the Brouwersgracht make me smile too.
The front fountains at the Cafe Americain makes me smile. On hot days, which this day was not, the fountain is crowded with young and old alike taking a splash.
On the Haarlemerstraat a street level fountain entices kids on all sunny days.
I call this the happy Lego, but in reality it is a gas access in a sidewalk across from the Melkweg. Access covers dot most sidewalks, but this is the only one that looks like a happy Lego to me.
There are plenty of very good restaurants in Amsterdam, we’ve had some great meals here. But, sometimes the translations seem a bit off – this was a better meal than ‘Homemade Stuff’ might have you think.
Another restaurant that makes me smile is The New Dutch on Prinsengracht. They pay attention to every detail of everything they serve. A great place to order an iced cappuccino; assemble it yourself, to your taste.
It makes me smile to see tourists taking pictures in a place we have been lucky enough to call home for over a year. And, yes, they are in front of a Flower bike. (Rijksmuseum in background)
Sunday morning walks. I Love seeing a single kayak on a canal. This is Bloemengraht canal; houseboats on the left, apartments on the right.
I smile at the single standup paddleboarder on the Prinsengracht too.
It is hard to see in the picture, but it always makes me smile to see the bubble-blowing bear outside the Tinkerbell toy shop on Spiegelgracht.
After over a year’s worth of construction work, a new underground bike parking lot has opened at the edge of the Leidesplein. The street levle area on top consists of concrete pavers, which mainly serve as ourdoor restaurant seating and a small park area covered with whatever these are. They are 5 to 6 feel long made of aged brass. I have to smile at this, even if I don’t know what I am looking at.
On the backside of the Leidesplein is the large Holland Casino; it too is on a canal.
Many buildings in central Amserdam served as warehouses back in the 17th century. This stretch of the Brouwersgracht canal is home to a particularly pretty section of buildings that have maintained their brightly painted shutters.
How do you know it is going to rain in Amsterdam? Are the streets crowded with bikes? Then the weather is not too bad, but if no bikes are out – you need to get moving, it is going to pour very soon.
Any book lover would smile at this; De Boekenmarkt op het Spui has been happening for over 20 years. Used books in multiple languages are sold in addition to maps and other papergoods such as postcards. Fridays about 10 – 4 pm. https://www.amsterdamsights.com/shopping/spui-book-market.html
Lest I forget where I am – sometimes I just look up and there is a windmill across the street.
One of the oldest sections of this old city is the Red Light District. It is known for sex workers in the windows and droves of drunken tourists looking at the windows; but it is so much more – a beautiful part of a beautiful city.
We will end this posting where we began; eating along the canal. Location is the Avocado Show on Keizergracht. Highly recommended for breakfast and brunch. It always makes me (and Andy too) smile.
Blog 62 looked at Bike Fishing in Amsterdam; both the government office with its large barges and claw hooks and duos who work in tandem with grapple hooks on a plastic rope. But there is another kind of fishing here that you may not be familiar with – Fishing for Plastic.
Yesterday, as I walked down the canal, I saw a boat that looked like this:
So while I did not get the picture myself, seeing the boat and learning about Plastic Whale is very close to the top of the “things that make me smile about Amsterdam” list.
With the sun out, I’ve been taking pictures on the themes of “things that make me smile” and “things that make me sad” about Amsterdam. But one of them became their own subset: Fishing.
Canals are pretty, beautiful really; but the water is fairly disgusting. Too many boats, too many partiers, too many times used as a trash can. We cannot imagine eating fish caught in the canals. Not everyone feels the same. Read all about it: https://amsterdamhangout.com/are-there-fish-in-amsterdam-canals/
Ca
Wildlife are not the only things lurking in the water. Amsterdam is the city of bikes. There are more bikes than people. They say every household has at least one, if not ten. It is true we have one too.
As we see here though, you don’t need a giant claw to go Bike Fishing. If you work in teams you can use a plastic rope with a grapple hook on the end. I suspect you don’t even need a permit, like you do for fish.
