travelswithalice

August 26, 2017

My Amsterdam Memories

In addition to the obligatory canal tour and several must see landmarks of this intriguing city, my own personal tour of Amsterdam would have to include the following:

1. Secret Gardens

Originally built for widows who preferred the security of communal living, "hofjes" were groups of small houses organized around shared garden squares.

2. Anonymous Sculptures

Sculptures have mysteriously cropped up in several spots in the city. No one knows when they came or how they came to be where they are. At least no one has claimed any such knowledge officially. The artist or artists are willfully anonymous.

Fiddler at the Town Hall

Accordionist

There have been rumors that the artist may be Queen Beatrix herself because of the logistics involved in surreptitiously installing those pieces in public places. Furthermore, the face of the "fiddler" is said to resemble the queen's husband, Claus.

3. The Royal Concertgebouw

At the box office, I couldn't decide whether to take the left side seating or the right. The ticket clerk, trying not to sound dismissive, said "It really doesn't matter."

Considered one of the world's best concert halls, Royal Concertgebouw's Main Hall has phenomenal acoustics.

read about famous acoustics

Stuart and me at cocktails during intermission when complimentary drinks were served. Note the shameful state of inappropriate dressing at our otherwise elegant evening.

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra's First Violin Tjeerd Top delivered an intense, vigorous Vivaldi, the evening's much anticipated Four Seasons, a performance that brought the audience to their feet. He then came back to rock a mean Led Zeppelin turn, Stairway to Heaven, which generated another standing ovation. And as I quietly intoned "Hmmm...makes me wonder," our inappropriate attire felt a little less inappropriate.

4. Lairesse Apotheek

A drugstore? On a list of places to see?This drugstore is not like any drugstore I've ever seen or even heard of. It's as courageous in its embrace of both alternative and traditional medicines as it is in its approach to shop design.

Lots of cabinets and shelves being the main requirement, this store is fitted out like a giant chest of drawers. A stout tree trunk stands in the middle, surrounded by a curved wall of little cabinets with doors of green-tinted plexiglass. What could be more intriguing than that?

Oh yes, an entire wall at the entrance is a floor to ceiling Periodic Table of Elements just like the one we remember from chemistry class in the school lab. Outside walls at curbside also feature similar tables.