The Gractengordel and the Jordaan

This is our second day and the programme is to walk through the Gractengordel and Jordaan districts. We walk down Kalverstraat and then

the Spui

on our way to the Negen Staatjes (the Nine Streets).

Nine streets cutting diagonally across the four main canals: Singel, Herengracht, Kaizergracht and Prinsengracht.

The Nine Streets are a real delight: full of bars, restaurants, interesting and quirky shops (for some reason we missed the toothbrush shop this time: it literally only sells toothbrushes and is a good example of the shops around this area)

and like everywhere in Amsterdam, everything is stylish, carefully thought out down to the smallest detail

be it a vase in a window, or flowers

in a house or in a cafe

a bit too cold for sitting out.

And no matter where you are in Amsterdam a canal is never very far away






it's a real pleasure going in the shops

there is always something interesting to look at

fantastic and colourful bags

this is MEK, a china and glass shop

quirky and different

a real Aladdin's cave

We have now left the Nine Streets and are in the Jordaan district

we can now see Westerkerk, the church near Anne Frank's hiding place: she used to listen to the clock chiming the hours

Herengracht, I think

We have now come to Haarlemmerbuurt a busy, commercial street which is in the process of gentrification: corner shops, electricians, supermarkets, sit alongside trendy boutiques. One of my favourite shops is here, Vivian Haan's which sells amongst other things, ceramics. But like in New York, I got so excited about being here that I forgot to take any pictures.  There's plenty of photographs of other shops though, and in this photograph you can see all the orange bunting, reminding us about Euro 2012.

interesting shop windows

a closer look

and now we're inside

a real cornucopia

lots of cheese

chocolate

a closer look at the chocolate shoes

Restored - sells a bit of everything

clothes, books, ceramics, accessories - selling style and a way of life

the design of the shop is part of the package

and flowers of course, we are in Amsterdam after all

looking closer

We didn't see as many flowershops this time: a lot must have closed down, to my chagrin.

We also did not see any gadget shops - there used to be loads, but I guess that kind of shop is the first to go with the recession.

there is a knack to arranging things so stylishly

harmony of form and colours

peonies

orange - is this a coincidence? I don't think so

stelitzia or bird of paradise

orchids - unusual colours

don't know what this is called, but it is stunning

everything is so carefully thought out and placed just so

a cafe that specialises in selling bagels

flowers everywhere

another eclectic boutique

a bread boutique.

On our way back we take a different route, along Prinsengracht.