We watched this father and son duo pull out 3 bikes in about 5 – 7 minutes. We don’t know why they did it, but we did laugh. Making this picture the current top of the “things that make me smile in Amsterdam” list.
Goedemorgen, iedereen. Het gaat nog steeds een beetje traag rond Amsterdam. Nog geen reis, maar we kunnen nu naar een buitenrestaurant gaan en tot 20:00 uur blijven. De vaccinaties zijn gestegen en de ziekenhuisopnames zijn gedaald, dus we zijn optimistisch over de verdere opheffing van de beperkingen binnenkort.
Or, in English:
Good morning, everyone. Things are still a little slow around Amsterdam. No travel yet, but we can now go to an outside restaurant and stay until 8:00 pm. Vaccinations are up and hospitalisations are down, so we are optimistic for the further lifting of restrictions soon.
After six months of Dutch lessons I wish I could say that I wrote that first paragraph all by myself – but, I did not. In fact, I wrote the English first and then had Word translate it. I can read the translation, which I consider a major accomplishment on my part, but I could not write it correctly; and my pronunciation is sorely lacking. Which begs the question: What little bit of Dutch might I share with you that will be of potential use?
You may want to know the most common phrases, such as:
Hallo! Hallo! (hah-low)
Hi! Hoi! (hoy) / Hi! (hay)
Good morning! Goedemorgen! (khoo-der-mor-khern)
Good afternoon! Goedemiddag!(khoo-der-mi-dakh)
Good evening! Goedenavond!(khoo-der-aa-font)
See you later! Bye! Tot ziens! (toat seens) / Dag! (dakh) Hoi! (hoai)
Here you are! Alstublieft (als-stuw-bleeft)
Please? Alsjeblieft? (als-yer-bleeft)
Thanks! Bedankt! (ber-dahnkt)
I am sorry! Neem me niet kwalijk(naym mer neet kvoa-lerk) /sorry!(sor-ree)
Or, possibly, you would like to learn some idioms that our tutor shared with us not long ago:
Brood op de plank hebben (Have bread on the shelf) which means they have just enough money.
Hij heft pijn in zijn haar (He’s got pain in his hair) which means he has a hangover.
Huilen met de pet op (Crying with the hat on) which means they still have dignity (hat) but outcome was sad.
Een sloddervos zijn (Being a slob) which means, being messy.
Het oog is groter dan de maag (The eye is larger than the stomach) which means taking on too much
Uit de doppen (ogen) kijken (Looking out of the eyes) which means Watch out!
Ieder huisje heft zijn eigen kruisje (Each house raises its own cross) which means each house has its own cross (issues) to bear.
Water bij de wijn doen (Do water with the wine) which means: Compromise.
And, my personal favorite:
Het is kermis in de hel (It’s a fairground in hell) The tutor says to translate hell loosely. It is a phrase that covers when bad things can lead to good outcomes. The rain may keep you at the bar, but you are having a good time with your friends; or as I see it, a pandemic lockdown may keep you in a foreign country, but it is beautiful and charming and giving you plenty of time to work on your language skills, and then on your blog.
Here is a video with 10 more phrases, and how to pronounce them. https://youtu.be/RLM76QzW_78 The Dutch do have a way with words.
The pictures for this posting are Amsterdam; slowly coming out of lockdown, spring 2021:
If the sun is out, the Dutch are out; walking, biking, shopping, eating, and of course, drinking.
I call this picture ”A day in the Dutch life”
Remember the allotments at Westerpark? Another pic, taken a few weeks later.
There are whole books on the Bridges of the Netherlands,; what’s new are the outdoor restaurants popping up on barges along the canals. (No intdoor eating is allowed)
Another bridge, this is one over the Amstel River, not far from the National Opera House
A lot of interesting things go by on the canals – even dogs out for a paddle ride on a sunny afternoon
Nothing beats the sight of red umbrellas indicating the outdoor dining is open.
This Michelin starred restaraunt does not have umbrellas. They have taken over half of the sidewalk with their tent and chandeliers.
No umbrellas or tents here. This is serious socially distanced seating – everyone gets their own greenhouse.
