Visiting the lively city of Amsterdam, oh my!
Canals transect the city in roughly concentric circles out from the Centraal Station and Dam Square. Untold numbers of tourists negotiate sidewalks, bridges, museums and cafes, while a couple million bicycles are either locked-up to any fixed railing or rack, or, are speeding hastily by. Amsterdam residents stride purposefully and ride hastily past the tourists.
 |
| Though it looks like a palace, this Centraal Station is the hub of the canals, streets, and tram lines in Amsterdam. |
To a person, the museum guides, shopkeepers, and tour guides are gracious and kind, speaking English with earnestness and grace.
In my experience, waitresses were not quite so friendly nor gentle.
 |
| Locals squeezed into a canal boat in celebration of a wedding. |
The steeples and spires of one Catholic and numerous Protestant churches rise above the 5-6 story buildings and the grand canal residences. Bike trails weave through city streets across bridges, through squares, and past cafes and shops.
 |
| Check out the bikes in all the pictures above, then add to that a three-storey bike parking garage. Some bikes are adapted with front end carts for carrying kids. Some bikes are adapted for hauling heavy things, long things, and awkward things. Many bikes are "ratty" because the prettier the bike the more likely it will get stolen. |
 |
| The Threatened Swan by Jan Asselijn c. 1650 |
Amsterdam is a city of great
art. As much time as scheduled,
it is not sufficient for the vast numbers of masterworks on view in Amsterdam.
The Van Gogh Museum beautifully features the Netherland’s world-famous, game-changing painterly ‘son’ Vincent Van Gogh.
 |
| No, not inArles but, rather, in front of the huge enlargement of Van Gogh's painting of Arles. |
 |
| This is believed to be Van Gogh's last painting. |
The Rijksmuseum
The newly re-opened (after 10 years of renovations) Rijksmuseum
displays a phenomenal collection of the Netherland’s best: Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Leiden, Pieter de
Hooch, and the list goes on.
Scores of paintings and objects from the Golden Years of the 17th
century Dutch painting are artfully displayed in a cavernous space with dark
display walls and exquisite ornamental column and ceiling wall designs.
 |
| Pierre Cuypers was the architect of both the Rijksmuseum and the Centraal Station (above) ...hence the similarity of design. |
The Rijksmuseum is breathtaking, and well worth a dedicated
4-5 hour visit.
The masterworks of Vermeer, Rembrandt, and others are so
astounding in person that, generally, I did NOT photograph
them.
Professional photographers with
high-quality printing will do a better job than I.
It is always breathtaking to see a Vermeer - arguably the best painter of all time (and that is opinion, my opinion....)
 |
| Isaac and Rebecca known as "The Jewish Bride" Rembrandt van Rijn |
No comments:
Post a Comment