Day 4: Old Town, from the ground ... up

The days are definitely full, long, but also going by quickly. This morning, we all woke up to dreary, slightly chilly, but continually rainy weather. I was prepared to the nines, with umbrella, gloves, hat, parka, and poncho. In the end, the water kept coming down, so all you could really do was minimize whether the water drenched you or just mostly soaked you.






Despite the rain, I really enjoyed the historical tour given by Ruud of Visual Text. I was able to hear him very well nearly the entire time of the tour, and felt he did an excellent job of pointing out buildings that helped to provide a more comprehensive structure of Amsterdam historical buildings and their interconnectedness to each other. I especially felt this was most prominent in the “Omnibus Idem” quote on the old Customs house. To have that quote still there sends a powerful message, and from my assessment it would be mostly accurate to say that is still an ideal they strive for yet today, even if they have not achieved perfect success yet.




Of the 2 wooden houses, I liked the one that was now the Grasshopper Bar the best - it seemed to have more a weathering test, being more exposed to the daily traffic and elements. While the nunnery house inside the church courtyard had its own beauty, the history of the building just did not draw me in as much. As much as churches may be overplayed at times, it is hard to deny their ability to enhance urban growth, being a place where people can gather and share ideas, and build and maintain relationships. Also, the ideology of the given churches can have a powerful impact on the character of the surrounding neighborhood. It is no mystery why the Buddhist temple in the Chinatown area is located here in that area and not in Jordaan.


I did find it especially interesting that the different ruling powers were aware of this as well, making many symbolic movements by using the churches as their means to write a message, even if it was just to restrict the Lutheran churches from building steeple towers. This was really the first time I had heard of this, but it does make you stop and think about what it is that draws you to a church first. I noticed this myself in trying to find the Old Church. I am used to the churches being one of the taller buildings around, easily identifiable with their tower slightly above the edge of the horizon made by other buildings. As I displayed in an earlier entry, this was not the case with the Old Church, and added to my difficulty in recognizing the building as a church from afar.


I also feel like I am able to more intelligently assess the buildings that we pass, knowing more about the specific type of architectural features that were popular in given ages, and about the changes in the areas surrounding it. I still cannot quite tell which buildings might be brand new and which ones might be 100 years or older - yet a great testament to Amsterdam’s infill and restoration policies, the perfect example of which is the Amsterdam Venice district. As a homeowner or renter, I think that I might be more attracted to a newer home that has the character of the older models for several reasons. While any older building will require more maintenance, for virtually all of the United States, you do not also have to factor in the effects of water and pylons on the existing structure, and the additional maintenance requirements. Also, if the necessary improvements were not done in a timely and consistent manner, I don’t know that I would be able to afford massive structural repairs on top of the already high cost of living and rent. With a newer building, I might be able to better plan for the upkeep of structural integrity, and also have newer building materials and technologies.

As Ruud pointed out, not all of Amsterdam always has its best social interests at heart. As he demonstrated with the example of original Jewish/ now social housing along the canals, there were some that felt the progression of transportation avenues was a higher priority than maintaining the historic housing district to meet housing shortages. I also felt a higher sense of segregation and lack of connection to the surrounding streets in that neighborhood - the big courtyard in the center was bounded by a canal, but it was not really visible to those on the other side of the canal, compared to the other canal house districts such as the Red Light District, where you can see across clearly and have a better sense of integration. It is no wonder, then, that the grouping by race, whether voluntarily or by force, was accomplished with minimal effort.

The most hopeful comment from Ruud was his observation of the Chinese mentality “it can’t stay a bad neighborhood forever”, in reference to the cleaning up of the former big drug dealing/crime/violence area. This got me thinking about my own previous home search, and the tips and considerations I was given. It then raises the question of whether it is a good idea to invest in a home in a bad neighborhood and also raise a family there, or if there were others who saw the future potential, made a purchase, but then chose not to actually live there themselves until the area conditions were back on the upswing and more suitable to family and safer living. With the cost of housing what it is, I am curious how many folks in Amsterdam would actually have the luxury or even possibility to consider such a property investment and living choice. From my observations, it is hard enough to find a place that meets your needs as far as location and ideal surroundings due to cost and space restrictions, much less pursue the capitalistic side that is more pronounced in the United States.

After the tour had ended, the students who were interested made an additional trip to the Van Gogh museum. I have been a Van Gogh fan ever since I first saw his Iris paintings, one of the most artful depictions of my favorite flower I have seen. This was the first time I had been in an European art museum, and it was interesting to see the contrast in the art style and focus compared to the Phoenix Art Museum, for example. The impressionistic and expressionistic styles seem to have so much more life in the settings from which they were inspired. I could find myself resonating with a handful of paintings, who were speaking beyond the brush and the dated portrait into the heart of who we are as humans. I love the Van Gogh wanted to paint to make an impact, not merely for fame or self-promotion. While having a successful portfolio is an important part of what will get your name and vision out, I think that his lack of initial success in this area helped him to actually get to where he ended up at the time of his death, having much more exposure to many painting styles and techniques in an effort to continually improve on his skills and thus hopefully enhance his painting profitability.

Last but not least …. I am so glad for the opportunity to visit the Bloemmarket on the Canal again. This is one of my personal favorites of Amsterdam. The last time I visited it was in June 5 years ago, and there were a lot more fresh and already budding flowers; it was also very enlightening to see the flower markets in their planting stages, and the enormous variety of plants and variations that are available.