Red Light District. Phases 3 of the lockdown easing will allow sex workers to return. In the meantime it is a beautiful part of the city. Next week, many of those windows will have workers in them hoping to begin making money again. And, the streets will be filled with gawkers, again.
Zuidekerk (South Church)
One last picture of a canal. I call this one “houses and house boats”.
Is that you can make plans at the very last minute.
It is not news that the Netherlands has been in lockdown for months, and its not news that residents are getting tired of it. But, what to do? In response to these questions, the Dutch government decided to see if its possible to have “Covid-free” events. https://dutchreview.com/news/visitors-allowed-keukenhof-large-scale-events-netherlands/ We decided to participate.
News that Keukenhof Gardens would be part of the pilot program came out the evening of Wednesday, April 7, 2021. By 11:00 pm we had secured two of the only 5,000 tickets for Sunday, the 11th; plans were made, suitcases dusted off, Covid tests were scheduled, taken, and uploaded to the required app.
Even though Keukenhof (https://keukenhof.nl/en/) is about 45 minutes outside Amsterdam, and even though it is only open eight weeks a year; it is still on every “things to do in Amsterdam” list. If you like flowers, or gardens, or walking, or even just eating and people-watching, this is a place to go. We had been before, see https://lindasjourney.net/blog-11-mokum/ , but had always hoped to return. The Dutch Covid pilot test was our opportunity. Yikes! I forgot to include a like to one of Keukenhof’s weekly videos: https://youtu.be/njfAd3SMGGA
A fellow visitor to Keukenhof took this picture of Andy; Andy taking pictures.
The Bed and Breakfast in Lisse, was over the best bakery in town. Just our luck, yummy.
The winter has been cold, so there are still plenty of daffodils in the fields and gardens.
Even I was in the fields
Keukenhof Castle in the Keukenhof Forest. The gardens were originally the kitchen garden for the castle. It was not open for touring, but the grounds were open and beautiful to walk around.
The LAM Museum is a modern art musuem on the castle grounds. You can walk through the middle and look through the glass walls. Close enough to modern art for me – it did not need to be open.
Inside the Keukenhof Gardens. The tulips were just coming up, but we had plenty of daffodils and hyacynths – it smelled wonderful.
And, we had flowering trees and lots of water features too.
Andy on the (wooden) lilly pads
Flower Power was the theme in 2019, the last time the garden was open. Flowers are still the power.
Hyacynths and tulips
Keukenhof Gardens also has multiple pavilions and centers. Because of Covid, only one pavilion was open the day we visited. It is almost impossible to take a picture of this display. It is at least the size of a football field with row after row of meter square example tulips.
One of the most photgraphed windmills in Holland, right here in the garden
After the Gardens, we rented a twizzy to go around more of the flower fields – yes, it is as uncomfortable as it looks. 🙂
Art object at the main canal entrance to Westerpark
Let us start with a little history: The name itself is taken from the location of the park, as it sits on the west side of central Amsterdam. The original Westerplantsoen (Western Garden), was dedicated in 1845 as the first public park for the city of Amsterdam. The new park was popular, but short-lived as it was removed for the extension of railroads and canals in 1869. In 1890 the city opened the new Westerpark on 5.63 hectares (roughly 14 acres). The new park is bound by the Westerkanaal on the east end, by the Haarlemmertrekvaart canal spanned by the Mirakelbrug (bridge) on the south and by the new gas works factory on its west. Numerous railroad lines established the border to the north.
Fast-forward a hundred years; the park remains popular, but the gas factory has closed, leaving beautiful brick buildings, in the Dutch Renaissance Style, and acres of toxic grounds. Any plans to convert the site to housing must be scrapped. It is an American landscape architect, Kathryn Gustafson, who proposes integrating the buildings into the park as a cultural centre; creating cafes, shops, and venues paired with open area pools and polders. (http://www.gp-b.com/cultuurpark-westergasfabriek) The Culture Park Westergasfabriek is opened in 2003 and becomes an instant hit. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westergasfabriek)
One of many paths leading from the original park area into the Westergasfabriek
The first time we went to Westerpark and I saw the buildings, I thought that there had been a World’s Fair type of exposition here and that these buildings were remaining – a bit like Balboa Park in San Diego or Fair Park in Dallas, a fair site turned into a public gathering place. The last thing to occur to me was the remains of a gas factory. Previous to this experience, I’m not sure I thought much about making gas on such a large scale – but you can, from coal. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_gas) Of course, all festivals have been cancelled since we have been here, and the restaurants are only takeaway; yet it remains an interesting place for a walk or a run – or a picnic.
