Amsterdam Day 6 - Cheese, Gin and Monuments

Today David and i decided we were going to do something.... but we had no idea what. After some scratching of our heads, David suggested I look to the trust guide book and find a walking tour.  We started at a cheese shop that reeked to the high heavens. Looked good, though.

As we walked down the busy shopping streets I told David to open a very simple wood door that the book said to enter. It looked like a door to a house but it entered into a hidden courtyard, a couple of square blocks big. It was the Begijnhof a hidden community, that used to be a convent in the early 1300's. A English Reformed church stands in the center of the community. We looked around and were just about to exit when i read the guidebook and it mentioned a hidden Catholic church. Catholicism  was outlawed in 1578 and not permitted openly until the 19th century. We found another simple door and entered into a massive marble church complete with stained glass and statues. Stunning.

We continued on our way. David found another hidden Catholic church on a major shopping street. We got to the Dam, the square where Amsterdam was founded. The Royal Palace, NieuweKerk (New church) and the War memorial all are here. We took a tour of the palace..... WOW!!!! Marble Marble Marble and Paintings Paintings Paintings. Just amazing.

Ended our walk at a Jenever distiller tasting room. The English apparently tried to copy Jenever but couldn't quite master it so they had to settle for gin. 

Ended our day at a Japanese luxury hotel at their 23rd floor bar. Hey we can't see history all the time.