Building on water

Amsterdam is actually below sea level.  For centuries, the Dutch have had the ability to build dikes and canals, and to pump water off the land they want.  The well known windmills were built to run pumps.  Because the land is soft, and wet, buildings are built on pileings.  Today they are concrete, but for centuries they were wood.  The wood rotted, and the buildings leaned.  It is common to see a row of leaning houses.

Most buildings are still built with a hoist hook at the top.  Stairways are narrow, and many buildings do not have elevators, so furniture is hoisted up and through windows.

We found a number of buildings with interesting plaques in the walls.

There are several types of cornices on buildings, which can be helpful in dating the construction.  The simple triangle was indicitive of a warehouse, and used for centuries.  Most of these lovely old buildings have businesses on the  ground floor and apartments above.  Seventy percent of the residents of Amsterdam rent, rather than own their homes.