We arrived in Amsterdam during Pride Week. It began with Pride Walk, where a banner of the Pride Flag was paraded through the city and draped from the Westerkerk clocktower.
As the signs indicated, there were still plenty of activities.
The highlight was the Pride Canal Parade, which began near our hotel! The route is the colored lines on these maps...
We breakfasted at Bakers & Roasters, an organic cafe with a Brazilian flair. It's in the Kadijken neighborhood, a part of the Eastern Islands region.
To get there, we crossed Entrepotdok Canal on this colorful drawbridge. We sauntered past historic houseboats and loft-style apartments in repurposed warehouses built in 1708!
To get there, we crossed Entrepotdok Canal on this colorful drawbridge. We sauntered past historic houseboats and loft-style apartments in repurposed warehouses built in 1708!
Mooi! (Pretty!)
Many houseboats have colorful gardens.
Nearby was a revitalized neighborhood named for Czar Peter the Great, who visited Amsterdam incognito to learn about its superb shipbuilding, to bring back to Russia. (Russians called their emperor a czar based on the famous ancient Roman emperor named Caesar). The emperor's visit occurred in 1697. Clearly, Amsterdam was always a hub of innovation! Another link occurred in 1816 when Czar Paul's daughter, Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna, married King Willem II.
At another drawbridge (bridge #278), spectators had begun to line the canals, sunning themselves on the quay, and bubbling with joy.
Bakers & Roasters already had a line of customers outside, but the efficient waitstaff got us seated within minutes! Instead of the terrace, we opted to sit inside, and cool breezes floated through the open windows.
Avoiding industrial food suppliers, they buy ethically-grown ingredients from small-batch, organic, local sources.
A display case had their famous carrot cake and fudge slices. All cakes are made in-house.
The table of guys next to us recommended huevos rancheros, which Lewis chose.
I got sourdough toast with poached organic eggs, bacon, chicken sausage, spinach, and pickled peppers... and a creamy latte (thanks to hormone-free Dutch dairy cows). Their bacon, chorizo, and sausages come from a local smokehouse named Franks, and they are 100% free of antibiotics and hormones.
The chef produced picture-perfect dishes for every table.
When we left, the crowd on the quay was getting larger.
Unlike America (supposedly "Land of the Free") where same-sex activity was illegal until 2003, it was decriminalized in the Netherlands, back in 1811! The end of military discrimination occurred in 1973, and a law for equal-opportunity occurred in 1994—just as the USA began unhelpful "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy in its military, forcing gay people to hide their identity if they wished to serve. The kingdom legalized same-sex domestic partnerships in 1998, and it was the first country to legalize same-sex weddings in 2001. (In April 2001, the mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen—a former senator and State Secretary for Justice—was the first Dutch official to wed a gay couple). In contrast, it wasn't until 2011 that same-sex marriages were allowed in New York—famously only because advocates showed NY how much money it would make! Even now, none of the 50 American states protect same-sex marriage in their constitutions.
*All of the GVB's Metro, bus, and tram drivers wore Pride Flag ties! That was stylishly supportive.
Knowing that the Canal Parade began at noon, we decided to cross the city and explore the Jordaan (Garden) neighborhood...
...which was where the parade finished. We opted to use the Metro. It was wonderful NOT having to go online to confirm that the subway was working, each day... like we must do daily in NYC. Emerging from the Metro under Centraal Station, we rode the escalator to the sidewalk.
A festive drum beat welcomed us! This video captured the musical moment...
...which was where the parade finished. We opted to use the Metro. It was wonderful NOT having to go online to confirm that the subway was working, each day... like we must do daily in NYC. Emerging from the Metro under Centraal Station, we rode the escalator to the sidewalk.
A festive drum beat welcomed us! This video captured the musical moment...
We crossed a few bridges (this one was #387).
We walked through Haarlemmerbuurt, a historic neighborhood named for its roads to the City of Haarlem (which NYC's Harlem is named after).
We arrived in the Jordaan area. Trams only run along its western edge, and many roads are void of cars. Full of flowers and greenery, it has modern buildings juxtaposed with preserved ones from 1614.
Since it was Saturday, the famous Food Markets were open—regardless of Pride Week—and without any road closures! Noordermarkt was at Noorderkerk (North Church). The church was designed with a Venetian style in 1623 by Hendrick de Keyser. (Kerk is the Netherlandish word for church, which is similar to the Scottish word for church: kirk). Like many old cities, Amsterdam named its churches for the quadrants they occupied. It reminded us of Boston's Old North Church, built 1723 and famous for "One if by land; two if by sea".
*To read about our recent visit to Boston, please use this link:
Full of vibrancy, Noorderkerk still serves the community.
Historically, it always hosted outdoor markets, and that tradition continues.
The sign below indicates the ages of cheeses. I bought a scrumptious raw sheep's milk cheese that was jong belegen (young maturity of 8-10 weeks).
Do you know why most of the world eats orange carrots? In the 1600s, the Dutch focused on breeding orange ones, instead of yellow or purple. It befits the House of Orange, which the royal family comes from. Since the Dutch were the largest producer of carrots, their global exports spread them.
Here are my pictures of the adjoining Lindengracht Market.
