script Flashcards
(30 cards)
introduction
Welcome aboard <boat> and how nice that you choose to explore the Amsterdam canals with Mokumboot today.</boat>
My name is <first> and I am your skipper/host* today, together with <first> (skipper/host*) we will take you through our beautiful city.</first></first>
Before we leave, we would like to go through some safety instructions with you.
* Do not stand on the benches. The bridges are low, and you won’t be the first to hit your head on a bridge.
* Keep your hands inboard so that they cannot become trapped between bridges and ships.
We have a bar on board. We will serve drinks later.
* If you have an ‘open bar’ ticket, these are included.
* If you have a regular cruise ticket, you can buy drinks, you will find the prices on our price card.
(Tugboat) “For a small errand, there is a toilet on board in the cabin. Please keep the toilet tidy and only flush small amounts of toilet paper, no other items.
We wish you a pleasant sailing!
central station
The Central Station was built between 1881 and 1889 by architect PJH Cuypers (also known from Rijksmuseum) and engineer/architect AL van Gendt.
The station has six platforms that are accessible via three cross corridors under the fifteen tracks.
Every day, the Central Station welcomes approximately 250,000 people boarding and alighting, making it one of the busiest stations in the Netherland.
There are direct international railway connections with Brussels, Paris, Berlin, Basel and Copenhagen.
Saint Nicholas church – ‘cathedral at the IJ
St. Nicholas is the patron saint of seafarers and will certainly protect us during the cruise. The church, which was built between 1884 and 1887, is a beautiful figurehead of the city opposite Central Station. Due to its dome, size, and location, it is a church that is seen and known by many. The church is characterized by neorenaissance elements. The church has had the honorary title of Basilica Minor since 2012. The Roman Catholic faith was banned in Amsterdam between the late 16th century and the mid-19th century, which is why you will not find any large old cathedrals in Amsterdam. However, during the period when Catholicism was prohibited, Roman Catholics practiced their faith secretly in so-called secret churches. A nice example can be found in the red-light district in the Our dear Lord in the attic, this now is a museum.
The North Holland Coffee House
The North Holland Coffee House was built in 1911. A ferry departed from here to the other side of the IJ, for connection to the Waterland tram. This building had to make way for the metro construction in 1972. Iit has been stored for 8 years as numbered parts and rebuilt in 1980.
Sea Palace
Sea Palace in the Oosterdok was originally built for about 600-700 people, but then about 700 people attended on the opening night, the floating restaurant started sinking slowly but surely. It turned out that the Chinese restaurant is, a copy of a floating restaurant in Hong Kong that floats on salt water and here is the water in the canals sweet. Second, Sea Palace in Hong Kong was built for 600-700 Chinese and not for just as many tall Dutch people. Which was quite scarry with then queen Beatrix on board.
Schreierstoren
The Schreierstoren is a defense tower, which used to be part of the city wall. The tower was built around 1487 on the corner of the IJ and the east side of the city and is the only one preserved remaining defense tower of Amsterdam. “Shreien” in old Dutch means crying, however in this case ‘cry’ does not come from weeping (crying) but from angle.
Shipping house
The building with the flags on it is the Scheepvaarthuis or shipping house. It was built in the 1910s and 1920s in the style of the Amsterdam school. Originally it was an office building for a group of Amsterdam shipping companies. Nowadays it is a 5-star hotel. You can still see from both the facade and the inside that the building has a lot to do with shipping.
Montelbaanstoren
Imagine. In the past you had the old town on the right and the sea on the left. The medieval tower on the right bank was a defense tower of the old city from which one had a good view of the sea and could defend oneself with bow and arrow. The white spire with chimes was added later in the 16th century. However, this spire was a bit too heavy for the old foundation. The tower tilted, causing the clock to always run incorrectly. With great effort they were able to straighten the tower again. But the tower still has the nickname “Silly Jack” because of the incorrectly running clock. Opposite the tower used to live a famous captain.
House of Gosler (lockkeeper’s cottage)
Gosler ‘s cottage (lockkeeper’s cottage) was built in 1695, indeed as a lock keeper’s house on the Sint Anthony lock. The lock keeper operated, checked and maintained the lock on behalf of the city of Amsterdam. The lock itself was built in 1602, the Sint Anthoniesdijk was broken through. The purpose of the lock was to prevent enemy ships from entering the city and to regulate the outflow of river water (Amstel) via the canals to the IJ. There is now a cafe in the house with a sign: “If you think this house is crooked, then you haven’t had enough to drink.”
Waterlooplein
Behind the town hall on the right, you have the Waterlooplein with its famous flea market. Every day except on Sundays you have a market here with a lot of secondhand stuff.
The dancing houses/ Dansende Huisjes
Next to Mulligan ‘s Irish pub on the Amstel no. 100 are 6 crooked houses. We call these the dancing houses. The dancing houses on the Amstel are so called because they are skewed. They dance to the music of the Rembrandt square with its bars and clubs. When the water of the Amstel subsides, oxygen comes into contact with the wooden piles on which houses are built in Amsterdam. When these wooden piles come into contact with both water and oxygen, they will eventually rot, and the houses will slowly sink. As the story goes the beds in the hotel are also tilted, so a five-star rating will be a challenge.
