The Bookends

You've now seen our apartment and our 2-block street (Elandsgracht) here in Amsterdam. Here now are the two canals that run perpendicular to our street!

On the busiest end of our street, where the Johnny Jordaan plaza is (last post) and from where you would head into the center of the city, is the Prinsengracht canal. I have actually gone a street down to look back at the bridge that takes you across the canal on the left to our street (so our apartment is off to the left). There in the distance is the Westerkerk, which is on the corner near the Anne Frank House. It's the church she could see out of her top-floor window while she was in hiding during WWII.

Now walk the two blocks down our street to the other end where you see the Lijnbaangracht canal. I've done the same thing again--walked to the next bridge and looked back at the bridge that takes us to our street. It's the only white wooden bridge in A'dam thus far that I've seen. Our apartment is 10 storefronts down on the right, on the other side of the street. Our grocery store, BTW, is across the bridge on the left about a block away.

So there you have it! I'm quite sure I'll be showing you more canals and bridges over time but THESE are ours. They really are the bookends to our wee street!

The Lay of the Land

Now then. Where are we when we're in Amsterdam! And where are YOU in relation to us here?

I have already told/shown you that our apartment is on Elandsgracht ("Moose Canal") street which just happens to be only two blocks long, in between 2 canals.

On the sidewalk of our side of Elandsgracht street is this "map" of distances between us and you. Well, not you in the States but just about everywhere else (click to enlarge). Remember the one similar to this in Hannover? That one was approximtely 12 feet in diameter. This one is about 2 feet.

Now if you want, look at this map of the Jordaan area of Amsterdam (where Elandsgracht street is) and scroll down till you find Elandsgracht with a #26 on the right end of the street. See the marker that says "Johnny Jordaan Plein?" That's this pic above, which is the back side of that square-looking stall. If you continue down the one-way street on its right, you'll come to our apartment, just before the Lijnbaangracht canal on the other end.

So, if I haven't totally confused you (c'mon, stay with me!), in the pic above, the Prinsengracht canal is behind me. In the pic below, I'm facing the canal while standing in the wee plaza. (That's one of the 2 canals bookending our street. You can't see it but, trust me, it's there)

This tiny little plaza is named after Johnny Jordaan, a pseudonym for Johannes Hendricus van Musscher (1924-1989). His is the bust on the right (above) and below.

So, I came home and looked him up in Wiki: he was a Dutch folk singer "well known for his songs about the city of Amsterdam, especially the Jordaan district." I'm guessing it's safe to say he was well-loved if an entire district of A'dam (ours) is named after him! And if there's a little plaza with his bust that just happens to be on our street!

So now we know! I'm just passing on what I'm learning about where we will now spend half our time each year. Inquiring minds and all!

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Guess what! Everything above I wrote and took pics of yesterday. Today when I was out-n-about, there was this crazy man (below) and a TV crew doing something at the Johnny Jordaan plaza. The 3 men statues had these HUGE red wigs (and a couple cardboard busts). The lady had none. What was THAT about??? If I find out, I'll let you know.