Trip to the Netherlands - August 2004

I spend the month of August this year working in the Netherlands. So I got to tour around a bit. Unfortunately, the pics turned out awful, but I'm posting a few of the better ones. My take on the Netherlands:

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is an impressively good looking city. Alas, I don't have the pics to do it justice.

Looking down the Damrak (60KB jpeg)

Tourists crowd along the Damrak, the main street heading into the old city center from the train station.

Amsterdam street scene (61KB jpeg)

A street leading off from the Dam towards the Neiuw Markt and Red Light District.

Amsterdam is also criss-crossed by many canals.

Stately houses lining a canal (26KB jpeg)

Stately homes line one of the outer canals.

Buildings lining a canal (29KB jpeg)

A more urban canal setting.

A narrow canal (71KB jpeg)

A more narrow canal.

The leaning houses of Amsterdam (28KB jpeg)

Houses in Amsterdam often lean over the street (or other odd directions) to facilitate hoisting furniture direct to the top floors.

The Rijksmuseum (20KB jpeg)

This is the Rijksmuseum, the city's largest, as you can tell from the enormous building. The central train station has a similiar architectural style.

Michelle in front of the Van Gogh Museum (28KB jpeg)

Michelle standing in front of the Van Gogh Museum.

A theater (32KB jpeg)

A theater building whose name escapes me.

I also happened to be there the time of the city's annual floating gay pride parade.

The gay pride parade (95KB jpeg)

Another gay pride shot (114KB jpep)

No, they aren't real!

The band plays on (82KB jpeg)

The gay pride parade also contained more traditional forms of entertainment, including this band, which set up shop where I was standing.

The Hague

The Parliament building (24KB jpeg)

I visited The Hague one day as well. I wasn't able to find the jail where they're housing Slobodan Milosevic, but I did get a picture of the parliament building. The Hague is most notable for having a museum where the original of Vermeer's "Girl with the Pearl Earring" hangs.

Bonus Belgium Coverage - Spa

We took a day trip to eastern Belgium and the town of Spa. Yes, this is where the word "spa" comes from. It's a cutesy little tourist town nestled in the hills of the Ardennes.

View from the Hotel (30KB jpeg)

A view off the balcony of my hotel (the SAS Radisson Palace (**)).

Spa street scene (71KB jpeg)

A local street scene. The crowds are probably heavier than normal due to an antique auto show.

A theater in Spa (27KB jpeg)

Since there's a sign advertising a theater festival draped from this building, I dubbed it the theater, even though I really have no clue what it is.

Standing next to my car (37KB jpeg)

Me standing next to "my" car.


Copyright © 2004 Aaron M. Renn (
arenn@urbanophile.com). All Rights Reserved.
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