I have taken Maria Sybilla Merian and her family from Frankfurt, Germany, where she was born to Nürnberg, back to Frankfurt, on to Castle Waltha in Friesland, northern Holland and now to Amsterdam.
This part feels different to me because I have not yet been to Amsterdam; I haven't seen it, I haven't walked the streets myself where she would have walked. By far, the best source for obtaining a bit of this feel is the DK Eyewitness Travel Amsterdam guidebook! It has given me new directions to pursue as well as showing in brilliant color what is there.
But I would still love to actually go to Amsterdam myself. I want to see for myself what streets are like with canals running down the center. I want to see the old house placques, the gabled houses, the "yawners" that used to be over the pharmacies, the skinny bridge. I'd like to know how long it takes to walk the length of the Prinsengracht, what the Hortus Medicus looks like, etc., etc
I do hope that my readers cannot tell from my writing what feels so different to me.
[this is good] You make me want to go to Amsterdam just from the blog description!