We See an Awesome House Museum AND a Famous Person

Later in the day we went to see the Museum Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder, or the Museum of Our Lord in the Attic.  This is a house museum dating to the 17th century, which is interesting in its own right, but in hidden in the upper stories of the house is a Catholic Church - Our Lord in the Attic literally in the attic.

The church was created shortly after Catholicism was outlawed in the Netherlands.  The Dutch laws, as they still are (cough, red light district, cough), were pretty lax, and as long as it didn't look like a church on the outside, they didn't really care.  Which was great for all the Catholic people.

Sorry these images are so tiny - like a good conservation student I did not take photographs in the church, so I borrowed these from a Catholic website.

It was really cool.  Most of the rooms on the tour are as they were around 1660, which is around the time the church was made.  The church is totally hidden from the outside and was in continual use until the time Catholicism was allowed in the Netherlands again.  The museum itself is one of the oldest, formed by local Catholic Amsterdam citizens around the 1880s.

On our way home from the Flower Market, before we went to Our Lord in the Attic, we were walking back to the Jordaan with flowers and fruits.  We passed a fancy outdoors restaurant.  

Louise says, "I just saw a famous person!"

I say, "Who?"

Louise, "Miss J. from Top Model."

It is no secret that I love America's Next Top Model, basically because I like the hair cuts and the outlandish photos that are taken (one time they dressed a girl up as a cactus!) and I like nothing better than a good solid critique.  

Anyway, there is a dramatic intake of breath, I turn around and there is he, in all his ambiguous-gender glory.  Though, I must say, he looked actually normal in a black shirt and blue jeans.

Louise and I compared notes as we walked on through the Jordaan.  We both made eye contact with Miss J, and we know in that moment he knew that we recognized him.  Nobody else did, and they were just blithely walking past.

We go home, eat sandwiches, recheck maps and museum hours and head off to Our Lord in the Attic.  Our SpecialMuseumPeople cards get us in for free, and we head off into the house.  

The first room I walk into, who do I see?  Miss J. Alexander.  Again.  Like he's stalking us!  Though he probably thought we were following him!

'Miss' J. Alexander's head shot.

Once again, eye contact with myself and Louise was made, and he recognized us from the street corner - his eyebrow went up like, "Girl, you following me?"

Oh, and we were definitely recognizable.  I was wearing the screaming red dress Mum made ages ago for 'the Pajama Game' and Louise was wearing a navy skirt over black pants and a bright blue headscarf.  He definitely remembered us.  I almost wanted to ask him for a photo/autograph/whatever, but was afraid I would receive a fashion scolding.