The Trip that was: September 12, 2008/2013/2014/2015

2008

Amstelveen is so close to the flower markets, and on the doorstep of Schiphol airport! I find the abundance, freshness, and afforability of flowers to be astounding. 

The COBRA Museum, Amstelveen.   In 2008, we went, we saw it. I will share these photos and we will NEVER speak of this again.  If you don't know, CoBrA is taken from the first letters of the cities, Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam, where the artists lived and worked.  COBRA embraces a childlike innocence and is more or less anti-art. And I am anti-Cobra. If there is an amazing exhibition, I may go again. Otherwise, I'm showing the best of what I saw.  The only thing I find more off-putting is the Stedelijk Amsterdam, and the obnoxious, white bathtub they stuck on the side of an elegant, grand building.  The Stedelijk is a rant for another day-- believe me you'll hear it. For now, I'll  you with this and you can make up your own mind.  

2013

After that, I need a drink. 

2014

An afternoon spent in Zaandam.  This was the view from our friend's lovely back garden. 

Dutchboy. He looks so tiny. And his glasses look so big!  

2015

Raise your hand if you've heard of Hattem! Hattem  is a town in the province of Gelderland, and was a member of the Hanseatic League.  Now it's a quaint, touristy village that is a fun place to spend an afternoon—visiting the  Anton Pieck Museum and the Dutch Bakery Museum Hattem! You've likely encountered the work of Anton Pieck on calendars, cards and puzzles.  He is famous for his rendering of quaint, fairytale-esque village life.  And remember that theme park I mentioned a couple of days ago? He designed it!  

I don't know-- some type of Civic Guard re-enactment.  They were having THE BEST time. 

Tot Ziens!

 

The Trip that was: September 11, 2008 / 2014

 2008

Flying into Amsterdam Schiphol.  It's my favorite sunrise. 

2014

Zuiderkerk.  Designed by famous Dutch architect,  Hendrick de Keyser (1603-1611).  It's no longer a church, and can be rented for receptions, performances, and exhibitions. Zuiderkerk tower is one of the landmark towers in Amsterdam.  It was featured in a painting by Claude Monet (collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art).  

Zuiderkerkhof. We turned to walk through the square, when we noticed someone was following us.  Not unusual, Amsterdam is a busy city.  I ignored him and started taking photos, until he approached Dutchboy and my hackles went up.  No worries.  He only wanted to offer us help in sourcing some "excellent" weed. This square will aways bring back that memory. 

National Monument on Dam Square

 The Royal Palace and Nieuwekerk.

Interior of Magna Plaza.  This beautiful building used to be the Amsterdam Post Office, but is now a shopping center.  Dutchboy and I went off on our own, opened doors and walked up the back stairs towards the adminstrative offices.  Hey, no one stopped us.  

This photo brought to you by the letters F for Friend and O for Ouzo, and terrific Greek food in Zaandam. 

 

The Trip that was: September 10, 2013/2014

2013

A visit to the National Maritime Museum , Scheepvaart Museum!   The building dates fro 1656, and was designed by Daniel Stalpeer.  It was built on an artificially constructed "island" in the harbor. It was the land-based storehouse for the Amsterdam Admiralty, and home of the Dutch Navy.  A reprodcution of a Dutch East India Company ship stands in the harbor and you can take a tour. It also gives you a beautiful and unique view of the city!! They also have a lovely cafe, nice coffee and great apple tart! 

2014

Driving back from visiting friends in Bakkeveen (in eastern Friesland), along the A6.

 

The Trip that was: September 9, 2014

 A sobering post.  On this day in 2014, we visited Westerbork.   There isn't a lot of the original camp left.  It was dismantled, except for the rail tracks which were left in place, but broken. While it wasn't a death camp, but a transit camp to move the Jewish people to the the deathcamps, a solemness remains.  The camp was liberated on April 12, 1945 by the Canadians, who found 876 inmates remaining at the camp.  A bit more history, an Excerpt from the Holocaust Encyclopedia:

From 1942 to 1944 Westerbork served as a transit camp for Dutch Jews before they were deported to killing centers in German-occupied Poland. In early 1942, the Germans enlarged the camp. In July 1942 the German Security Police, assisted by an SS company and Dutch military police, took control of Westerbork. Erich Deppner was appointed camp commandant and Westerbork's role as a transit camp for deportations to the east began, with deportation trains leaving every Tuesday. From July 1942 until September 3, 1944, the Germans deported 97,776 Jews from Westerbork: 54,930 to Auschwitz in 68 transports, 34,313 to Sobibor in 19 transports, 4,771 to the Theresienstadt ghetto in 7 transports, and 3,762 to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 9 transports. Most of those deported to Auschwitz and Sobibor were killed upon arrival."

The 102,000 Stone Memorial pays tribute to 102,000 people from the Netherlands that were murdered by the Nazi regime. Each stone represents a victim.  Most stones have a Star of David on them, representing a Jewish victim. But 213 have a flame, representing the Roma population. Several dozen have no mark, and represent the Resistance fighters who imprisioned at the camp, and "disappeared"forever.   Anne Frank was one of those people, sent to Bergen-Belsen via Westerbork. 

                      

" ...let us remember those who suffered and perished then, those who fell with weapons in their hands and those who died with prayers on their lips, all those who have no tombs: our heart remains their cemetery." -- Elie Wiesel