2005/12/15~19Amsterdam-Den Haag-Rotterdam-Brugge-Amsterdam
Sights
2005/12/15 & 19 Amsterdam
1. Nieuwe Zijde (New Side)
(1)Dam Square
Koninklijk Paleis：Formerly the town hall, it’s still regularly used by the Dutch royal family on official occasions.
Nieuwe Kerk：Amsterdam’s second parish church, it’s built as the population outgrew the Oude Kerk (situated in the red light district). There was an exhibition of Indonesia when we visited there.
Madame Tussaud’s Scenerama：It offers an audio-visual tour of Amsterdam’s history, plus projected future developments. The wax models of 17th-century people give an insight into life in the city’s Golden Age.
National Monument：Memorial to the Dutch who lost their lives in World War Ⅱ.
(2)Magna Plaza：A post office building has been sited here since 1748.The present building was completed in 1899. Redeveloped but well preserved, in 1990 it opened as the city’s first shopping mall.
2. Oude Zijde (Old Side)
(1)Waterlooplein：The biggest second-hand market in Holland, selling anything from bric-a-brac and army-surplus clothing to Balinese carvings.
(2)Stadhuis-Muziektheater：Few buildings in Amsterdam caused as much controversy as the new Stadhuis (city hall) and Muziektheater (opera house). Nicknamed the “Stopera” by protesters, the plan required the destruction of dozens of medieval houses, which were virtually all that remained of the original Jewish quarter. This led to running battles between squatters and the police.
(3)Nieuwmarket (New Market)：The Waag dominates the square and construction of this gateway led to the site’s development in the 15th as a marketplace. In 1970s, many houses in this area were demolished to make way for the new metro, sparking off clashes between protesters and police. The action of conservationists persuaded the city council to adopt a policy of renovating rather than redeveloping old buildings.
(4)Waag：Built in 1488, it’s the Amsterdam’s oldest surviving gatehouse. Public executions were held here, and condemned prisoners awaited their fate in the “little gallows room”. In 1617, the building became the public weigh house. Peasants had their produce weighed here and paid tax accordingly. From 1619 the Guild of Surgeons had their meeting room and anatomy theatre here. Rembrandt’s Anatomy Lesson of Dr nicholaes Tulp (now in the Mauritshuis in Den Haag) were commissioned by guild members and then hung here.
(5)Oude Kerk：The origins of it date from the early 13th century. Surrounded by shops, cafes and houses, it remains a calm and peaceful haven at the heart of the frenetic Red Light District.
(6)Red Light District：It’s concentrated on the Oude Kerk, although it extends as far as Warmoesstraat to the west, the Zeedijk to the north, the Kloveniersburgwal to the east and then along the line of Damstraat to the south. Prostitution in Amsterdam dates back to the city’s emergence as a port in the 13th century. By 1478, prostitution had become so widespread with increasing numbers of sea-weary sailors flooding into the city, that attempts were made to contain it. A century later, following the Alteration, the Calvinists tried to outlaw prostitution altogether. Their attempts were half-hearted, and by the mid-17th century prostitution was openly tolerated.
※You must know：
If you’d like to smoke the marihuana→coffeeshop
If you’d like to have a cup of coffee or beer→Bruin cafe (brown cafe)
→Grand cafe (Designer Bar)
If you’d like to have dinner & a cup of coffee or beer→Eetcafe→Tearoom
3. Canal Ring
(1)Magere Brug：Of Amsterdam’s 1400 or so bridges, Magere Brug is the best Known. The original draw bridge was built in about 1670. According to legend, it was named after two sisters called Mager, who lived either side of the Amstel. It is more likely that the name comes from its narrow (mager) design. The present drawbridge was put up in 1969. Every 20 minutes, the bridge master has to let boats through.
(2)Rembrandtplein：Formerly called the Botermarket, after the butter market held here until the mid-19th century, this square acquired its present name when the statue of Rembrandt was erected in 1876. Soon afterwards, it developed into a centre for nightlife with the opening of various hotels and cafes.
(3)Munttoren：The polygonal base of the Munttoren (mint tower) formed part of the gate in Amsterdam’s medieval wall. Beside it lies a lively flower market (Bloemenmarket).
(4)Anne Frankhuis：On 6 July 1942, to avoid their German persecutors, the Jewish Frank family moved from Merwedeplein to the rear annex of the house at Prinsengracht 263. Anne; her mother, Margot; her father, Otto; and her older sister, Margot, lived here, along with the Van Pels family and dentist Fritz Pfeffer. It was here that Anne wrote her famous diary. On 4 August 1944, the annex was raided by the Gestapo. All those hiding here were arrested and taken to German concentration camps.