Are you looking for a longer running/walking loop than Vondelpark offers at about 2.2 miles? Then, Westerpark may be the answer. To encircle the entire area currently designated as Westerpark, you will cover a little over 3.5 miles. And that assumes that you do not get lost in the ‘’allotments’’ as I did the first time, in which case it is more like 6 miles. (bring water).
Speaking of the allotments; these were new to me too. In researching this blog entry I’ve seen them referred to as ‘little houses’, ‘nature trails’, and the ‘garden area’, actually, all are correct. These are community garden plots developed to a genuinely nice level including sheds, garden houses, and art and of course they are bordered by canals. Secrets hiding in plain sight. (https://gardentravelhub.com/amsterdams-secret-enchanted-forest-gardens/) There are two separate, but essentially continuous allotment gardens connected to Westerpark; Tuinpark Nut and Genoegen (http://www.nutengenoegen.amsterdam/) and the Sloterdijkermeer (https://sloterdijkermeer.nl/15v1/) Open March till October, this is a lovely place to beat the heat and walk relatively uninterrupted as motorized vehicles are not allowed and even bikes are discouraged.
This is exhausting, let’s find one of the restaurants or cafes.
With this we have covered the main aspects of Westerpark; the history, trails, allotments, art, and cafes. But there is more here. Most maps show the park area as roughly rectangular bordered by canals and train tracks – this is the way I have presented the park to you – so far. But a few maps show the park extending north to the other side of the tracks. It is here that you will find Het Woeste Westen. (https://www.woestewesten.nl/) A large, hands-on, mostly kids place “to play with sand and water, sail on a raft, catch aquatic creatures, play in a flowing stream, stroll through reeds and bushes or just enjoy nature in silence.” And, learn to ride horses, too. I don’t like to get dirty myself, but I do love hearing the children laugh as they do.
It is in this northern section that you will find some of the best secrets yet – St. Barbara’s Cemetery. (https://stbarbara-amsterdam.nl/) It is of note that the cemetery was started by the Catholic church, 1893, but it is nondenominational in who it accepts for burial. Secrets in a cemetery – you may be thinking I really have lost my faculties; but wait. On your own you can visit the cemetery via the 3-D tour to see how beautifully the aisles and plots are laid out and fenced – so organized; (https://stbarbara-amsterdam.nl/rondleiding) but what you can’t see via this tour and which I have found almost no reference to in online searches, are some of the most creative headstones and memorials I have seen in many cemetery visits. As I write this, I do not know if these types of memorials are typical of just this location, or Amsterdam, or maybe even Netherlands. I do know, that I need to find out more about thinking outside the final resting place box for when I truly have lost all my faculties.
Poetry, sculpture, mosaics, one-liners; they appear fitting tributes to some very interesting people.
Continuing on then; today’s lesson is the first in our series about the parks of Amsterdam, we will start with Vondelpark. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vondelpark) The saving grace of the pandemic’s lockdown is the city’s parks. Our central location puts us in walking distance to several large parks: Vondelpark, Westerpark, Rembrandt park, and Oosterpark are all within our reach. All incorporate green space with grass, trees, flowers, and walking and bike trails. Most have cafes and other amenities. And, of course, water – this is the Netherlands.
