De Oude Kerk and the Dam Square

Alex — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 04:58:05 +0000

We proceed on to De Oude Kerk (The Old Church) after returning from Zaanse Schans. It was originally built as a Catholic church but taken over by Dutch Protestant reformers. The reformers simplified the large interior and destroyed most Catholic ornamentation in it. The simplification presents a very spacious and different feel to the usual decoration seen in Catholic churches. Its unique location in the Red Light District may raise some eyebrows. But nevertheless, De Oude Kerk impresses with its vaulted wooden ceiling, organ and flooring.

Another unique thing to Amsterdam is the Hop-On Hop-Off Canal Bus. That’s totally different from the iconic red buses circling the major attractions in other major cities.

Then we had our lunch at a random restaurant near Dam Square.

Dam Square

The Dam Square is in the historical centre of Amsterdam. It was initially built to prevent flooding and to link the settlements on both sides of River Amstel. Thatâ€s also how Amsterdam derives its name from Amstel and Dam. The city grew while Dam Square remains the important core area. The bustling place is now home to Royal Palace, major commercial buildings and plenty of bicycles.

The unassuming-looking Royal Palace is one of the three Palaces used by the Dutch Royals for official events and receptions.

Other notable buildings include Madame Tussauds, de Bijenkorf, De Nieuwe Kerk and the nearby Magna Plaza. Not forgetting the abundance of souvenir shops, cafÃ©s and restaurants around.

Dam Square is a logical gathering spot for both locals and tourists alike. And itâ€s also where the street performers carry out their acts.

In addition, we also went to check out Ann Frank House and the I Amsterdam sign.

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What are your thoughts about De Oude Kerk or Dam Square? Leave a comment and share it with me.

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Zaanse Schans Day trip from Amsterdam

Alex — Sun, 18 Dec 2016 17:02:38 +0000

Zaanse Schans is a famous windmill town near to Amsterdam. Located in Zann district where it used to be populated with numerous industrious windmills. The once-important windmills were made redundant after the introduction of Steam Engine during the industrial revolution. Thank goodness that a windmill society came up with the idea to preserve the heritage of Zann district. The plan includes transportation of several historical windmills and buildings to a newly designated area, which is the current site for Zaanse Schans.

The trains to Zaanse Schans take less than 20 minutes from Amsterdam Central Station. Upon reaching Koog-Zandijk, a friendly Dutch student kindly pointed out to us the direction towards Zaanse Schans. I thanked him and casually asked how he knows we are heading there. His reply was, â€˜many Asians come here only to see the windmills, thereâ€s really nothing special about it. Have a good day!â€ Hmmâ€¦â€¦

Itâ€s a short walk from the station to the modern-looking Julianabrug (Julian Bridge). And the windmill town is just right across.

Traditional Dutch town

There are many traditional Dutch houses around the town. Free demonstration sessions of Dutch crafts are conducted in some of these houses. We visited a few of them but did not stay on for the workshops.

Itâ€s so windy that the clouds literally come and go. The sky above us went from gloomy to a bright blue sky then back to all gloom again like a repeated process. Well, at least I got some shots while the sky is blue.

Windmills of Zaanse Schans

Most people will immediately think of windmills when mentioning about the Netherlands. Especially since the windmills once empowered the Netherlandsâ€ economic growth with multiple industrial functions. Hence, itâ€s really not just an Asian thing to be here for the windmillsâ€¦my dear Dutch friend at the train station.

Moreover, the Zaanse Schans windmills and River Zann are such a picturesque pairing. How can anyone not like them?

The windmills look gorgeous without its partner too.

Visiting Windmill De Kat

I suppose the visit will not be completed without seeing a working windmill then. So I randomly pick Windmill De Kat. The working mill grinds raw material like chalk by to make pigments for paint and flooring material. It’s really a nice experience to see how a windmill works.

The space inside is rather limited and noisy while the mill is turning. Itâ€s also possible to climb up the narrow stairs to the balcony area for a nice panoramic overview. But descending down the stairs may not be for the faint-hearted.

And the returning dark clouds make it all gloomy once again.

Cheese Farm De Catharina Hoeve

So we move indoor for some free cheese tasting. Anyone who loves cheese will be delighted to see the list of cheeses here! They are also generous in dishing out the cheese samples too. There is the cheese-making demonstration workshop for people who are interested. But we are too busy trying out the samplesâ€¦LOL.

And yes, we bought some cheese back too.

The cheese farm also sells many other things, amid touristy stuff like chocolates, hand creams, plastic tulips, souvenirs and etc.

Banketbakkerij De Wijn

We bought some cookies from Banketbakkerij De Wijn on the way to Koog-Zandijk station. The cookies turn out to be very nice and we finished all during the short train ride back to Amsterdam. I should have bought more! For those visiting Zaanse Schans, perhaps can give this bakery a try too.