(5)Cafe Smalle ☆☆☆☆☆ (←five star brown cafe rated by Neal!!)
Address：Egelantiersgracht 12, 1015 RL Amsterdam
What to eat：osseworst (raw beef)、jenever (spirit ) ─recommended by
Miss Marilse Pluis—Address：Tuinstraat XX, 1015 NX, Amsterdam
Tel & Fax：+31 (0)20 6258XXX
mobile phone：+31 (0)6 282 30 XXX
※You must know：
A brown cafe is a traditional Dutch local pub characterized by dark wooden paneling and furniture, low ceilings, dim lighting and a fog of tobacco smoke. Each cafe has some special attraction：a large range of beers, live music, canalside terraces, art exhibitions, board games and pool tables or simply a brand of gezelligheid, the unique Dutch concept of “cosiness”.
4. Museum Quarter
(1)Rijksmuseum ( www.rijksmuseum.nl )
An unrivalled collection of Dutch art, such as “The Night Watch” by Rembrandt, “The Kitchen maid” by Jan Vermeer,…etc., can be seen in the country’s largest national museum.
*How to get there：Take Tram 2 or 5 in front of the central station.
(2)Van Gogh Museum ( www.vangoghmuseum.nl )
When Van Gogh died in 1890, he was on the verge of being acclaimed. His younger brother Theo, an art dealer, amassed a collection of 200 of his paintings and 500 drawings. These, combined with around 850 letters by Van Gogh to Theo, and selected works by his friends and contemporaries, form the core of the museum’s outstanding collection.
2005/12/16 Den Haag
1. Binnenhof：The ancient structure comprises the parliament and government buildings and was originally the 13th-century bunting lodge of the counts of Holland.
2. Mauritshuis：After he was recalled as captain general of Brazil, Johan Maurits of Nassau gave instructions for this house to be built. It was completed in 1644. After the death of Maurits, the house passed into state hands and, in 1822, became the home of the royal painting collection. Though the collection is not large, it contains almost exclusively superior works by 17th-century old masters, including “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp ” by Rembrandt and “Girl with a Pearl Earring” by Jan Vermeer.
3. Panorama Mesdag：The circular canvas, with an impressive circumference of 120 m, depits the old fishing village of Scheveningen. The painting was done in 1881 by members of the Haag School, led by HW Mesdag and his wife Sientje Heorge Hendrik Breitner painted the cavalrymen on the sand.
4. Vredespaleis (The Peace Palace)：In 1899, the Hague hosted the first international peace conference. The International Court of the United Nations, formed in 1946, is now based here.
5. Scheveningen：
*How to get there：Take tram 1 or 9 or bus 22 from the centre of Den Haag (15 minutes) .
6. The Uithof：It’s the multi-purpose sport and entertainment centre in Den Haag, including Snow Dome, Ice Centre, Karting Track, Climbing Hall, Health Club…etc..
* How to get there：Take Tram 6 and get off at uithof stop.
2005/12/17 Rotterdam
1. Koopgoot：A bustling shopping mall.
2. Het Potlood (the pencil)：an unusually shaped apartment block near Station Blaak, was designed by P Blom.
3. Kubus-Paalwoningen：A bizarre creation(1978-1984) by architect P Blom, the cube-shaped apartments are among the most striking buildings of modern Rotterdam
4. Erasmusbrug (Erasmus Bridge)：The glittering Erasmusbrug is now one of the symbols of Rotterdam.
(http://www.wretch.cc/album/show.php?i=neallin&b=49&f=1135159524&p=43)
5. The Port of Rotterdam：It’s one of the largest ports in the world. The sheer scale of the port and related industrial areas, which have a turnover of billions of euros, is quite staggering. The world’s largest container port, the Europoort alone stretches for 37 km along the river banks.
6. Kinderdijk (http://www.kinderdijk.nl/)
The famous 19 windmills which were used to drain the Alblasserwaard in the past are situated where the Noord and the Lek converge. New boezems (drainage pools) and windmills, however, were needed time and time again in order to span the height differences as the land settled. The group of windmills has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
*How to get there：From Rotterdam take the subway to Rotterdam Zuidplein station and then the bus 154 to Kinderdijk, busstop Molenkade. (Time table http://hvs.arriva.nl/app/HVS/HVS2/haltevertrekstaat.php)
7. Cafe de Paris：all-you-can-eat roasted ribs
*How to get there：Take metro to oostplein. The cafe is next to the megabike.
