Skating on Keizersgracht in the center of Amsterdam, 5 Feb 2012

This was a dream of mine that I thought "global warming" had squelched: the Amsterdam canals are freezing over in the Centrum. After years here, it's finally happened!

The whole country is going nuts over the possibility of Elfstedenocht, an ice-skating event that takes place through 11  Friesland cities, but only if the Dutch weather permits: the ice must be 15 cm thick along the whole natural route.

You have to live here to appreciate the excitement this generates. The media is already in a frenzy nightly; bets are being laid as to whether or not it will take place. The official announcement comes from The Queen. The entire nation is holding it's breath. I kid you not.

classic photo

The black bike on the gracht as the boats go by, this is the essence of Amsterdam in the warm-weather months. Also essentially Amsterdam: the back tire is flat and the seat is missing. Probably an abandoned or oh-gee-where-did-I-park-my-bike situation.

whimsical touch

 

I remember that this was a nice area, sort of a surprise neighborhood in Oost I believe.

carnival detail

I was impressed with the quality of decoration around the burger and bratwurst food stand. The inscription on this glass and lead panel roughly translates to "He who sows shall reap."

Best Amsterdam Blog of the Year Award

...is never going to be mine, at this rate!

Well, let me dust off my winter and, in honor of daylight savings time, which started here yesterday, and resurrect Amsterzanne blog with a few looks of early spring. And, I do mean early spring. I am still wearing a scarf, gloves and long winter coat. But, the days are longer and the forsythia is frothing out, and daffodils are getting more plentiful by the day.

This is a decent capture, considering it was on the fly, of the Rijksmuseum yesterday evening. I cycle through Museumplein daily on the way to and from work, one of the nicest perks of my day. The sun was a great angle on the museum last night, and I like the current placement of the moveable I Amsterdam sign. Too bad about that daggone gray construction hut in the center. Imagine how many tourist photos that silly thing is ruining. Oh well, the price of renovation.

We are having the spring tease. Last weekend the sun shone and the temperatures were mild, but don't put that winter coat away just yet, folks. The carnival at Westergasfabriek last weekend was a great place for photos, here's a few:

de Krijtberg Kerk

I can't resist my camera when it's snowing, and I'm pleased with this photo I took last week of de Krijtberg Kerk, a Catholic church on the Singel near the flower market. The post work is done with GIMP, a free photo manipulation software.

Museum construction site

This is not a great year to visit Amsterdam for the museums, not if you are expecting to see the major ones. The Van Gogh is going strong, but the exhibits at both the famous Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk are mere fractions of their normal collections as grand expansion plans are underway. One corner (SW) of Museumplein is surrounded by construction equipment and barricades, and the usual "how much longer?!" type graffiti scrawled around the temporary walls. This particular wall on Van Baerlestraat, though, is really a work of art in itself. Somebody painted what I assume are the likenesses of some of the workers on the project, and I wanted to be sure to capture it before they took the wall down.

Tai chi at the willow in Sarphati

I cycle past this splendid low weeping willow every morning, and it is changing daily as the leaves take hold and grow. In the center of Sarphati Park, tram 3, at the end of Cuyp market in de Pijp.

Tai chi in the park, a sure sign of spring! My housemate has been exercising in this (Sarphati) park lately, and it looks like others are as well. A former step aerobics instructor, he was doing step exercises with headphones on by himself, and suddenly noticed that a group of children had gathered behind him, giggling, pointing and feebly attempting to follow his steps. I wish I had a picture of that.

Desperate for SPRING!!!!!

Will it ever come?!?!?! This has been one long, cold winter indeed, evolving into a brisk, chilly spring. I wandered around today and yesterday looking for signs of warmer weather. Here are a few things I stumbled across in my quest for signs of spring:


I wandered past one of my favorite neighborhood plazas, De Costaplein in Amsterdam West. There, efforts have been made to encourage the early blooms in a planter here and there, but bare branches still say "winter."


Amsterdammers love a touch of whimsy, and I was quite taken with this unique number on somebody's front door.

A quick capture from the Jacob van Lennepkade bridge looking down Bilderdijkstraat includes very little foliage. Blue sky is a nice change, however, so you'll hear no complaining about the weather from moi. The chairs stacked at the end of the bridge rail in the center belong to Kade 58 restaurant, one of the gem eateries in this area. Kade 58 has never disappointed, and in the summer their outdoor tables extend all over the place, spilling down the side street and up to the point on the bridge where this photo was taken. The white framed window in the midground is theirs. On the left one of the newer trams whizzes past.

Skirts on the line at La Naranja

I came up with a clothesline idea to showcase our new skirts in the display at La Naranja. I have fun watching the shadows they make in the afternoon. We started with a small number and more than half have sold, so we'll be getting more in the next few weeks. They really are adorable; and I have a few myself. They are reversible and snap together, so they are the perfect cover over jeans and leggings. The ladies love them!

colorful cabin

Amstel river, December 2010

Thanks, GVB

While I'm reviewing the winter and discovering my lost cache of December pics, I'd like to say "dank u wel" to GVB, the local transport organization, for giving the tram riders little chocolate santas around Christmas time. Now, that's the kind of thing that will make you fall in love with a city. Awwwww. Thank you, GVB!

The little sign in Dutch above the candy reads: We wish you a pleasant journey.

What a winter it has been.

The normally crowded Film Museum's patio had plenty of available tables that day! Oh waiter!

Two friends walking in snowy Vondelpark, Amsterdam, me and my buddy Bill.

With the first rays of sunshine I am ready to put away my coat and throw on a tank top, but the sunny scene outside my morning window is accompanied by freezing temperatures (literally, 32F) and mean gusts of March wind.

Everyone is itching for spring after this long cold winter, and I thought this was a perfect opportunity to give winter 2010 one last nod before we turn our gaze to the next season.

Amsterdam saw a snowy winter unlike it has had here for 28 years, and what a glorious change to see a blanket of white in December instead of the usual wet concrete. My buddy Bill was here briefly during a snowfall, and I happily just stumbled upon some pics we snapped while he was visiting. The snow is gone now, but a few weeks ago Amsterdam looked like this:

Ha!
Vondelpark December 2010

couple in Vondelpark

Available seat-t-t-ting, brrr.

Alley off flower market, Amsterdam

What I saw Easter Sunday, Amsterdam 2009

Christian Huygens was a Dutch physicist who
studied time pieces and optical devices. His accomplishments include discovering the first moon of Saturn, Titan. This commerative tile work honoring him is on Leidsestraat, usually in shadow but I got lucky this day. Since it's at the second-story level, it largely goes unnoticed by the shopping hordes passing below.

What I saw Easter Sunday

The canal boat ride outside The American Hotel was jammed today, perhaps people pouring out of the famous jazz brunch the hotel offers on Sundays. Finally, the trees over the canals are getting leaves.

Bikes on a boat.

I love the last light on the canal waters. These three guys were transporting their bikes on the boat.

Reaching out.

It was a cloudy, cold day as I strolled around the neighborhood on Christmas. These little stray berries caught my eye. As if they wandered over to the similarly colored curtain and said, "hey! I like your style." A reminder that there are little bright spots everywhere.

No Guns. No Croissants.

Considering a trip to Bulgaria. During my preliminary research I ran across a post of this photo, which made me laugh out loud. No guns, dogs, mobile phones or croissants allowed? God help us if people storm the place brandishing fresh croissants. Well, at least they have not forbidden glazed donuts, I would hate to proceed completely unarmed.