A look back at last week….

Five very happy German guests who already an hour sat cozily chatting at breakfast.

“Uhm ma’am I have a question (all in German). We were in Amsterdam yesterday but what do those three crosses in the flags all hanging there mean?”

Now I knew they are in the coat of arms of Amsterdam, but what significance do those crosses have? So just looked it up: The three crosses form the core of Amsterdam’s city coat of arms. They are St. Andrew’s crosses, named after the Apostle Andrew, who is said to have died martyrdom on such a cross. The coat of arms containing the crosses consists of three vertical stripes with the colors red – black – red. The crosses are in the black lane. In Germanic symbolism, the oblique cross represented divine power. These signs were used by people as protection against evil, evil spirits, demons and mischief.

“Nice that YOU know that now too” said the German guest. Crosses and crosses, by the way, are both correct plural forms of cross….