XXX = Amsterdam...but it's not what you think

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It's no surprise that Amsterdam has a bit of a reputation.  (Some of my co-workers were surprised to learn that I was taking my mom there.)  It's well known that marijuana use and prostitution are legal activities and people come to the city for more than tulips and Van Gogh.  In fact the city's Red Light District has become its own tourist destination with several companies offering walking tours of the area. 

Now my mom and I steered clear of the racy district but I found it pretty amusing when we started spotting random 'XXX's around town.  At first I wondered if it had something to do with the city's oldest profession but it was quickly evident, after spotting 'XXX' on a church, that the symbol was something more official.  It became a bit of a treasure hunt for me and I took pictures whenever I found the symbol.  Here are some of my pictures.
The Anne Frank House is on this street. XXX is on the church steeple.
XXX is found on Westerkerk's 272 foot tower.
XXX = Amsterdam
Amsterdam's Main Train Station
I got on the web to do some research and here's what I found out.  The coat of arms is considered the official symbol of the City of Amsterdam.  It consists of a red shield and a black pale, which probably refers to the river, three silver Saint Andrew's Crosses, the Imperial Crown of Austria, two golden lions and the motto.  The motto is "Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig," which means "Valiant, Steadfast, Compassionate."  And if you were wondering what a 'pale' is...I had to look that up too.  A pale is a vertical band running the length of a shield's center.   

There are theories about what the three crosses symbolize but what's most likely is they are linked to the original shield of the noble family Persijn; the knight Jan Persijn was 'lord' of Amsterdam from 1280 to 1282. 

In order to use the full coat of arms, special permission has to be granted by the municipal government and it's usually only granted for use on city buildings.  It is possible to use elements such as the three crosses without permission so that's why we found 'XXX' on posts and other random spots around the city.      

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