View from Window

Amsterdam, Netherlands. Looking from my balcony across the canal to Prinseneiland, one of the three Westelijke Eilanden (westerly islands) built in the early 1600s during the Dutch Golden Age.

For three centuries, the Westelijke Eilanden (Realeneiland, where we live, Bickerseiland and Prinseneiland) was home to shipyards, warehouses, various small industries and a few stately captain’s homes. It fell into disrepute in the early 1900s, during which it was best avoided, but in the last two or three decades as Amsterdam became a tourist destination, and rent and real estate prices rose around the city, artists and musicians moved in, and the process of transformation began. It is now one of Amsterdam’s hidden secrets, with cobblestone streets, repurposed gas lamps and beautiful gardens, and the old warehouses on Prinseneiland have been renovated and turned into apartments.

The roof you can see just past the balcony is covered with succulents. They flower in the spring and turn red in the fall, and attract lots of magpies. The bridge at left is for pedestrians and bikes only. In the summer, children climb that bridge and jump into the canal, cheered on by their friends and family. All sorts of boats go by when the weather is good, including kayaks, and there are of course lots of waterfowl (ducks, geese, swans, coots, herons).

If you come to Amsterdam, do take a walk around. It’s a lovely place to explore. We’re just off the edge of the historic centre, and you may not find these islands on the standard tourist maps, and because of this our islands are often blissfully quiet when the rest of Amsterdam is busy and noisy. Submitted by Kimmen.

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