Of Canals & Houses

“Gracht” is the Dutch word for a canal. The canals in Amsterdam came to life in the early 1600s, after the city’s population grew beyond its medieval walls and city planners put together an ambitious design of concentric waterways for expansion by draining swampland. In 2010, UNESCO finally declared the waterways a World Heritage Site. The architectural charm of a Canal House are in the intimate details rather than in grand effects. The facades were largely uniform in size and built of brick or sandstone, with large windows. The use of decorative gables and cornices, ornate doors and varying window…

Negen Straatjes

June 7, 2013April 4, 2014 Categories: Amsterdam · Architecture · Europe · Food · Netherlands · TravelTags: Amsterdam · Haarlemmerburt · Negen Straatjes · Nine Streets2 Comments

The well known “Nine Streets” represent a very dense concentration of retail shopping in the Canal Ring of Amsterdam. These small pretty streets, each only a block long, are very popular with the locals and tourists alike. Specialty boutiques and shops, cafes and art book stores provide countless shopping therapy. Located west of Amsterdam Central Station is one of the city’s smallest neighbourhoods, the Haarlemmerburt. Comprised of a long lively street bordered by quiet and charming lanes, the area has a mix of trendy stores, bakeries and cafes blending with the original shops. The neighbourhood focuses on “one building, one…

Terug in Amsterdam

June 3, 2013April 4, 2014 Categories: Amsterdam · Architecture · Art · Europe · Netherlands · TravelTags: Amsterdam · ArtZuid · Hermitage Amsterdam · Netherlands · Stedelijk Museum

“Back in Amsterdam“ The Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam’s modern art museum, was expanded with a new building designed by Dutch architect Mels Crouwel. Opened in late 2012, the new building has been dubbed as “The Bathtub” by locals due to its exterior oblong shape and entirely smooth white volume. The original structure was built in 1895 and has direct connection on all floors to the new building. The Hermitage Amsterdam is a satellite museum of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia opened in 2004. ArtZuid 2013 – International Sculpture Route Amsterdam Started in 2008 to bring attention to the…

Paris

June 1, 2013April 4, 2014 Categories: Architecture · Europe · France · Paris · TravelTags: architecture · Musee du Quai Branly · Paris

What else is there to say about Paris? I will let these photos do the talking.

Berlin ist Wunderbar!

May 28, 2013April 4, 2014 Categories: Accommodations · Architecture · Art · Berlin · Europe · Germany · TravelTags: Berlin · Checkpoint Charlie · Gemaldegalerie · Germany · Ritz Carlton

Berlin is wonderful! Close to 25 years after the fall of the Wall, Berlin is a mix of trendy and grit. The city welcomes its future as an international centre for avant-garde culture, art and media while it enjoys a major re-birth post-communism. As its mayor famously quipped “Berlin is poor, but sexy!” Gemaldegalerie is Germany’s must-see art gallery housing a vast collection of European art, including many by the Old Masters. One will certainly enjoy viewing pieces by Boticelli, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer and many more without the crowds. The Wall and its Art I stayed at the…

Berlin – Reichstag

May 26, 2013April 4, 2014 Categories: Architecture · Berlin · Europe · Germany · Reichstag · TravelTags: Berlin · Germany · Reichstag

The Reichstag is where Germany’s Federal Parliament (Bundestag) sits. The last meeting here was in 1933 and returned in the spring of 1999. British architect Sir Norman Foster was behind the transformation that included a striking glass dome addition. The cupola or dome is now a Berlin landmark and it signalled a new era of modern architecture in the city. Ramps on the dome lead to an observation deck – it symbolizes the people ascending above the heads of their representatives in the chamber. At its core is a light sculptor that reflects natural light into the chamber, while a…

Berlin

May 25, 2013April 4, 2014 Categories: Berlin · Europe · Germany · TravelTags: Berlin · Berlin Cathedral · Berliner Dom · Germany

The capital city of Germany, Berlin is the country’s largest city with a population of 3.5 million. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, the city has seen so many changes. Two Berlins that had been separated for close to 30 years have become one bursting with energy. The Berliner Dom or the Berlin Cathedral is a neo-Renaissance cathedral built in 1905 with an opulent interior. It was damaged by the British bombardments in the 1940s, but restored and reopened in 1993.

The Jordaan

May 24, 2013April 4, 2014 Categories: Amsterdam · Architecture · Art · Europe · Netherlands · The Jordaan · TravelTags: Amsterdam · Joordan

Developed in the 17th century, the Jordaan was once a working-class neighbourhood in Amsterdam that has become gentrified and fashionable with a number of antique stores, galleries, cafes, restaurants and designer shops. The area still retains its network of maze-like streets, courtyards and canals. There’s not a lack of interesting store-front windows in this neighbourhood!

Amsterdam

May 22, 2013April 4, 2014 Categories: Amsterdam · Europe · Netherlands · TravelTags: Amsterdam · Begijnhof · Rijksmuseum1 Comment

One of the great cultural centres of the world, easy-going Amsterdam has a wealth of art treasures, handsome architecture and friendly people. I promised myself ten years ago that this is one city that I will definitely return to. The waterways, lined with elm trees and spanned by picturesque bridges are nothing but enchanting. The city claims to have 160 canals, more than Venice, with 1,280 bridges. The Rijksmuseum is one of the top galleries in the world. It re-opened its doors in April this year after a multi-year 375 million euros renovation by Cruz y Ortiz architects of Spain….

where's gary

Category: Europe