New Church (Nieuwe Kerk) Amsterdam

So my last morning in Brugge was spent climbing the 366 steps to the top of the Belfort tower, that and all the walking I've been doing I better have a cracking pair of legs when I get home.

We arrived in Amsterdam about six, initially after dragging my case across town I began to regret choosing a different hostel to everyone else but …

The past two weeks I've gotten to do some pretty fun things in Amsterdam. In between classes and homework, I got to check out the Nieuwe Kerk (where the Dutch royal family gets married), the Maritime Museum, and I got to see Turn on the Lights at Dam Square (a festival put on by the Bijenkorf - our Macy's).

The Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) …

Oh Amsterdam...what an interesting place you are. The vibe of the big city is irresistible. Our first afternoon was spent finding our way to our apartment, napping and having a walk through the streets of the Red Light District (RLD)...which Kaylie has decided is completely unfair...where are the attractive men stuck behind glass windows with ( …

After a good night sleep at our lovely hotel, we were up early to start exploring this charming little town called Delft. Delft is a old market town with lovely architectural features and traditional holland canal houses. It's situated close to Dan Hague (the Hague, home to the Netherlands royal family) and is just 20 miles from the coast. It's a …

The first problem was that the motorway on AA Autoroute had not actually been built. This caused twenty minutes of confusion before we found an alternative route. Arriving in Amsterdam was a bit of a trauma for me. I had driven on the continent numerous times, but never in a town with trams. Working out which bits of tarmac were for cars, which …

... of some event occurring there. In fact, just last month there was a new king, Willem-Alexander, crowned in Amsterdam. We peeked inside the New Church, which was built hundreds of years ago. Amsterdam, a city below sea level, has more canals than Venice ...

... partially closed for renovations, though you can still pay full price to have a look in the foyer. I decide against it, going to the New Church next door. This church was built after the sprawl of the city became too large for everyone to be expected to ...

... a little in the midst of our rushing around to do and see everything we want. After lunch, we walked around Amsterdam a bunch.  We saw the Nieuw Kerk (New Church) and the Dom Square, and we met up with Sarah again.  We walked through the Red ...

... began to flood into the market square. Once I returned to Amsterdam, I took a tour of the art exhibit at the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), which at 600 years of age, is hardly "new." The church held an exhibit on the history and culture of Oman, which was ...

... church where the Pilgrims worshipped before setting sail on the Mayflower.  In addition, we took in the interior of the "New" Church (about 650 years old), which was stripped of all of its religious icons by the zealous reformers.  Supposedly ...

... Museum, and I got to see Turn on the Lights at Dam Square (a festival put on by the Bijenkorf - our Macy's).  The Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) was huge! It dates back to 1408, so it's really not that new, but it was at the time it was built. The Oude ...

... art and it means that much more to the world. Speaking of crazy, our friend Jiska hails from the Netherlands and she was kind enough to meet us in Amsterdam for a very lovely evening full of pancakes and pear juice! We love Jiska because she's so young ...

... on these grounds are the Royal Palace, which unfortunately was covered in scaffolding, and the Gothic looking Nieuwe Kerk, meaning New Church, and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.  The other side of the Square is erected a white stone pillar to ...

... tram to Dam Square. It is a large cobbled area surrounded by grand, old buildings. There's the Royal Palace (Koninklijk Palace), New Church (Nieuwe Kerk), Maddame Tussauds and the National Monument. We find a stone bench to sit on and people watch. The ...

... that open up to large sanctuaries. Very interesting. Anyway, back to the dutch reformed church. In Amsterdam there are two large dutch reformed churches: the New Church and the Old Church. The New Church has been turned into a museum. Not a religious ...