Long walks and discoveries: Sloterkade and Ferry House

A few months ago I had finally find a courage to move to another address, even though the dark cloud of Corona epidemic and its possible effect on economy, market, jobs and therefore my financial situation was constantly present but I decided enough is enough and I won't live in fear and worry all the time. So I moved to another part of town - almost tearfully, as I genuinely enjoyed my long walks in the historical areas - and would you know, I survived perfectly well, in fact I simply discovered other places.

To tell the truth, my new neighbourhood is all-modern and there is not very much to see concerning beautiful old houses, but the buildings are very comfortable (unlike the creaky, shaky, mice infested old canal houses) and I am actually a walking distance from a beautiful lake surrounded by shadowy meadows so I got accustomed to piece and quiet very fast. However, I was constantly gravitating towards the city and one day my walks brought me to a beautiful canal called Sloterkade - this is a spot where you literary cross the bridge between the old, historical centre and the new part of town. On my side is the world of a high-rise, cement buildings and across the water are charmingly preserved old buildings. However, apparently there are still some beautiful old houses somehow surviving the attack of new urban development. In fact, locals are very open about not allowing new buildings here so on the canal itself, you can find several little jewels that were here long ago, untouched.

One of them - and first one I have discovered, laughing out loud from sheer pleasure - is Ferry House dating from 1634. when the whole neighbourhood was a little village outside of town. What is now The Schinkel neighbourhood, used to be spot where travellers to town were spending the night in taverns and one of the most famous was this little house. The whole area was eventually added to Amsterdam in 1921. and this little jewel was apparently neglected for the decades, but than lovingly restored in 1965. and proudly displays the marker of The Hendrick de Keyser Association which means that is a nationally protected monument. It is also the main office of group called Friends of the Amsterdam City  that takes care for protection of historical, old buildings. I am actually genuinely moved every time I see this plague on the old houses, because without passion and love for history these old buildings would have just been erased like so many others in town, but thankfully they are preserved and pronounced national monuments, so they can't be replaced with a modern apartment blocks.