The Vondelpark is not just my favourite, it is many local and visitors alike favourite. According to the Amsterdam Information site, https://www.amsterdam.info/parks/vondelpark/, Vondelpark is the most visited of the city parks with over 10 million visitors per year. What makes this park so special? It is large, it has multiple secret locations, multiple playgrounds, multiple trails, multiple cafes, and art installations. We’ll take a look at all six of these items below:
Pan-handled entry
Let’s begin with art. Notable is the Picasso sculpture, commonly called The Fish: https://jennifersalderson.com/2016/12/18/sculpture-by-picasso-in-vondelpark/ In true abstract art fashion, Picasso meant it to be a bird, not a fish; however, the interpretation has stuck. The large piece was donated by Picasso for the park’s 100th anniversary in 1965 with the requirement that it stay within the park forever.
The park was also selected as a commemoration point for the tragic 1983 death of Kerwin Duinmeijer. Kersin was killed by a skinhead on the Dam Straat (a central location) in a stabbing attack. Mama Baranka (https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama_Baranka) was dedicated one year after the incident to draw attention to the senseless act and the ongoing cost of racism. The artist, Carrilho, wanted the mother figure to stand in vigilance, steadfastness, and eternity.
This day, Mama had fresh flowers placed in various locations and a hand-written sign saying: Stop Racism
And, of course, the namesake of the park; “the imposing 3 meters high bronze monument of the Dutch poet Vondel by Louis Royer, dedicated in 1867”. https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vondelmonument The originally named “New Park”, began to be called Vondel’s Park based on the installation of this massive sculpture. The park’s name was officially changed in 1880. Vondel was a poet and playwright who converted from the Mennonite faith to Catholicism and whose life work predominately addressed religious tolerance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joost_van_den_Vondel
Musical arts are anticipated too. The band shell and the band stand are both used in non-Covid times for weekly concerts and festivals. Several spots are favored by buskers, but these too are victims of the current lockdown.
Band shell across the water
Band stand built on its own island
Cafes. On a pre-move trip to Amsterdam we walked through the park. It was in the middle of the park that we found The Blue Teahouse (and brewery tasting room) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blauwe_Theehuishttps://www.brouwerijhetij.nl/t-blauwe-theehuis/ Originally built in the 1930’s, this blue and white flying saucer offers a range of locally brewed craft beer and other beverages as well as a short menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner items. The inside is small, but the outside is lovely with plenty of tables under the trees. Who wouldn’t want to live in a city with such a great park with such a great ‘tea house’ in it?
The Tea house remains our favourite, but it is not the only café in the park. The Groot Melkhouse (https://www.grootmelkhuis.nl/) has most of its tables, with their bright red umbrellas, right on the water. They offer a simple menu throughout the day, including a nice gluhwijn (mulled wine) for the chilly weather. The Melkhouse adjoins a large children’s playground.
Melkhouse; Covid access for takeaway only
Melkhouse tables remain empty, but striking
Vondelpark3, restaurant and venue, (https://www.vondelpark3.nl/) is close to one entrance and Vondeltuin cafe is on the opposite side, at the other main entrance. The Vondeltuin (https://devondeltuin.nl/) is also next to another children’s playground. Close to the Melkhouse is the Mucho Gusto Coffee House which fronts the large tennis court section. On sunny days, the park also benefits from various food carts offering hotdogs, cold drinks and gelato.
There are many ‘secret’ or hidden spots within or close to the Vondelpark. https://www.the500hiddensecrets.com/netherlands/amsterdam/discover/vondelpark Unfortunately, with the lockdown, they remain closed; so, while I (and now you too) may know they are there, they currently remain out of reach. Except, Picasso’s Fish is one of the items on the list – not so secret now. Not on the list, but of interest because it could be art, it could be for the birds, or it could be for children; is the new Bijenkorf, or beehive; it is just for the bees – not to be disturbed, not even for the collection of honey. https://www.hetvondelpark.net/Natuurnieuws/BijenkorfVanSmartBeeing
The hive is under the thatched roof held up by the four wooden legs
Lastly, the park is a favourite because it is large. 45 Hectares, or, as Google calculates, over 111 acres. This makes plenty of room for multiple secret locations, multiple playgrounds, multiple trails, multiple cafes, and multiple art installations. And, of course, water. (https://www.rainproof.nl/waterhuishouding-vondelpark)
Thank you for your attention today; we will continue learning about Amsterdam’s parks next time when we visit Westerpark.