Overall, prices were affordable. Lewis bought us mouthwash... which you don't see offered at American greenmarkets.
We lunched at a Spanish Pintxos (Tapas) Bar called La Oliva. It's located at the intersection of Eglantine Rose Street (Egelantiersstraat) and Second Eglantine Rose Street. (When I first translated Egelantiers, I got "hedgehogs"—which was funny). Chef Alfredo Castillo makes northern-Spanish food with a gastronomic influence from the Basque region. Basque retains a strong-willed culture, which matches its coat of arms...
The servers were friendly, the food was flavorful, and the fair-priced menu reminded us of our trip to Barcelona in the Kingdom of Spain! We highly recommend it!
Glasses of wine were only 5 Euros! Great value!
*To see our second delicious trip to Spain, please use this link:
While eating, we overheard a woman from Minnesota say that she lived in Germany for 5 years, moved back to America, and hated how Americans get so few vacation days. She thought about returning to Europe, but her mom guilted her to stay in the USA. So, she got a job at a school—purely for the large vacation time during summer. (Helping students seemed like a lesser priority, which is typical of American schools and evident by global aptitude ratings).
Adventurously making a few turns, Lewis and I discovered JWO Lekkernijen, a purveyor of handmade pâté, salads, sausages, and cheese. Its name comes from the interracial gay couple who operates it: Jan-Willem and Ongkie. They were one of the first gay couples to get married in the Netherlands! Meeting them was an unexpected surprise during Pride Week.
Their delicatessen sells local delicacies, as well as specialities from Indonesia, Italy, France, Belgium, and Spain. (Notice the stained-glass clerestory windows in the picture).
Their delicatessen sells local delicacies, as well as specialities from Indonesia, Italy, France, Belgium, and Spain. (Notice the stained-glass clerestory windows in the picture).
The deli is situated on a street named Willemstraat, which opened during King Willem I's birthday, and that's how it got its name. We bought Boerenkaas (handmade Farmer's Cheese) and a jar of duck foie gras. They were delicious snacks! Seats face the windows, and standing tables are at the doorway.
Here is a video of the side-by-side festivities of Gay Pride and the Farmers Market at Westermarkt.
In the vicinity, Westerkerk displayed a Pride Flag from its 85-meter tower: the tallest spire in the city. Constructed in 1620, the Renaissance-era church contains Rembrandt's grave, and it hosted Queen Beatrix's 1966 wedding. Marking every quarter hour, its carillon uses 51 bells; 14 of them are from 1658. Jutting into Keizersgracht is the 1987 national Gay Monument honoring the 70,000 gay individuals killed by Nazis during WWII.
The roar of the crowd and the booming bass from speakers on each boat drew us to the canals.
As seen in the crowd, people of all ages lined the canals to spend their afternoon cheering, as each float passed under the bridges. The floats were colorful and vivacious.
Sjongejonge!
We noticed many children attending the event. In open-minded societies, it is okay to bring children to the Pride Parade. Goed idee! (Good idea!) Teaching values of acceptance breeds a unified society. In many ways through its history, Amsterdam was important in the global development of tolerance. I saw an entire area occupied by Boy Scouts who acted supportively!
*To see my amazing adventures as a Boy Scout, use this link:
https://halfwindsorfullthrottle.blogspot.com/2015/04/boy-scouting.htmlEnjoy this video, and turn the sound on...
Use this link to watch a short video about freedom in the Netherlands...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Z-Dny8rEM
Despite the hordes, many people maintained cleanliness: before, during, and after the events.
Love was in the air, and nobody disapproved of the S&M outfits or the bare-butt "bears".
While volunteers picked up trash, men picked up twinks, and parties "heated up" at nightclubs like Funhouse and Prik.
In harmony with the legally-tolerated marijuana, some partygoers visited "Coffee Shops" (as seen below) to buy weed in small/controlled amounts.
In harmony with legalized prostitution, some partygoers visited the Red Light District, De Wallen, in the historic city-center. That juxtaposition revealed liberalism and social sensitiveness. Prostitution was always tolerated since 1306, and it became a legal profession in 1988. We encountered similar districts in Madrid and Kyoto, but Amsterdam's was the most orderly. (Anything is better than the illegal raunchy sex scene at NYC's Times Square area, which existed until 2004). Safety and cleanliness apply to all sex professionals. Incidentally, forms of prostitution are also legal in Argentina, Israel, Sweden, India, Austria, Portugal, Guatemala, Iceland, Singapore, Bolivia, Peru, Belgium, Germany, Malta, Mexico, Greece, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Colombia, Finland, England, Scotland, Wales, Italy, El Salvador, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, Denmark, The Bahamas, and the Czech Republic. Seen below, the iconic red windows are showcases for sex workers.
We did not partake of either notion. Instead, Lewis and I were in a perfect mood to return to our hotel bed!
Sauntering to our hotel, we hummed a newly-learned upbeat folksong, Zwoele Avond In Amsterdam (A Sultry/Erotic Night In Amsterdam).
While revelers rested, the city tirelessly cleaned itself to be presentable for the next day. (In a perfect world, nobody would litter when visiting a city).
Doei!
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