Holland andThe Canals
of Amsterdam
Expanded & Translated
for Geography 1002
By Joe Naumann. UMSL
Let us take a delicious tour together of the canals
of Amsterdam, beautiful city of Holland...
The tour is taken in these boats, with a capacity of
200 persons. The boats are very confortable and have
the services of a bar on board...
This is the dock from which the boats depart. In the
background is the gorgeous Church of San Nicholas.
In this church one of the masses on Sunday is said in
Spanish…
Amsterdam is affectionately well-known as the
“Venice of North Europe” due to the 120 channels
that cut the city. A romantic, beautiful and pleasant
place to live or in which to take a walk...
City of Canals
Small and graceful, Amsterdam
seems like a toy city...
These channels were constructed between the
12th and 18th Centuries . The average depth is 2
to 3 meters...
Great ships dock at Amsterdam, on
fantastic cruises of European cities...
Holland has part of its territory under sea
level , which demands attention to the
docks to prevent the advance of sea water...
Almost one
fourth of the
country is
below sea level,
including
Amsterdam
and
Rotterdam.
Both serve as
an entrepôt to
the European
Union.
Amsterdam has
modern port
facilities which
serve much of
the European
Union…
The polders (reclaimed land below sea level
are protected by miles of dikes and sea walls.
Ships are allowed to pass through at low tide.
Ariel view of polders (reclaimed
land below sea level)
Families live with much comfort and
refinement in boat houses. Amsterdam has
80 of these boat houses...
Due to the land shortage and many flooded
areas, the buildings are very expensive here.
An apartment of 80 ms ² (approximately
800 sq. ft.) costs E$ 200.000...
Amsterdam is also a city of tulips that
bloom in April, a city of wooden shoes,
of diamonds, and of porcelain...
Holland is responsible for more than half of
the world-wide production of flowers. Here
the plantations of tulips are impressive…...
See the wonderful sequence of seven
bridges...
Amsterdam is a city to see on foot, on a
bicycle, or on a tour boat. Take a look at
the bicycle parking station on the left, as
opposed to the central parking station...
Parking only for bicycles, there are
thousands of them, that spend the
week at the central parking station...
A very amusing covered motorcycle. There are
many different models similar to this one…
All over Europe, several models of these electric
cars are very common. The average cost is E$
9,000 and they seat only two people and cannot
be driven on freeways.
It’s a clean, pleasant city to take a walk in, or
to travel in its street cars, that service all
parts of the city…
The architecture is something extraordinary
here. The banks, the shops, and, evidently,
the residences, follow medieval styles…
Take a pleasant ride on a street car along its
avenues, lined with shops, bars,
restaurants, casinos, and discotheques…
The youths are very modern here in the way
they dress and behave...
A visit to a typical Dutch
cheese farm is
imperative. From
delicious Dutch milk
they prepare cheeses
which are equally
delicious…
The wind mills are used to generate
energy and to pump water. Holland has
more than 1,000 of them...
Today, modern,
high-tech wind
mills work along
side the
traditional
ones...
Dutch villas, where everything speaks of
magic and enchantment…
Volendam and Marx, to the north of
Amsterdam, are two small enchanting
cities, with their traditional buildings…
In Volendam it’s possible to feel what it’s
like live below sea level. In order to get to
the beach, people have to walk and climb
up to the level of the beach...
One can visit another city in Holland in this
fantastic train that seems more like an
airplane, on both the inside and the outside…
Total concentration is at the controls,
because to pilot this train to almost 300 km
per hour demands much ability…
The interior of the train is an enviable,
comfortable luxury. The train seems to
move noiselessly and smoothly, without a
sense of being off balance…
But there are also other trains, some with
two levels, like this one…
In the winter, one can shop at the
Christmas carnival in Amsterdam…
One could take the train to Maastricht to
enjoy the Christmas carnival there…
Amsterdam also
has a modern,
international
airport.
Visit Amsterdam and other cities of
Holland. It will be, without a doubt,
an unforgettable trip.
- Music–
THE CANALS OF AMSTERDAM
Orchestra ofAndré Redeu
- Production and Images Edison Piazza
Piracicaba - Brasil