The Dancing Houses of the Damrak. 2016.

“The Damrak is an avenue and partially filled in canal at the centre of Amsterdam, running between Amsterdam Centraal in the north and Dam Square in the south. It is the main street where people arriving at the station enter the centre of Amsterdam. The street was located on a rak (reach), a straight part of the Amstel river near a dam; hence the name. In the 19th century, a section of it was filled in. Because of the former stock exchange building, the monumental Beurs van Berlage, and several other buildings related to financial activities erected there in the early 20th century, the term "Damrak" has come to be a synonym for the Amsterdam Stock Exchange in the same way "Wall Street" is synonymous with the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. The Beurs van Berlage now serves as a concert and exhibition hall. Today, the area is known for its restaurants, bars, and tourist shops. Its canals serve as a busy area for canal boats, as well.” - Wikipedia

Bicycle on bridge at sunset. 2016.

“A typical Amsterdam street scene sees countless cyclists either heading to or from work, transporting young children to school, or carrying anything from groceries or house pets to impressively tricky artefacts like ladders or even bulky furniture. With this in mind, it can seem to outsiders like cycling is simply built into the Dutch DNA. In reality, the Netherlands’ renowned cycling prowess is a hard-won combination of urban planning, government spending and people power. Most visitors are still shocked, however, by the vast numbers of bicycles, and the wide variety of cyclists: from students to police officers and from bank staff to couriers, cycling is the most egalitarian mode of transport. The Mayor of Amsterdam and City alderpersons also cycle. Even King Willem-Alexander cycles regularly with his family. The popularity of cycling in Amsterdam is undoubtedly aided by the fact that Amsterdam is flat, compact and densely populated and the climate mostly moderate. But Gerrit Faber of the Fietsersbond, or Cyclists’ Union notes that “It’s not what we have because of our genes. We built it – and other cities can, too.” He is referring to the investment in cycling infrastructure that began in earnest in the 1970s, following a post-war boom in auto reliance that led to unacceptably high death rates for cyclists. In 1971, more than 3,000 people were killed by cars, 450 of them children. “At that moment, people decided we don’t want it and we built what we have today,” says Faber. Today there are some 400 kilometres of bicycle paths criss-crossing the city, with an estimated half of all city journeys taking place on two wheels – pretty impressive for what began as an ‘elitist pastime’ in the 1890s.” - I Amsterdam

Bicycles outside the Rijksmuseum. 2016.

“The Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum dedicated to arts and history in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and the Concertgebouw. The Rijksmuseum was founded in The Hague in 1800 and moved to Amsterdam in 1808, where it was first located in the Royal Palace and later in the Trippenhuis. The current main building was designed by Pierre Cuypers and first opened its doors in 1885. On 13 April 2013, after a ten-year renovation which cost € 375 million, the main building was reopened by Queen Beatrix. In 2013 and 2014, it was the most visited museum in the Netherlands with record numbers of 2.2 million and 2.47 million visitors. It is also the largest art museum in the country. The museum has on display 8,000 objects of art and history, from their total collection of 1 million objects from the years 1200–2000, among which are some masterpieces by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer. The museum also has a small Asian collection, which is on display in the Asian pavilion.” - Wikipedia

The Basilica of Saint Nicholas at sunset. 2016.

“The Basilica of Saint Nicholas (Dutch: Basiliek van de Heilige Nicolaas) is located in the Old Centre district of Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the city's major Catholic church. Officially the church was called St. Nicholas inside the Walls, i.e. the oldest part of the Amsterdam defence works. The architect, Adrianus Bleijs (1842-1912) designed the church basing himself on a combination of several revival styles of which Neo-Baroque and neo-Renaissance are the most prominent models.” - Wikipedia

A photo of a photo of a Van Gogh selfie. 2016.

