I joined in January the Monthly Photo Challenge: The Changing Seasons, which runs from the 7th to the 15th day of the month throughout the year, hosted by Cardinal Guzman.
This month I’m shooting one of the busiest areas of Amsterdam. I will take you for a 5 minutes walk from Central Station, going through Damrak and reaching the Dam Square, where the Royal Palace is.
I have shown these places in previous months but now you hardly see buildings but people.
The mass of tourists arrived, crossed the ‘city gates’ and occupied it… This month’s gallery is dedicated to them!
Enjoy it, and let me know what you think. I learn a lot from every comment, and I also love talking to you. Click if you want to enlarge the photos.
Arriving at Central Station
Fortunately they come and go….
Entering the city
Going backWatching the Canal Houses at Damrak
Back in January there were a few tourists here. Now they line up to take boat rides, rent red bikes and stroll around on their way to bachelor’s parties. One of the bachelor’s boys was wearing a t-shirt that said: “What happens in Amsterdam, stays in Amsterdam” Voila!
Occupying The Dam Square and Royal Palace
That same crowd that walked from central station, make this square a large international meeting point. They walk, photograph, sit, eat, people watch and have fun. Here you also see many groups of young men and women dressed up in costumes whilst celebrating their bachelor’s parties. It is a melting pot of humans and superstars. Even Batman showed up.
The Obelisk
The Obelisk is at the opposite side of the Royal Palace. It plays the “Babel Tower” of Amsterdam as citizens of many nations and cultures gather in the place to take a break till the next attraction.
If you want to compare, click here to see the previous photo galleries:
Photos taken with an Iphone6
Till next month!
Great gallery. It looks like Amsterdam is getting more and more crowded each month!
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I’m a bit fed up though. There has been an abnormal increase, thanks to marketing campaigns for iamsterdam. It’s just unbearable to walk over there. I had to go to the square as the World’s Press photography exhibition is hosted in a church there. I could not bike and made the walk shooting the tourists to not get more upset. Actually it made me laugh. It felt like a zoo!
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I would get annoyed when walking the streets too. With the crowds it’s starting to look like India – in India there’s people everywhere all the time!
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You’re not far from the truth. It’s the same sensation like in India when you walk from central station to the Dam square. I’ll never forget the first time I went to India; we landed at 2am and when getting outside the Mumbai airport we met those countless number of people. That scared me. It was a business trip and there were people waiting for us, fortunately, escorting us to the cars.
I felt like I had entered a bee house!!
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I landed in Mumbai too. When I got off the plane it felt like some enormous giant just ripped a big fart directly in my face – the heat and the smell can almost knock you over!
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Lol you’re hilarious.
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Wow, these are very interesting portraits! The crowds would get on my nerves big time, hopefully, they were not a rude bunch. I do love the interesting people and faces, though. The architecture of Amsterdam is absolutely beautiful and cobbled streets so quaint!
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Thanks, Schuttzie. It’s indeed a ‘quiet’ crowd so one can go around them not feeling threatened, but still, it’s just too much.
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Agree with both Lucile and CG….
….But how beautiful photos!
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Thank you! People watching make for great surprises and nice shots.
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Great photos of the crowds in Amsterdam, much different to earlier shots. Lots of people by the looks of things and it’s not even high summer yet!
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So I’d better get out of here when it’s summer! 😉
Thanks Debbie!
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Lol! It looks much busier than downtown Tumbarumba even without it being summer time yet!! Our crowds are starting to hibernate for the winter. But then our town only has 2000 people at the best of times.
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Ok you convinced me! I’ll go there for sumner vacations (here)!
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Great idea!
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😉
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What is it about Amsterdam that it always looks so beautifully surreal in your pictures…?
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I agree:))
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🙂
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Maybe the city is just like that.
🙂 thanks
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Wow so crowded. That’s tricky. But glorious photos! Love the “red bikes are for tourists”
shot. It’s a great gallery. X
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Thanks, Desley! You saw it crowded, now double that. Lol
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Wow, perfect people pictures from a very fine city!
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Thanks Andy. Appreciate it.
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my pleasure!
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I’m absolutely in love with the one titled “queuing for a boat trip”. It’s so spectacular, it almost looks unreal. They are all wonderful, of course, but that one REALLY stands out. 🙂
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I love these houses too, Amy. I pass in front of them often and may have countless photos made in different days.
I am very happy you like it. Now come and visit. 😉
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Me han encantado los grupos de fotografías y los comentarios. Y lo que es mejor, tanta y tanta gente disfrutando de la calle y el buen tiempo.
Y la idea de poner los anteriores meses de Changin Seasons es estupenda y merece la pena seguirla en nuestros post para este reto, si a ti no te molesta que lo haga.
Abrazos.
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Estoy feliz de que te haya gustado .
Me gusta que también siguen las diferentes fotos de las diferentes estaciones del año . ¿No quieres participar? Es muy bonito.
