Like many (most?) old European cities, we had some trouble at first understanding the maps and finding our way around. Some smaller streets were not marked on the map and streets would unexpectedly change names. Throw in the canals and, at least at first, we'd have to consult our map with relative frequency to get where we wanted to go.
A view of the houses alongside a canal:
This was one of our confusing periods. We could see the Weigh House, but were having trouble locating exactly where we were on the map. It took us about 20 minutes longer than it should have to get to our destination!
Which was the Church of Our Lord in the Attic. During the Reformation, Catholic worship was outlawed. A wealthy Catholic merchant transformed a canal-side mansion into a church. The family lived in the front rooms, and from the outside, it looked like a normal house.We purchased our Museumkaart here. This is an amazing value for anyone planning on visiting even just a few of the sights in Amsterdam. As an added bonus, it's valid at many museums in other cities in Holland.
Here I am, descending the stairs from the house-part to the church-part:
The church is in the process of renovation, so some parts were closed to visitors. However, other parts were still open, giving us a glimpse into the restoration process. On the bench, you can see paint chip samples and other restoration tools:
A view of the organ:
After leaving this church, we decided to head over to Oude Kerk (Old Church) nearby. It's currently located right in the middle of the red light district.
During the Reformation, most of the Catholic embellishments were destroyed, so it was a bit bare when compared to other churches we've visited in Europe. Brian was disappointed to not find any relics.
I'm not exactly sure where this staircase goes, but I'm happy I don't have to climb it!
After leaving the church, we went to the Allard Pierson Museum, which is the University of Amsterdam's archaeological museum. We didn't take any pictures, but we loved it here! There was a special exhibition on Alexander the Great, as well as the permanent collection of artifacts from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and elsewhere.Also, they had a funny sign for their bathroom:
We had a light lunch in their cafeteria. It's amazing how a simple cheese sandwich can be so delicious!
We then went back to the hotel as Brian had more conference things to do. I took the opportunity to read (and perhaps nap) a bit.He got back around 5 pm. We decided to go for a run. Amsterdam, at least the old part, is not conducive to running! We had to stop frequently for traffic, so it was more like interval training than a steady-state run, which is not necessarily a bad thing. We eventually found ourselves at a park where we saw some grey herons. We got a bit lost, but eventually made it back home, having completed about the distance we'd been hoping for.
We quickly showered and went out for dinner, choosing an Indian restaurant that was close by. I'm not sure why I have such a weird look on my face, but I suppose I should just be happy that my eyes were open in the picture.
The food was good, and we then pretty much returned to the hotel as Brian had another early day in front of him.
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