2005/12/18 Brugge (Belgium)
1. The Market：In most Flemish and Dutch towns, the main square is called the Grote Market (Great Square), but Bruges’ has no need of such an adjectival booster. It’s certainly one of the most perfectly laid out squares in the country, even if, under the great commercial pressure that goes with Bruges’ success in attracting tourists, most of its gabled houses have been turned into restaurants specializing in mussels.
2. The Belfry：The lower section of the tower dates from around 1240, with the corner turrets added in the 14th century and the upper, octagonal section in the 15th century. This was the city treasury in medieval times, and a highly visible symbol of Bruges’ wealth and importance.
3. Provincial House：In neo-Gothic style, it is situated on the adjacent side of the Market. Dating principally from 1887 and 1892, it’s today the government building of West Flanders Province.
4. Town Hall (Stadhuis)：The refined-looking late 14th-century building actually began life as a prison, and is the oldest Town Hall in Belgium. It resembles nothing so much as a large stone copy of one of the ornate reliquaries you often see in Flemish churches.
5. Church of Our Lady：First mentioned in records in 1089. the church was by then already two centuries old. It is inside the 13th – 15th –century church, however, that its true glories lie. Most important among these is the “ Madonna and Child” by Michelangelo. Originally sculped in 1504 for the Cathedral of Siena (Italy), which couldn’t afford to pay for it when it was completed, the statue was snapped up by the wealthy Bruges merchant and donated to the church in 1506. It was the only work by Michelangelo to leave Italy during the artist’s lifetime, and is still one of very few that can be seen outside his home country.
※Something interesting：
The people of Bruges (and the rest of Flanders) speak Dutch. Behind this simple statement lies a ticket of complication. There is no such language─the word reflects the historical English inability to distinguish between the languages (and peoples) of Germany (Deutsch) and the Low Countries (Netherlands), and their lumping of them together and corrupting it to Dutch.
To English speakers, Dutch is the language of Holland and Flemish is the language of Flanders: simple. But to the “Dutch”, Nederlands is the language of Nederland (the Netherlands), of which Holland is but a part, and they are Nederlanders, not Dutch at all. To Flemings, Vlaams (Flemish) is not a separate language, and certainly not a dialect, with its connotation of second-class status─but an equal variant of Nederlands.
The language academy of Flanders calls this “Netherlandic”, but is willing to live with Dutch as an internationally accepted substitute, provided no one falls for the implication that it belongs to the Netherlands alone.
We can say, then：”The people of Bruges speak Dutch.” Most speak pretty good English, too. However, don’t be tempted to practice your French even though it is one of Belgium’s own languages. For while Flemings speak French when necessary, the Belgian language divide dictates that if English is your first language, most will prefer to speak English with you rather than French.
What to eat in Holland
(osseworst (raw beef) & jenever (spirit ) & Meat Balls)
1. kibbeling—deep fried fish with mayonnaise
2. Oliebollen─deep fried paste with sugar
3. Bram Ladage fries─the tastiest fries in Rotterdam
4. Pancakes─eaten with all kinds of fillings：bacon ( and syrup), cheese or fruit
5. Stroopwafle─mix of pastry and Syrup melt over the top of your Coffee...mmm Tasty!
6. Cheese─Gouda(red cover), Edam(yellow cover) and Leiden cheese are the best known, but every part of the country where cows outnumber humans makes its own cheese, from mild to extra-mature, from seasonal cheese to mass-produced cheese, plain or flavoured with nettle, cumin, chives, cloves or garlic.
7. Speculaas─These biscuits, flavoured with cinnamon, cloves and ginger, are eaten mainly around St Nicholas’ day. (super cheap)
8. Gingerbread─This scrumptious bread comes in a variety of regional variations, and is excellent at breakfast or even as a snack─especially with a thick layer of butter.
9. Liquorice Drops─The ubiquitous liquorice drops are sold either salted or sweet
10. Dutch Beer─Heineken, Amstel, and Brand are the three best known brands.
11. Spirits─Renowned Dutch spirits include jenever, a kind of gin sold in glass or stoneware bottles (there si jonge and oude clear jenever, as well as that with herbs), berenburg, the Frisian distilled herbal drink and advocaat, made of brandy and eggs.
Sight Introduction & Content has been selected from:
DK Holland
Insight Compact Guide Brugge (discovery)