Usted puede usar este desafío como quieras.
Y muchas gracias por su comentario. Yo estaba feliz de verte aquí . Abrazos .
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A mi también me encantan los cambios de estaciones de Cardinal, he participado con mis fotos desde el primer mes y estoy preparando el de mayo. Es verdad que es muy bonito.
Ya sabes que me encanta dialogar contigo.
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Muchas gracias Mariangeles. Me encanta también dialogar contigo. Y también aprendo un poco de español. 😉
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Lucile, acabo de leer traducidos tus comentarios sobre tanta gente y parece que no te gustó mucho en esos momentos. A mi me hubiera pasado igual estando allí, pero al ver las fotos realmente lo que he sentido es alegría de ver tanta gente, en apariencia, disfrutando de la vida.
Abrazos de nuevo.
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Es cierto , Mariangeles , no me gusta tanta gente en la ciudad. Esta es una temporada alta hasta el verano y espero que se convertirá más tranquilo . Por otro lado me gusta a ver a la gente y su felicidad. Los turistas son siempre divertidos . abrazos
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Cuándo la gran cantidad de turistas están en tu ciudad, te molestan y terminas harta de no poder andar por las calles. A mi también me pasaría. Pero es lo que tiene el vivir en una ciudad tan bonita y tan visitada.
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Sí, ese es el precio de vivir en una bonita ciudad. Sus palabras son sabias.
Su país está muy ocupado todo el año . Y muchas más ciudades son visitadas por millones .
Tenga un buen fin de semana.
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I was going to ask you if all these crowds annoyed the locals. Wow. That is a lot of people, Lucile. But your photos are great!
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I haven’t heard a lot of people complaining about the crowds. The city is touristic anyways and people’s DNA accept that. The problem is that is getting a bit out of hand. It is not going to take long to hear something more from the locals.
Thanks…
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Your photos show that Amsterdam is one fun city! I love the joy in all these pics! Batman is my favorite:)
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At least is fun, Lia, and we have Batman at close sight to rescue us…LOL.
I loved this Batman. He was mostly alone and kids didn’t seem interested to make photos with him, until that family did.
Have a great weekend.
xxL
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I firmly believe you are the queen of crowd photography! You definitely have enough practice with all the subject matter at your doorstep! Beautiful photos showing the urgency, the connections and the overall hub-bub of throngs of people! Love the wedding photos (maybe a shower?). I suppose the crowds will get bigger each month as it warms up!
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Hahaha, you’re very kind, Terri. I admit that I have plenty to practice though. I cannot resist to shoot whenever I am running errands in the city center.
There are many groups of youngsters who come here before the wedding and yes for the showers…but as they say, good boys and girls go to heaven and bad boys and girls go to Amsterdam. Maybe I should follow them one day and shoot the party! LOL.
The crowd will get bigger around July-August but this is also children’s vacations time for the locals. It balances out. I hope!
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Oh that’s funny about bad girls and boys going to Amsterdam! Surely that does not include you. 😊
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Hahaha let’s say I can be bad but relinquish my rights to be so!
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Your images are so vivid they make me feel like I am in Amsterdam right along side of you. I agree with Terri that you are the queen of crowd photography. I’m sorry that I have been a bit absent from your wonderful pages lately as I have been scrambling to ready for our big journey. I love your images and your words and so look forward to enjoying them again when I arrive in Fiji! You are truly an inspiration for me.
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Hi Lisa, I’m so happy and honored to hear from you before you go offline for 2-3 weeks.
You’re always so kind and generous with your compliments. I’m grateful for your appreciation and encouragement.
It shows me clearly that I should keep doing the things I’m passionate about. Heartfelt thanks. It means so much to me!
😀
Cheers
Lucile
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😃 I hope you never stop doing what you are passionate about Lucile! We’re off. ‘See’ you in a few weeks
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I love the view of the canal houses! And, I felt like I was right in the crowds.
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Thanks Tildy! I’m happy you felt that just virtually! It’s way too crowded.
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Wow! I’ve only just come across this post. Somehow I missed it when you put it up. The photos are so good. You are definitely the queen of crowd photography. This might be a stupid question but why are there so many bachelor parties in Amsterdam? You’ve definitely made me want to visit your beautiful city one day soon. But not during tourist season.
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LOL. Living in a country where there is a royal family, and being now the crowd queen, makes me wonder if I should claim a national holiday during my birthday too! lol.
I guess it has got do with the city’s fame for liberal practices. It is legal to smoke weed in a coffee shop and to drink mushroom tea.
There is the Red lights area where prostitutes have their businesses for all to see, and it is a legalized profession like any other, as they pay taxes, etc.
This all attracts many young tourists who drink and party a lot. And of course smoke weed too.
They may choose Amsterdam for the party if their intention is to go beyond their threshold, and as many write in their t-shirts, what happens here, stays here.
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