Update:  Mary @ My Piece of the World gets the bonus points for Burgermeister Meisterburger, the evil “no presents” dude on Santa Claus is Coming to Town.  Yay, Mary!

I’ve always been in love with old architecture. I would wander the streets of downtown Detroit (in the daytime - I’m ballsy, not stupid) while I was working a temp job for a stock brokerage that no longer exists (Story of my life. If I ever come work with you, be afraid); with my eyes straining skyward, looking at the Fisher Building

and Mariner’s Church (where they honor the Edmund Fitzgerald’s dead crew).

Chicago, my second home, has gorgeous buildings of course. But so much of it was lost in the fire. If you’ve read The Devil in the White City you’ll know that very few of Chicago’s buildings survived. The Rookery (completed in 1888) is the oldest high rise in Chicago that is still standing.

But I’ve never, in my life, seen anything like the architecture that I saw while I was in Amsterdam. I found these pictures, and thought I’d share them. I hope you don’t mind.

The Pulitzer Hotel
From the website: Overlooking two of the city’s most picturesque canals, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht, Hotel Pulitzer, A Luxury Collection Hotel is ideally located in the middle of the old city center of Amsterdam. Our unique hotel is comprised of 25 restored 17th and 18th century canal houses. Named to Condé Nast Traveler’s 2004 Gold List, we are unlike any other hotel. Each of our 230 distinctive guest rooms represents a small piece of Dutch history and culture. Located in the beautiful gardens, our art gallery offers multiple expositions each year.

The room that I stayed in was in a house built in 1620. I had to duck if I wore my stilettos. Well, that or brain myself on the beams.

And the view from the window? More canal houses on the other side of the courtyard. I don’t know whether it was luck or a shame that the person in the room across the way wasn’t an exhibitionist. Based on some of the other guests I knew were staying there? It was probably lucky.

Walking down the Prinsengracht, trying not to get lost in a new city (country, continent, why be picky?), I picked the highest point I could see as my landmark. I knew as long as I could see the top of Westerkerk (West Church), I could find my way back.

It was also built in 1620; the tower is over 245 feet high. Rembrandt was buried here in 1669. I only wish I’d have known at the time that it was possible to climb to the top of the tower to see the city.

As an avid reader who discovered The Diary of Anne Frank when I was around 8, the opportunity to tour the house where she and her family hid brought tears to my eyes.

Her house is in the center. The hiding place is high in the back of the house. All of the walls where she pinned up pictures of movie stars are covered in plexiglass; photos still in place. It’s small and cramped and eight people had to be perfectly silent in order to save their lives.

This statue is nearby, honoring Anne:

A walk over to Dam Square , and handing over more Euros, meant I got to tour The Royal Palace. It was originally built in 1648 as a city hall for the Burgomeister. (Why does that word make me think of this guy?)

Bonus points if you provide his full name in the comments along with the name of the show.

More Dam Square:

New Church built around 1400. (Y’all? 1400. And it’s called the New Church.)

And across from New Church? Madame Tussaud’s wax museum.

—- I could have had my picture taken standing next to Brangelina (they’re both there) or George (Clooney, not Bush - I would have had to melt his ass). Instead, I opted for a seat next to the canal. And a house speciality. Lots of Amstel —-

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