Although I bike past it several times a week, I guess I’ve not yet shown you the outside of Amsterdam’s Royal Palace, shown to the left here next to the 15th-century “Nieuwe Kerk,” so called b/c in the 1400s it was the new kid on the block after A’dam’s first 1306-built church, which as of this building’s opening became and has remained the “Oude Kerk.” The 1655 palace started life as a town hall – as noted in earlier posts about it. (And since their full time official residence is down in the Hague, this is really only where they do formal stuff that needs done in A’dam, I think.) I’ve sorta been waiting for the construction to finish before I took photos, but I liked how the setting sun lit this clouds on this evening, so here you go :-).
I have an embarrassment of riches in terms of Amsterdam canal photos waiting to be shared, including above and several below from a lovely canal cruise Sam & I decided to do between the matinee and evening concerts on the last day of the Mahler Festival back in May, and a few taken during Barbara’s visit just before Sam arrived…then a few more from just my usual wanders by foot or bike around this lovely city where the days are becoming painfully, noticeably, shorter as we’re now within three weeks of the next equinox 😦
Back in March, upon my return from the short visit to BKK and Beijing, I had to get outside A’dam city limits for some “country canals” appropriate photos. Since I’m now about to spent a good deal of time – in the upcoming second week of my current so far fabulous vacation – biking, walking and training around the Dutch countryside to explore some parks and museums that have long been on my list, I expect by this time next week to have accumulated some new and lovely shots to feed future posts in this series. So herewith the last shots from a bike ride on a lovely mid-March day in the countryside south of Amsterdam.
Now and then the morning bike commute to work is so lovely that I stop and take a photo or two, such as these shots from June and July. The right-side photo shows Westerkerk, which is referenced in Anne Frank’s diaries and which sits next to both the contemporary Anne Frank Huis museum, and the fabulously-named Homomonument. (Commemorating queer folks targeted and killed during WWII.)
And yes, however lovely the gardens, water lilies and architecture are wherever work or pleasure travel have recently taken me, I breathe a sigh of relief when I get home to my lovely lake views and my own bed & kitchen again :-). I’d been saving this May morning moon-set shot for either sky lights, or city lights, but I like how it pairs with the shot above.
This was May 21st as the rising sun headed further north. I missed its pass through this building last week on its way back south :-(, because I’ve been out of town for a bit.
(so much world, so little time....) 