The Amstel river/ de amstel
One of the few natural waterways in Amsterdam. The canals were all hand dug. Amsterdam owes its name to this river. In the 13th century, fishermen who lived here at the time built a dam in the Amstel River where you can now find the Damsquare. When you put.’Amstel + Dam = Amsterdam together.
Stopera
We are not quite sure where the word ‘ Stopera ‘ comes from. Many people say that the first two letters of the word, ‘S’ and ‘T’, coming from the Dutch word for city hall ‘stadhuis’ and that the rest of the word coming from opera, symbolizing the music and opera theater. According to others, the word originates from an protest group calling itself ‘Stop the Opera’. This subsequently became ‘Stopera’. This protest group was against the construction of the Stopera. It would take be a huge part from the beloved flee market of the Waterlooplein in a time many old buildings were lost to new builds. The Stopera has been built after all and is also called ‘the dentures’. Building the Stopera turned out to be much more expensive than what the municipality had considered (which building isn’t?), namely about half a million old Dutch guilders. One of the reasons for this was the expensive salmon-colored carpet that was placed in the general hall. On the opening night, this carpet was ruined because people had forgotten to put ashtrays on the tables.
Blauwbrug (blue bridge)
The blue bridge is one of the most striking bridges in the city. The architecture of the bridge is inspired by the Parisian Seine bridges. The bridge is adorned with Maximilian imperial crowns. (same crown as on the Westertoren). The former wooden bridge had fences painted blue.
Skinny bridge
The Skinny Bridge is one of the most famous landmarks in Amsterdam. According to legend, the bridge is named after the Mager sisters, who both lived on the Amstel. The one lived at the east side of the river and the other on the west side. They weren’t going to use another bridge to see each other so they had this bridge built to walk towards each other. The real reason for the adjective ‘skinny’ is that it is a narrow pedestrian bridge.
It is also the most romantic bridge in the city, and it is said that if you kiss your partner under the Magere Bridge, you’ll stay together forever. Make up your mind…
Another story is that when building the previous bridge there was a shortage of funds. That is why they eventually built a very narrow (skinny) bridge there. In the middle it was so narrow that people had to hold each other when passing, otherwise one of them would fall into the river.
De Herengracht, Gentlemen’s Canal
The richest and famous citizens in the 17th century lived on the Herengracht. Beautiful city palaces often adorn the sometimes somewhat Calvinist austere facades. The houses here are wider and are located on double and sometimes on three double lots. The houses have high doorsteps and under these doorsteps, you will find the doors for the maids.
If you wish to visit a canal house, you can visit the Grachtenmuseum at Herengracht 386.
Michael en de Draak, Michael and the dragon
At 579 Herengracht we find a splendid house with a beautiful statue of Archangel Michael and the dragon.
Reguliersgracht
Directly after the bridge (Thorbeckesquare) you have got a great view o the 7 bridges of the Reguliersgracht to your left. Nice photo opportunity.
The mayor’s official residence
At Herengracht 502 (the house with the 2 white columns) is the official residence of the Amsterdam mayor (Femke Halsema). For the first time in its history, Amsterdam has a female mayor. The house does not have a high sidewalk. The mayor is not elevated above the people. The mayors got this house as a present in 1926 as a present from a rich businessman, who had the Bazel build in the following year.
‘De Bazel’ building
The massive building on the left, just after the Vijzelbrug used to be a trading bank. Now the city archive of Amsterdam is housed in there. Entrance to the building is free, the beautiful huge vault in Art Deco style is well worth a visit. Exhibitions on the history of Amsterdam are regularly held.
Golden Bend
In the Golden Age, the wealthiest citizens lived in the Golden Bend. It was customary during that age that tax where paid based on the width of the facade. Compared to the normal Amsterdam canal houses, the houses on this part of the Herengracht are twice, sometimes three times as wide. That’s why the wealthiest lived here. Nowadays, most buildings in the Golden Bend are used by insurers, banks, lawyers, and others white collar criminals. 😉
Leidsegracht
This canal is of course named after the city of Leiden. In the 17th century the second largest city in Holland. The city is best known for its textile (cloth) industry. It also is the birthplace of the famous Dutch master Rembrandt van Rhijn. The Leidsegracht was part of the 2nd expansion of Amsterdam and marked the boundary between the first and second phases of the construction of the canal system. Between 1615 and 1658 the Leidsegracht was the southern boundary of the city.
Emperors canal- The differences of the canals
The Prinsengracht is a canal where there has always been a lot of commercial activity. While the Herengracht and Keizersgracht are lined with stately homes for the rich, the Prinsengracht was for business, many warehouses and small businesses were located here. In the 16th century, merchants stored their goods on the topfloor of their homes, as trade increased, special warehouses were built for goods. Amsterdam has the most warehouses in Europe. It was the stack market of the world during the 17th century.
All warehouses contain a spout gable and a lifting beam. Although it isn’t allowd anymore, these lifting beams are still used for removals and to lift large items. The stairs in these buildings are very narrow and steep and you will not get a sofa or piano up this way. Nowadays people hire a moving elevator, so no one gets hit on the head with a piano anymore…
Negen Straatjes- nine streets
The Negen straatjes (translated Nine Streets) is a unique area with typical small boutiques and trendy cafés. This is one of the nicest and cozy neighborhoods in Amsterdam. Well worth a visit, either to shop, have a great lunch or just wonder through.
