The Adventures of Lorie and Brian Groth

The art is part of a temporary installation in Amsterdam Zuid.

Well, this is the last of my little series of photos of canal houses in Amsterdam. What’s interesting about these canal houses is that one street away (not on a canal) are all sorts of other types of architecture. Such as a skinny street or a round building.

What should I share next about life in Amsterdam?

Living on the canal.

Some people take advantage of being on the canal, and others just build to the edge to maximize the size of their home.

Flowers.

Yes, even if your house is next to a McDonald’s, you can still make it look nice with flowers.

Museums.

Next door to your home on the canals might be a museum. I haven’t gone to the canal museum (the plaque I have pictured here), but it’s on my to-do list.

Check out this list of museums in Amsterdam: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_Amsterdam

Skinny houses.

As if you haven’t figured it out yet, most of the houses on the canals are very skinny, because people were taxed on the width of their home.

We took Friday afternoon off and drove to Haarlem, although I think it’s quicker by car. It is certainly one cute village, but big enough to feel like a good sized town, which of course it is.

Rooftop gardens.

If you’re lucky enough to have a flat roof (and no leaks), then you can have a rooftop garden that also looks out over the canals and streets.

Boats that cruise by your house.

If you live on a canal, expect to have your home photographed. I had lunch at a little café on the water and I’m pretty sure at least one person in the 10 or so boats that went past me took my photo. Or at least, I was in the photo they took of the buildings.