I’ve pondered starting a new series called “transport choices” but just don’t think it’ll ever be visually stimulating enough to get me going or keep your eyes. This would be a good example: a Guardian article sent by a friend a a couple years back told me about this underground & underwater bike parking garage next to Amsterdam Centraal. Various articles on the Dutch (and in particular Amsterdam) choice to seriously invest in bike, foot and public transit infrastructure over and above car infrastructure strike a tone of mixed admiration and derision, I find – and this article was no exception. Having used this precise bike garage now multiple times to conveniently convey myself and my tennis-bag via bike to Centraal, drop the bike in a clean, safe, dry, attended underground lot for a cheap daily rate after the first free 24 hours and then simply walk up the stairs on the other side then directly into the station, I’ll say this use of my tax dollars is a far more welcome use than nearly all the uses my US tax dollars go for. Yeah, that’s my bike in its little spot before one of my Berlin trips this year. The Dutch deride me for my helmet, but I’m as impervious to that as I am to American derision for this fabulous parking alternative.
Above, the moon sets over Sloterplas as seen from my balcony window on the morning of 26 December. (Before hopping the train down to Den Bosch aka ‘s Hertogenbosch for that lovely day we showed you in our last post.) Below, a gallery of pretty much every other remaining “city lights” relevant photo I took in NL during 2023 but haven’t yet posted. A note about the dawn photo of storefronts: the rose-shaped light decorations, which you will notice extend all the way down the street, tell you that this street is “Rozengracht,” which means either the street alongside the Rose Canal, or Rose Canal. In this particular case, I’m unaware of there actually being a canal named Rozengracht any more, but I’m guessing there might once have been one and the street is all that remains after the city did what the Dutch have always done, redirect the water. It’s entirely possible a more-knowledgeable Dutch friend will either email me or post a public comment to educate us all :-).
Above, a sunset photo still in my folder from March, and below the last from a lovely sunset evening concert at the Muziekgebouw up by the harbor in May.
Amsterdam Central train station is an ornate confection right in the heart of town. It’s so very in the heart of town that the fastest, modern trains can’t really navigate the curves and tracks to reach it, so the fastest trains connect through stations on the south side of town, and the airport, instead of coming into central station. Still, its proximity and lovliness make it my train station of choice even when I’m traveling to Belgium, Germany or France. Including on my most recent visit which, yes, was back in September. I’ve only got one more set of photos to post from that September Europe sojourn!
Since I’ve now posted many a time from Amsterdam over the years, I tried to focus this a bit more on specific architecture that I love…plus a few of the usual canal views which I simply can’t resist. All that brick, all those ornate ornamentations and well-maintained buildings…a pleasure to look at. Enjoy :-).
Above, a sunset photo still in my folder from March, and below the last from a lovely sunset evening concert at the Muziekgebouw up by the harbor in May.
Amsterdam Central train station is an ornate confection right in the heart of town. It’s so very in the heart of town that the fastest, modern trains can’t really navigate the curves and tracks to reach it, so the fastest trains connect through stations on the south side of town, and the airport, instead of coming into central station. Still, its proximity and lovliness make it my train station of choice even when I’m traveling to Belgium, Germany or France. Including on my most recent visit which, yes, was back in September. I’ve only got one more set of photos to post from that September Europe sojourn!
(so much world, so little time....) 