This time we’ll concentrate one more time on Amersfoort’s beauty. As many of you will know the world-famous painter Pieter Cornelis (Piet) Mondriaan (1872 – 1944) was born in Amersfoort. Abroad he’s better known as Mondrian, a family name he used starting 1911 after he moved to Paris. This is a picture of the Kortegracht (Short Canal). Nowadays the light-coloured building on the right-hand side is the ‘Mondriaanhuis’ (Mondrianhouse) a museum in his honour. Mondriaan was born in this house, a primary school at the time, serving as a family home as well. His father was the headmaster.

This bench is placed in front of Amersfoort’s roundtrip-by-boat ticketing office, distinctively in the colour-pattern (red, yellow, blue (, black, grey and white)), used by Mondriaan during his period of creating abstract paintings. More about him on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piet_Mondrian. The more interested ones among you might also look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerrit_Rietveld. Both men were members of the movement De Stijl (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Stijl).

A colourful picture of the short Lieve Vrouwestraat, leading from the main (shopping) street Langestraat (Longstreet) towards the Lieve Vrouwekerkhof, visible in the background. For the latter see https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieve_Vrouwekerkhof_(Amersfoort) (only in Dutch).

This picture is not only picked because of the drying(?) clothes of Sinterklaas next to the American Flag (why not?), but especially because of the name of this short street, leading back from the Lieve Vrouwenkerkhof towards the Langestraat. The name in Dutch is the Krankeledenstraat. Translated as good as we can it is the Sick-limbs-street or perhaps Ill or Disabled instead of Sick. Anyway, it’s not unthinkable that an infirmary was situated in this street.

After leaving the Langestraat (less interesting: shops) one reaches the Zuidsingel (Southmoat), just outside what was the city-wall in the far past. It makes for fantastic views, as proven by this picture.

When walking along the Zuidsingel a part of Amersfoort’s centre is visible. Again, a great (autumn)view.

One of the houses outside the Zuidsingel, already visible at the right-hand side of the 5th picture, is built as long ago as 1656, so 360 years ago, and still going strong. In front of it a few traditional Dutch methods of transport, bicycles – what else, are neatly parked.

Not much further on, the second gate (remember the Koppelpoort?) of Amersfoort, Monnikendam (a Watergate) becomes visible. We showed you this gate earlier from the other side, when we had a boat-tour.

Standing at the same spot where we were at the former picture, this is the view after a 180° turn. The purpose of this picture is, apart from it being pretty, to make a fluent connection to the next one. We try to create a sort of ‘fluent’ story, you see?

The house that was already visible in the background of picture number one and the former one. It marks the beginning -end if you like- of a narrow street, called Muurhuizen (Wallhouses). All houses on the west-side (? we think, because of the position of the sun and the time of photographing) are built on the foundations of the first outer city wall. That first wall was demolished and replaced by a new outer wall because of the city’s expansion. The change into a Muurhuis (Wallhouse) took place in 1452, which not only is 565 years ago, but does perfectly relate to the year 1656 of the house outside the first city wall. The side-wall of this house still shows traces of the original wall.

We could not resist leaving the Muurhuizen to make this nice picture from the outside.

Walking back into the old city centre –yes the Langestraat, shopstreet- one passe the third gate, called Kamperbinnenpoort (Kamperinnergate). Not as spectacular as the Koppelpoort, but a poort (gate) anyway. Therefore we cannot skip him/her. Behind the gate we are looking towards a street between the first and second city wall.

Again after a turn of 180° we are able to look back into the Muurhuizen. This time the narrow ‘Wallhouses’ are visible on the left side.

When crossing the Langestraat the Muurhuizen continues. A charming Dutch cheese-shop is one of the first things to be seen.

What about this view of a ‘Wallhouse’? It is not that good visible by this picture, but the front wall, and therefore the front door, are somewhat leaning back. One wonders how the door moves around its hinges. It made us think of a well-known Dutch expression ‘Met de deur in huis vallen’ (‘Fall into the house with the door (in one’s hand)’). But that has to do with coming straight to the point -without introduction- so it cannot be related to this situation.

The same house, now as seen from the front. We have done this after checking no-one was (visible) inside. This shows how (un)deep a proper ‘Wallhouse’ really is when just the foundation of the former city wall was used as, errrrr, foundation again. The depth of the house is almost comparable to a narrowboat in the UK! As stated before, it’s the breadth of the house that compensates the little depth.

It’s the 1st of January 2017 today, so there’s every reason to wish you all the best. Forget 2016, welcome 2017! © Happy New Year 2017 Wallpapers.