Monday, April 29, 2013

Around the 9 straatjes (negen straatjes)


I am probably starting to sound like a broken record, but it's amazing how cities come to life with just a little bit of sunshine. The colors seem more vibrant, the sky is blue and all those brave new leaves that have dared to come out and beat the winter all add to a general happy feeling.


The other day, as I was walking in Amsterdam on a quiet morning (quiet because it was a weekday and most of the people were working, I assume), I couldn't help but admire how beautiful Amsterdam is. Its houses look like they were made for dolls and there is something magic about having all that water around you all the time. Close to the Jordaan neighborhood you'll find the negen straatjes, a set of nine quaint streets bursting alive with cafés and quirky little shops.


"Negen Straatjes (Dutch for "nine little streets") is a neighborhood of Amsterdam. It consists of nine side streets of the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Singel in central Amsterdam. Together they form a sub-neighborhood within the larger western Grachtengordel ("Canal Belt"), one with many small and diverse shops and restaurants. 


The construction in this area goes back to the first half of the 17th century.The Negen Straatjes is bordered on the north by the Raadhuisstraat and on the south by the Leidsegracht. In between, the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Singel are interesected by three cross streets - but each of the cross streets has different names in each of its sections between the canals. From the Prinsengracht towards the Singel and beginning with the northernmost streets, the streets are:

-Reestraat ("Roe Deer Street") - Hartenstraat ("Hearts Street") - Gasthuismolensteeg ("Inn Mill Alley") -Berenstraat ("Bear Street") - Wolvenstraat ("Wolf Street") - Oude Spiegelstraat ("Old Mirror Street") -Runstraat ("Cow Street") - Huidenstraat ("Skins" or "Pelts Street") - Wijde Heisteeg ("Wide Heath Street")

The names are reminders of many of the types of work that were carried out here in centuries past, especially the processing of skins (cow, bear, wolf and roe deer skins)." (Source)


 If you find yourself there don't forget to visit Puccini Bomboni (Singel 184). They have the best chocolate ever, with flavors like ginger, cinammon, fruits.  What have you been up to? I hope you had a nice weekend!


16 comments:

  1. I've been to Amsterdam a couple of times (first time in winter, second time in summer) and although I was 'meh' the first time, my second visit was awesome. I hope I can go back sometime and visit the chocolate shop you mention!

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    1. Oh yes you should totally come, if you do let me know :) You're welcome at our home and we'll show you around!

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  2. Que bonito, como me gustaría visitar Amsterdam, besos
    Sofía

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    1. Muchos saludos...si te animas visitar aqui nos vemos :) Muchos saludos!

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  3. Ik ben dol op de 9 straatjes! Die hele sfeer die daar hangt en al die hippe mensen (ik blijf een mode meisje ;-) Heerlijk om daar rond te hangen te gluren en te lunchen, hele leuk artikel :D

    xx

    liquoriceandpumps.blogspot.com

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    1. Oh ja er zijn heel veel designer shops... het is echt en super leuke buurt.

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  4. I love that neighbourhood too :) I'll have to check out that chocolate shop next time I'm there!

    We had a quiet weekend at home, and I made hand-made (gluten free!) sweet potatoe gnocchi yesterday, which I served with foraged dandelion greens. I'll try to post about it later this week!

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    1. Oh yes those chocolates are really to die for, everything is homemade, the workshop is behind the counter. It's just like a dream.

      Your sweet potatoe gnocchi sound absolutely delicious. And foraged dandelion greens? That just sounds dreamy, you know, as in picked up by the fairies! Looking forward to your post.

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  5. Oh my goodness! I seriously need to make my move to NL happen, somehow! It just has to happen... I don't know how much longer I'll be able to take just hearing/reading about how awesome it is without experiencing it myself on a daily basis, lol

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    1. Yes come ! It will be great to have you around (just bear in time that most of the time it is gray, rainy, cold and pretty much unpredictable. So get teady to live in a good raincoat, umbrella, scarf and polar fleeces).

      It is beautiful though. Undeniable.

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  6. I can't believe you live there. It's like a fairytale. I am not in love with LA. I'm just living here. I'm happy for you that you get to live somewhere you can be enchanted by :)

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    1. The sunlight does make everything look so, so beautiful. But yes, sometimes I have to pinch myself, I'm like wow, I can't believe I live in Holland, that it is somehow my home (in my mind, and when asked I always say, Mexico, I'm from Mexico...).
      And learning about the history of places fascinates me.

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  7. Oh, you're making me miss Amsterdam! The 'negen straatjes' are great. They have a couple of nice thrift stores (Laura Dols and Lady Day, to name a few) and there is a really good game store (The Gamekeeper) there too.

    I totally second you on Puccini. Just going into that store and inhaling made me gain a pound, sometimes. My favourites products of theirs are the dark chocolate with black pepper, the white chocolate with poppy seed and the chocolate and thyme. I remember them also having some with 'paprika' filling, which were excessively spicy, but they stopped selling those after a while..

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    1. It is such a pretty area, it seems out of a fairy tale. I also love that it is calmer than other areas, even while still a popular area.

      Thanks for the tips on the shops I will look for them when I go again.

      And Puccini... I think dark chocolate with ginger and with cinammon are my favoirte but they have so many delicious combinations. I had a pepper covered in chocolate at a small shop around Rembrandtplein, and it was super spicy, as all the seeds were in there!

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  8. I love this part of Amsterdam! I've been three times - the first it poured with rain, the second it was snowing and so cold we couldn't stay outside longer than 15 minutes! The third, finally, was beautiful and I could have wandered those canals for hours...

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    1. Yeah, the weather completely changes the city (though snow once it settles down makes everything pretty, that is, before it transforms in a gray, slippery mess).
      I am glad you were able to enjoy the area :)(You are welcome over here anytime too!)

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