The Pipe

The Pipe neighborhood of Amsterdam (or De Pijp, in Dutch) was our new home for the last five days of July, and we loved it. I'm writing from home now because I'm always a few posts behind and will continue to blog until I've shared it all.

I wondered why The Pipe is called The Pipe, and found the following on this site (https://www.amsterdamstay.com/depijp): How it became known as ‘De Pijp’ is something of a mystery. Some say it’s due to the district’s long, narrow streets that run like pipes in a building, while others claim that it was named in honour of a former energy company in the area called ‘Pipe’. Whatever the reason, De Pijp now resides in the hearts of the many students, artists, professionals, families and tourists flocking to this nightlife hub for a borrel (drink) on any given night of the week. De Pijp is the ultimate place where everyone wants to be and be seen.

Doesn't explain much really, especially since, in my opinion, all of Amsterdam consists of long narrow streets. And by the way, it seems to be pronounced pretty much the way we say "pipe."

First—a quick look back to the Symposium. I was remiss in not sharing any of Fred's activities—the whole reason we're here.

Here he is in action.

And this is when I show up—to take the class photo.

Back to De Pijp. We loved our AirBNB. In our neighborhood, the buildings (each three to four stories high) have  accompanying backyards, long and skinny, which reach the back of a house on the parallel street. Fred and I can't quite figure out if sometimes the backyard space gets divided in half, for the two houses to share, or if it's somehow deeded that all the yards go to the houses on the same side of the street. I think the former. 

The view from our deck. 

During these final days, we did a lot of walking, exploring, taking photos (me), sketching (Fred), and visiting the Riks Museum (Fred), eating dinner, and drinking beer (Fred) and wine (me).
The rest of this post will be photo-driven.

I saw this entire joint on the ground. People walk around smoking WHOLE joints themselves. None of this passing around business. Just full-on smoke it like a cigarette.

This nifty invention would change my world, if only I could pee in it... I'm forever having to buy a coffee in order to use a restroom. This is clearly for men only—and up to three at a time! There are three urinals, all wide open, just as you see it. 

Never did get the guts to try anything... 

--to try anything weed-related, that is. I tried everything else. This is a woman making me a stroopwaffel. I might have already posted this and described this treat: a warm thin waffle with caramel, to which you can add any toppings. I added chocolate and more salted caramel. After I ate this, I got a severe stomach ache complete with chills and thought, Okay.. how do I find an ambulance. Clearly I'm headed to the hospital for some kind of emergency surgery or something. But it went away, almost like a switch. It was a HORRIBLE half hour, and I was on duty at the time to take Fred's class photo.  

The cappuccinos in Holland often came with a little treat... a cookie or a chocolate. 

One night, Fred and I ate at a brew pub in De Pijp, owned by a German guy and his South African wife (or vice versa). Delicious food and beers, but something about this all-beef patty with a special sauce, lettuce, pickles, on a sesame seed bun was oddly reminiscent of something we'd had before..... 

 But there was nothing familiar about my amazing meal of squash and asparagus ravioli. 

All along the tops of the buildings/homes in Amsterdam are big hooks hanging off a sort of beam or plank. They're for hoisting furniture (or I guess pianos, or anything, really) up through the huge windows onto the higher floors. 

And these mints. They're given out everywhere after meals—always this brand. I looked into it. They were made in the early 1900s and named after the 12-year-old Princess at the time. They are, indeed, mints, but they taste oddly a little Alka-Seltzer-ish...  I thought, this is a reasonable thing. Maybe there are some antacid properties in these mints to help settle the stomach. But I found nothing in my research to support this idea. They're very pretty mints, about an inch around. Shiny white with a little embossed bust (?) of the young Princess. 

One night coming home from somewhere I saw this bike and said to Fred, A pretty bike! A rare sight in Amsterdam! A Dutch man heard me and explained that most people don't want a bike that's very special or attention-getting because it just increases the risk of theft. Most of them are black, gearless, and with a big ropey snake-like lock. 

And a couple more pretty bikes.

I've got a few more blog posts in me yet, so don't go too far!