Ross at Dam Square

A classmate of Jordan's was passing through Amsterdam on his way to The Hague on a university exchange program. After meeting Ross for dinner we walked with him to see some of the nearby sights. We stopped for a few minutes in Dam Square.

Dam Square was the original location where the Amstel River was dammed in the 13th century to protect Amsterdam from the Zuiderzee. Now, it has become a popular gathering place. A number of important buildings line the square, including the Koninklijk Paleis, the Royal Palace. The palace is open to the public when it is not in use by the royal family. Although it is no longer a residence, it is used for official receptions, ceremonies and other state functions.

Directly across from the Palace is the National Monument. The 22 metre tall white obelisk was erected in 1956 as a memorial in honour of the casualties of the second World War. Designed by J.J.P. Oud, the lower half of the monument is decorated with sculptures by John Radecker and his sons Han and Jan Willem as well as reliefs by Paul Gregoire. These represent war, peace and resistance.

Here is a photo of Ross posing in front of the National Monument. Afterwards, we carried on our little tour, but the rain that started as a drizzle became very heavy and showed no signs of abating, so we called it a night.

Welcome to the Netherlands, Ross! I hope you enjoy your sojourn as much as we are enjoying ours.