The Netherlands remains in a hard lockdown; restaurants are only for take away, some shops can do a “click and collect”, bars are closed, as are all museums or ‘’entertainments”. The curfew is in effect 9:00 pm until 4:30 am. And all travel is for essential reasons only.
So, it has come to this – I have no choice but to share our most significant cultural experience of the past few months, celebrating my birthday in the Dutch tradition. This is a cultural event because birthdays are different here from the US, even in non-Covid times.
How do I know they are celebrated differently? First, in our textbook, Nederlands in Gang, a fictitious student invites her friends out for drinks – on her, because it is her birthday. Later in the book another student has a whole birthday party – which she throws herself. Time to ask Google for the full details: https://dutchreview.com/culture/dutchness/how-to-celebrate-your-dutch-birthday/#:~:text=A%20typical%20Dutch%20birthday%20will,expected%20to%20serve%20and%20provide. Generally speaking, then: the birthday person pays for cake, drinks, maybe dinner. Close friends and family are to be congratulated at the birthday party as they have helped the honouree to age another year. And gifts are to be opened and acknowledged immediately. Turns out, birthdays are a ‘thing’ here. With the help of our language tutor, Leidewie, it was time to celebrate mine.
Andy and I began the day, a beautiful and sunny treat of a day; by going from our apartment through the mosaic filled Beurs passageway (https://nltimes.nl/2016/12/01/spectacular-mosaic-passageway-dots-primarks-amsterdam-kick) and continuing out to the back of Centraal Station, where we had lunch with a view of the water. To the east of the station lies the Cruise ship port and terminal. (https://www.ptamsterdam.com/) A beautiful newly build part of the city; there is the large terminal, huge hotels, venues, and restaurants; even a bowling alley. All to welcome millions of cruising visitors to the city every year – except this one. It is all still beautiful; it is all still closed and empty.
With restaurants closed, we met Leidewie at the Vondelpark. Following tradition, Leidewie gave me a small present of Tony Chocolonely chocolate with a self-composed card. She congratulated Andy on my successful attainment of another year. She congratulated me also and I made sure to acknowledge her gift in the moment. While it does not show in this picture taken in October, the park was jam packed with people who were also out to enjoy the lovely day. We decided to move on a few blocks to the Museumplein. With its wide-open lawn and designated walking and biking lanes we thought it would be an easier spot to do our ‘walk and talk’ lesson about all things Dutch. What we found instead is what we now call the weekly Sunday Protests. Hundreds, if not thousands of people turning out for the bit of warm sun and to protest the curfew and lockdowns. We took some pictures and ended up walking back through most of Vondelpark.
Vondelpark’s Leidesplein entrance. Picture taken in October 2020
My Happy Birthday card or Mijn gelukkige verjaardag kaart created by Leidewie
The Amsterdam Politie are ready if protesters become too rowdy
We like to think we have discovered a hidden treasure of a spot right outside the popular Vondelpark. On the far, west, side is another main entrance to the park; which was still unbelievably crowded. But, across the street from this entrance is a lovely café, The Schinkelhaven. We were able to order a tart with slagroom and hot drinks for each of us and even find a bench to sit on by going just down from the café to a very small playground. We concluded our Dutch birthday lesson by again crossing to the other side of Vondelpark to begin making our way home.
This picture of the cafe was taken February 13, 2020 during our first visit as part of a “Tasty Walk”
Apple tart is the dessert of choice here with many locations claiming to be the best in the city or Netherlands. This was pretty good.
The sun was setting as we made our way back to the apartment. Crossing the bridge, we witnessed the perfect sunset ending to a perfect Dutch birthday day.
I must have a thousand pictures of the canals by now – but, this was just too pretty not to stop, point, shoot.
And lastly, a picture of my birthday cake for home which Andy ordered from the French bakery next door; yum. You can’t tell, but this is a toffy meringue cake with crème filling. Business is good at the bakery, we are doing our part .
For the first time in many years, it has snowed in the Netherlands; so exciting.