“Vincent Willem van Gogh (30 March 1853 – 29 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade he created about 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings, most of them in the last two years of his life. They include landscapes, still lifes, portraits and self-portraits, and are characterised by bold colours and dramatic, impulsive and expressive brushwork that contributed to the foundations of modern art. His suicide at 37 followed years of mental illness and poverty. The Van Gogh Museum is an art museum dedicated to his works and those of his contemporaries in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It is located at the Museum Square in the borough Amsterdam South, close to the Stedelijk Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw. The museum opened on 2 June 1973. It is located in buildings designed by Gerrit Rietveld and Kisho Kurokawa. The museum's collection is the largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings and drawings in the world. In 2015, the museum had 1.9 million visitors, and was the 2nd most visited museum in the Netherlands and the 31st most visited art museum in the world.” - Wikipedia

Tunnel through the Rijksmuseum. 2016.

“The Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum dedicated to arts and history in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and the Concertgebouw. The Rijksmuseum was founded in The Hague in 1800 and moved to Amsterdam in 1808, where it was first located in the Royal Palace and later in the Trippenhuis. The current main building was designed by Pierre Cuypers and first opened its doors in 1885. On 13 April 2013, after a ten-year renovation which cost € 375 million, the main building was reopened by Queen Beatrix. In 2013 and 2014, it was the most visited museum in the Netherlands with record numbers of 2.2 million and 2.47 million visitors. It is also the largest art museum in the country. The museum has on display 8,000 objects of art and history, from their total collection of 1 million objects from the years 1200–2000, among which are some masterpieces by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer. The museum also has a small Asian collection, which is on display in the Asian pavilion.” - Wikipedia

The Picasso Filter. 2016.

I looked at Angelica through the camera with a glass coffee cup pressed against it, and the distortion of her beautiful facial features reminded me of a work by Pablo Picasso.

Panning in Amsterdam. 2016.

“A typical Amsterdam street scene sees countless cyclists either heading to or from work, transporting young children to school, or carrying anything from groceries or house pets to impressively tricky artefacts like ladders or even bulky furniture. With this in mind, it can seem to outsiders like cycling is simply built into the Dutch DNA. In reality, the Netherlands’ renowned cycling prowess is a hard-won combination of urban planning, government spending and people power. Most visitors are still shocked, however, by the vast numbers of bicycles, and the wide variety of cyclists: from students to police officers and from bank staff to couriers, cycling is the most egalitarian mode of transport. The Mayor of Amsterdam and City alderpersons also cycle. Even King Willem-Alexander cycles regularly with his family. The popularity of cycling in Amsterdam is undoubtedly aided by the fact that Amsterdam is flat, compact and densely populated and the climate mostly moderate. But Gerrit Faber of the Fietsersbond, or Cyclists’ Union notes that “It’s not what we have because of our genes. We built it – and other cities can, too.” He is referring to the investment in cycling infrastructure that began in earnest in the 1970s, following a post-war boom in auto reliance that led to unacceptably high death rates for cyclists. In 1971, more than 3,000 people were killed by cars, 450 of them children. “At that moment, people decided we don’t want it and we built what we have today,” says Faber. Today there are some 400 kilometres of bicycle paths criss-crossing the city, with an estimated half of all city journeys taking place on two wheels – pretty impressive for what began as an ‘elitist pastime’ in the 1890s.” - I Amsterdam

The Hijsbalk. 2016.

"The architecture of Amsterdam is quite distinctive, in general the old buildings are narrower than in the Hague, but one thing is the same: the Dutch don’t waste precious space on staircases, so these are invariably narrow. Naturally this poses problems when furniture needs to be gotten any further than the ground floor of the building, especially before the invention of the Lift. So the Dutch needed an ingenious solution and built their old buildings with a large beam sticking out of the roof gable. In the Netherlands we call this a hijsbalk (cantilever or lifting beam). Embedded into this large beam is a massive hook, and the process of removal just involved the removal of the window on the floor there the furniture was required, a pulley and heavy rope attached to the hook, and plenty of manpower to hoist the object into the air until it reached the required level, where it was in turn hauled though the vacated window space at the front of the building." -KiwiDutch

Damrak Houses at Sunset. 2016.

