Where in the World is Sharon Daugherty2: A Day in Amsterdam

It was a beautiful fall day, and so, we decided to walk over to the "Red Light District" to see a couple of churches. Yes, they are right in the middle of the "Soiled Dove" area. The first is the Oude Kerk. As we made our way around the church looking for the entrance, we coulld see just across the cobbled alleyway a row of windows where the ladies were displaying their wares. Only in Amsterdam. I did not carry my camera today, so the pictures are courtesy of Miss Terry.

The oldest Gothic Monument in Amsterdam – De Oude Kerk (The Old Church)

dominates over the Red Light District. Although originally built as a Catholic place of worship in the 13th century and then in the 1500's changed to Protestant. These days its known for its wonderful authenticity, acoustics, light and silence. Through its exceptional architecture, high windows full of light,

The floor consists entirely of gravestones. The reason for this is that the church was built on a cemetery. Local citizens continued to be buried on the site within the confines of the church until 1865. There are 2500 graves in the Oude Kerk, under which are buried 10,000 Amsterdam citizens.

The Oude Kerk has also a famous historical 17th century grand organ,

as well as a smaller transept organ

and one more, modern cabinet organ. The church is all year long the venue for an important series of concerts of organ music and a home for The International Organ Festival, held in summer each year, July through September.

The bust of famous organist and composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621) celebrates the lifetime he spent playing in the church.

His early career began at the age of fifteen when he succeeded his deceased father Pieter Swybertszoon as the Oude Kerk’s organist. He went on to compose music for all 150 Psalms and secured an international reputation as a leading Dutch composer. His music would also be played over the city from the church’s bell tower. He is buried in the church.

The roof of the Oude Kerk is the largest medieval wooden vault in Europe. The Estonian planks date to 1390 and boast some of the best acoustics in Europe.

In this church Rembrandt married his beloved wife Saskia van Uylenburgh.

Low chairs are where the couple sat to receive the blessing of the Priest

Saskia came from a good family: her father had been a lawyer and the burgemeester (mayor) of Leeuwarden. The lived well, although it is said Rembrandt also spent well. They had four children only one of which lived to adulthood. Saskia died not long after the birth of the fourth child and is buried in this church.

He never officially married again but did have a common-law wife named Hendrickje Stoffels, who is also buried here. Rembrandt himself, died a pauper and was buried in a rented grave in the Wester Kerk. No names were placed on these graves, thus it is unknown where exactly he is buried.

There is a little cafe and garden in the church, so we went for a rest and hot drink.

The oldest garden

Hot cocoa. Yum

Next we went to find the "Our Lord in the Attic" Church right up the street in an old canal house.

Our Lord in the Attic is one of the oldest and most remarkable museums in Amsterdam. Behind the characteristic facade of the house by the canal

lies a largely original 17th-century home and a complete hidden church. This hidden church 'in the attic' was built by Jan Hartman in 1663, during the Reformation, when Catholics were forbidden to hold public services.

Jan Hartman bought this house on Oudezijds Voorburgwal and the two adjacent buildings on Heintje Hoekssteeg 350 years ago. He had the attics of the three houses rebuilt into a Catholic church conforming to the conventions of the day, yet nothing on the outside could suggest that there was a church inside.

The home