Thursday, April 17, 2025 – Photo of the Day – Amsterdam, Netherland

Where in the World Are We?

We are in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
The city of crooked houses
If Amsterdam, its canals, its bridges, and its undeniable charm are here today, we have the henchmen of Florent V, Count of Holland, to thank. It was the abuses of these men that sealed Amsterdam’s fate. Here’s how it happened. We are in the 13th century, in a small fishing village wedged between a dam, a small coastal river, the Amstel, and marshes. This hamlet is ‘visited’ by the soldiers of the Count of Holland. Their behaviour towards the population and their property was so unacceptable that Florent V, to make amends, signed a tax exemption on 27 October 1275, which sealed the town’s fate for good. Thanks to this document, the “Tolprivilege van Amsterdam”, the inhabitants could now travel and move their goods without paying taxes. Naturally, thanks to this enormous privilege on foreign trade, the modest fishing village became a city in just a quarter of a century, an important commercial centre in a century, and then a world capital.

But let’s not forget that Amsterdam, built below sea level, rests on marshland. And when it came to building in a wetland, the city’s ever-growing population soon realised that the only way to prevent the buildings sinking was to build them on stilts. Stilts at least 18 metres long, allowing them to pass under the layer of peat and clay to reach the more stable sand. A traditional dwelling rests on ten of them, and some 11 million poles support all the buildings in the city. This is one of the reasons why Amsterdam is home to the narrowest house in the world, with a facade just 1 metre wide. That and a tax dating back to the 17th century that taxed buildings on their width…

SIGHTS
• Red Light District
• Rijksmuseum
• Van Gogh Museum
• Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder
• Amsterdam Museum
• Nemo Science Museum
• Anne Frank House

SHOPPING AND CUISINE
Heineken’s oldest brewery. Experience will reveal the history, brewing process, and marketing of the Netherlands’ most famous beer brand.

The narrow streets of the centre, the canal rings, and the Jordaan area are home to small, independent boutiques, where you can wander for hours in search of that one-of-a-kind find. The city’s markets also represent a variety of treasure troves, as well as being brilliant for taking the pulse of particular districts and soaking up the atmosphere.

Today’s Excursion – Keukenhof Tulip Festival

We visited the world’s most beautiful spring garden, home to over 7 million tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths.

Keukenhof
Situated between Amsterdam and The Hague in the Dune and Bulb region is the world’s largest flower garden, Keukenhof, also known as the ‘Garden of Europe’.Keukenhof is only open during the Spring when the tulips are in full bloom.

Keukenhof (‘kitchen garden’) was originally a herb garden, providing herbs for Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut’s castle.
Today, the garden has bloomed to include 80 acres of paved footpaths that cross lawns, streams, lakes, and pavilions featuring
various exhibitions. The powerful display of colour from over seven million tulips, hyacinths, and narcissi forms a striking contrast with the greens of the grass and the trees. We walked through the themed gardens, complete with fountains and water features that add to the splendour of the Park.

Tonight’s dinner was in The Altantide Restaurant.