“The Damrak is an avenue and partially filled in canal at the centre of Amsterdam, running between Amsterdam Centraal in the north and Dam Square in the south. It is the main street where people arriving at the station enter the centre of Amsterdam. The street was located on a rak (reach), a straight part of the Amstel river near a dam; hence the name. In the 19th century, a section of it was filled in. Because of the former stock exchange building, the monumental Beurs van Berlage, and several other buildings related to financial activities erected there in the early 20th century, the term "Damrak" has come to be a synonym for the Amsterdam Stock Exchange in the same way "Wall Street" is synonymous with the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. The Beurs van Berlage now serves as a concert and exhibition hall. Today, the area is known for its restaurants, bars, and tourist shops. Its canals serve as a busy area for canal boats, as well.” - Wikipedia

Stedelijk Museum Escalators. 2016.

“The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (Municipal Museum Amsterdam), colloquially known as the Stedelijk, is a museum for modern art, contemporary art, and design located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The 19th century building was designed by Adriaan Willem Weissman and the 21st century wing with the current entrance was designed by Benthem Crouwel Architects. It is located at the Museum Square in the borough Amsterdam South, where it is close to the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw. The collection comprises modern and contemporary art and design from the early 20th century up to the 21st century. It features artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Wassily Kandinsky, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, Karel Appel, Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, Marlene Dumas, Lucio Fontana, and Gilbert & George. In 2015, the museum had an estimated 675,000 visitors. ” - Wikipedia

Bike on canal bridge.

“Golden Age canals lined by tilting gabled buildings are the backdrop for Amsterdam's treasure-packed museums, vintage-filled shops and hyper-creative design, drinking and dining scenes. Amsterdam's canal-woven core is laced by atmospheric narrow lanes. You never know what you'll find: a tiny hidden garden; a boutique selling witty, stylised Dutch-designed homewares and fashion; a jewel box-like jenever (Dutch gin) distillery; a flower stall filled with tulips in a rainbow of hues; an old monastery-turned-classical-music-venue; an ultra-niche restaurant such as an avocado or strawberry specialist or one reinventing age-old Dutch classics. Fringing the centre, post-industrial buildings in up-and-coming neighbourhoods now house creative enterprises, from art galleries to craft breweries and cutting-edge tech start-ups, as well as some of Europe's hottest clubs. Amsterdam is famously gezellig, a Dutch quality that translates roughly as convivial or cosy. It's more easily experienced than defined. There's a sense of time stopping, an intimacy of the here-and-now that leaves your troubles behind, at least until tomorrow. The easiest place to encounter this feeling is a brown cafe (traditional Dutch pub). Named for their wood panelling and walls once stained by smoke, bruin cafés have gezelligheid (cosiness) on tap, along with good beer. You can also feel gezellig lingering after dinner in snug restaurants while the candles burn low.” - Lonely Planet

Running the dog. 2016.

“Golden Age canals lined by tilting gabled buildings are the backdrop for Amsterdam's treasure-packed museums, vintage-filled shops and hyper-creative design, drinking and dining scenes. Amsterdam's canal-woven core is laced by atmospheric narrow lanes. You never know what you'll find: a tiny hidden garden; a boutique selling witty, stylised Dutch-designed homewares and fashion; a jewel box-like jenever (Dutch gin) distillery; a flower stall filled with tulips in a rainbow of hues; an old monastery-turned-classical-music-venue; an ultra-niche restaurant such as an avocado or strawberry specialist or one reinventing age-old Dutch classics. Fringing the centre, post-industrial buildings in up-and-coming neighbourhoods now house creative enterprises, from art galleries to craft breweries and cutting-edge tech start-ups, as well as some of Europe's hottest clubs. Amsterdam is famously gezellig, a Dutch quality that translates roughly as convivial or cosy. It's more easily experienced than defined. There's a sense of time stopping, an intimacy of the here-and-now that leaves your troubles behind, at least until tomorrow. The easiest place to encounter this feeling is a brown cafe (traditional Dutch pub). Named for their wood panelling and walls once stained by smoke, bruin cafés have gezelligheid (cosiness) on tap, along with good beer. You can also feel gezellig lingering after dinner in snug restaurants while the candles burn low.” - Lonely Planet

Venice of the North. 2016.

“Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, has more than one hundred kilometers of canals, about 90 islands and 1,500 bridges. The three main canals (Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht), dug in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age, form concentric belts around the city, known as the Grachtengordel. Alongside the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings. The 17th-century canal ring area, including the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Jordaan, were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, contributing to Amsterdam's fame as the "Venice of the North".” - Wikipedia

Tulip bulbs. 2016.

“Originally cultivated in the Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey), tulips were imported into Holland in the sixteenth century. When Carolus Clusius wrote the first major book on tulips in 1592, they became so popular that his garden was raided and bulbs stolen on a regular basis. As the Dutch Golden Age grew, so did this curvaceous and colorful flower. They became popular in paintings and festivals. In the mid-seventeenth century, tulips were so popular that they created the first economic bubble, known as "Tulip Mania" (tulipomania). As people bought up bulbs they became so expensive that they were used as money until the market in them crashed. Today, Holland is still known for its tulips and other flowers, often being affectionately called the "flower shop of the world." Tulips are cultivated in great fields of beautiful color, and tulip festivals abound throughout the country in the spring. The Dutch people took their love of tulips abroad when they settled, and tulips and tulip festivals are now found in New York (originally New Amsterdam) and Holland, Michigan, where the connection to their Dutch roots is very strong.” - Holland.com

Supermarket Roof Green Space. 2016.

In front of the Stadelijk Museum, this green space is actually the roof of an adjacent supermarket. That's great urban design.

The view out of the Stedelijkmuseum. 2016.

“The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (Municipal Museum Amsterdam), colloquially known as the Stedelijk, is a museum for modern art, contemporary art, and design located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The 19th century building was designed by Adriaan Willem Weissman and the 21st century wing with the current entrance was designed by Benthem Crouwel Architects. It is located at the Museum Square in the borough Amsterdam South, where it is close to the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw. The collection comprises modern and contemporary art and design from the early 20th century up to the 21st century. It features artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Wassily Kandinsky, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, Karel Appel, Andy Warhol, Willem de Kooning, Marlene Dumas, Lucio Fontana, and Gilbert & George. In 2015, the museum had an estimated 675,000 visitors. ” - Wikipedia

I Amsterdam Letters in front of Rijksmuseum. 2016.

“Located at the back of the Rijksmuseum on Museumplein, the large I amsterdam slogan quickly became a city icon and a much sought-after photo opportunity. Visitors photograph themselves, in, around and on top of the slogan, and it always manages to inspire the novice photographer. At more than two metres tall, the slogan measures over 23.5 metres wide. A second set of letters is at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to welcome visitors to the city and a third set of letters playfully changes location around the city, making appearances at fashion shows, fairs, festivals and other major events. And finally, a scaled-down set of letters can also be found in the courtyard of the Amsterdam Museum. ” - I Amsterdam

I Amsterdam Letters. 2016.

“Located at the back of the Rijksmuseum on Museumplein, the large I amsterdam slogan quickly became a city icon and a much sought-after photo opportunity. Visitors photograph themselves, in, around and on top of the slogan, and it always manages to inspire the novice photographer. At more than two metres tall, the slogan measures over 23.5 metres wide. A second set of letters is at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to welcome visitors to the city and a third set of letters playfully changes location around the city, making appearances at fashion shows, fairs, festivals and other major events. And finally, a scaled-down set of letters can also be found in the courtyard of the Amsterdam Museum. ” - I Amsterdam