Last year I had an opportunity to spend a few days in Amsterdam, and needless to say, it was a fantastic experience. The sights, the sounds, and of course… the plethora of amazing bars and restaurants made it well worth the lengthy flight from Canada. For those of you that haven’t yet had a chance to visit Amsterdam, I wanted to share some photographs that really capture the essence of the city. Unfortunately, I was having far too much fun to take photos of my own, and that’s where Chris Yunker comes in.
While browsing photos on Flickr, I stumbled onto Chris’ work and enjoyed it so much that I decided I would share it with you. It’s dim, it’s dark, and it captures the early morning light of the Amsterdam streets and canals in a way that’s second best only to an actual visit of the places he shows off.
A Morning in Amsterdam
This is probably what you would see after a long night of partying. Commuters and tourists alike, groggily going about their business.
Many monuments like this line the streets, adding a certain stylistic charm that’s lacking from North American architecture. I would love to see more sculptures and monuments here.
Imagine this entire area packed, and in the summer months, your vision of the place probably wouldn’t be too far off. Many a tourist (and hopefully you as well) will flock to the city during the summer to enjoy the many interesting locations.
I don’t like to play favorites, but this is probably my favorite photo in the collection. Just below the horizon is what was undoubtedly an awesome sunrise, made all the more awesome by being in such an interesting place.
Bikes… so many bikes. The canals are actually littered with them, as drunken people toss bikes into the water throughout the year, making a yearly canal clearing a necessity. Ever year the scavenged bikes are repaired and given away or sold.
On crisp days like this, the many waterways are as calm as glass, and as reflective as a mirror. At nights, the neon glow off the buildings in the Red Light District looks amazing bouncing off the water’s surface.
If you’re planning to visit Amsterdam, there’s a very good chance that your from the UK. How do I know that? Well, a tour guy explained it, along with many other interesting bits of information as he showed us around the streets of the city, and in particular, the Red Light District you’ve undoubtedly heard of. According to our guide, the Brits – more than any other people – enjoy the *ahem* special type of partying that Amsterdam has to offer. It’s a popular destination point, and prices are extremely inexpensive from the UK.
Perhaps you’re not quite sold on Amsterdam, and if that’s the case (though you must be mad), I highly recommend checking out Chris Yunker’s Flickr page. The 8 pictures I’ve posted are my favorites, but they’re only a very small sample of the massive collection that Chris took on his visit there in 2002. There’s plenty to see there, and browsing his gallery will allow you to see much more of the city before you bite the bullet and decide to visit.