Andy is happy in the snow
The trees are happy in the snow
The canals are happy in the snow
We are all happy as we walk along the canals to Vondelpark
Then, it stayed very cold for several days in a row. Boat access to the canals was closed. The locks that let in ocean water were closed. Everyone was to do their part to let the canals freeze over, and they did. Such joy! Ice skating on the frozen canals. Even though we don’t have skates, it was still something to be a part of.
After freezing the canals for a week, the skaters are happy too!
And now, it is ever so slowly warming back up. Time to put the heaviest of our winter coats away. We are done with winter. We had the snow, the ice, the cold; the skating, the hot wine, the laughing. Now it is time to warm up and let the flowers come out.
Good morning, everyone. “Highly skilled migrants” such as Andy, are recruited to the Netherlands with phrases like: “Don’t worry about the language, everyone speaks English”. And, for the most part, this is a true statement; they speak English. It is; however, a Dutch country and the official language is Dutch; all writing is Dutch. No contract in the Netherlands is official if it is not in Dutch, even if the parties to the contract cannot read it, i.e., we truly hope there is nothing bizarre in our apartment rental contract and heaven only knows what is in our cell phone plans.
We picked up some food and drink words pretty quickly; eten and dranken: kip is chicken, kaas is cheese, brood is bread, wit wijn is white wine, and bierje is small beer – beers are served small here to keep the contents cold. But assuming we would be out and about, we needed Dutch lessons to become more enculturated. In November we began our Dutch lessons; one tutor for the two of us, over Skype.
Us learning Dutch is too funny by far. Rote memorization of new words is a part, learning pronunciation is a part, and learning the grammar is a whole ‘nuther thing. Subject, verb, split infinities; I feel like the goof off in the back of the class trying to hide so the teacher won’t call on them – but it’s just the two of us, on a video conference, there is no place to hide.
Ah, but I also like to include pictures with the blog postings – pictures of us attempting to read our text just does not convey the actual language mangling that occurs, and making a video would just be too embarrassing, so instead I have opted for another version of “pretend work”; I am including pictures of signage from along the canal district of Amsterdam. This is one way I practice my Dutch reading, trying to figure out what the signs mean as I encounter them on my walks.
Tot ziens, (pronounced pretty much like it looks) means, goodbye, so long
Found posted in a souvenir shop window by Centraal Station. Translated: We Miss Ya’ll. Stay Healthy
Amnesia is a “Coffeshop” down the Herengracht
This is from a Chinese restaruant on the Haarlemerstraat
An example of how several shops indicate that you are not allowed to stay inside. The seats have been taken by the giant pandas.
Sign found on a building, Translated: No Bicycle Place Please (Meaning: Please no bike parking) A.U.B. is the acronym for a formal version of Please
Translated: Money withdraw or start
Have got you a question or help required?
Which line do I get in at the bank? The bottom line on both reads: Nice as you here for a bit wait. (Nice if you wait here)
Hoi is a friendly ‘hello’. “Nice to have you here”. On the body it says: “more for you!”
Hydrate your skin in record time
Your Lush goodies at home? Scan the QR code
Action! buy 2, get 2 free
Sale, 2nd article/item 50% discount. As seen in many windows at this time, even though the shops are not open.
Some McDonalds are open. The sign reads: Our Take Out is open until 8:45 pm (note current curfew starts at 9:00 pm) The last line reads: Thank you for your understanding.
Translation: Do shopping? Come during the week, then it is quieter. Last line: I protect you, you protect me. None-the-less, the shop is closed for the lockdown
We have a great Lego store here, on the Kalverstraat (shopping street). The signs are too numerous to translate; generally, they cover the rules of when they were open of limiting the number of klanten (clients/customers) or bezoekers (visitors) and the verplicht mondkapje (obligated mouth mask) They too are currently closed.
Primark is a fairly low-cost department store out of the UK. They sell clothes and household goods. Translation: This one store is temporarily closed. Because of government directives is our store temporarily closed. Looking forward to seeing you again soon. The Primark Team. The last two lines are: Together Strong. Care good for each other
We end the picture section as it began; We miss ya’ll. Stay healthy. Tot snel is translated to: See you soon.
