My shopping plans were thwarted today because I didn't remember that Memorial Day is a holiday in Germany too. So, to be somewhat productive, I thought I'd do another Amsterdam blog. I hope to do a few more before moving on to our Paris trip.
This post is going to be all about Amsterdam's canals and canal houses. Our hotel was in a canal house in the Eastern Canal Ring on Prinsengracht.
My guidebook states that from the 15th century on, planning laws, plot sizes and topsoil instability dictated that facades were largely uniform in size and built of lightweight brick or sandstone, with large windows to reduce the weight. Owners personalized their houses through decorative gables and cornices, ornate doorcases and varying window shapes.
The house on the left has an ornate 17th century neck gable with a dolphin ornament.
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| No. 119 Oudezijds Voorburgwal |
All registered houseboats have postal addresses and are connected to city power. I think I heard too that houseboats are exempt of property taxes.
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| Another type of canal house |
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| Canal Houses on the Amstel River |
I thought some of the houses were leaning. I learned in my guidebook that canal houses were often built with a deliberate tilt, which allowed goods to be winched up to the attic without crashing against the windows. A law dating from 1565 restricted this lean to 1:25 to limit the risk of buildings collapsing into the streets.
Decorative top mouldings, called cornices, became popular from 1690 onwards till about the 19th century when they had become unadorned.
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| Lots of marine themes in the canal house architecture. |
Magere Brug is Amsterdam's most recognized bridge. It is a traditional double-leaf Dutch drawbridge.
Below is a canal in the Oude Zijde (Old Side) district.
Gables are the front apex of a roof and were designed to disguise the steepness of the roof under which goods were stored. Gables are decorated with scrolls, crests, coats of arms and other ornaments.
We didn't do a canal tour but I'm sure it would have been nice.
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| Amstel River |
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| I'm no expert but I think he's growing hemp. |
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| Another decorative gable - notice the wench in the center. |
Taxes were levied according to width of the house's facade so canal houses were often long and narrow, with an achterhuis (back annex) used for offices and storage.
Next I'll share some photos of the museums and sites we visited while in Amsterdam.
My guidebook states that from the 15th century on, planning laws, plot sizes and topsoil instability dictated that facades were largely uniform in size and built of lightweight brick or sandstone, with large windows to reduce the weight. Owners personalized their houses through decorative gables and cornices, ornate doorcases and varying window shapes. 
The house on the left has an ornate 17th century neck gable with a dolphin ornament. 
Decorative top mouldings, called cornices, became popular from 1690 onwards till about the 19th century when they had become unadorned. 
Below is a canal in the Oude Zijde (Old Side) district. 
Gables are the front apex of a roof and were designed to disguise the steepness of the roof under which goods were stored. Gables are decorated with scrolls, crests, coats of arms and other ornaments.
We didn't do a canal tour but I'm sure it would have been nice. 
Next I'll share some photos of the museums and sites we visited while in Amsterdam.
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