Last Post on Amsterdam: Viewed from a Canal Boat

Our time in Amsterdam was coming to a close but first we boarded a canal boat with our tour guide (on the left) for a tour and then delivery to our awaiting ship.

It was cold so we were glad of the glass top coverings.

Notice the top windows and the horizontal posts?  A pulley system for bringing furniture to top floors.

Many different roof styles.

Notice the width of the house to the right of the orange one?  That's all the original owner could afford as these lots were sold off.

The green house is wider - that builder could afford two lots.

Coming up to Anne Frank's last home.

The museum is on the far right and I think her house is next to it.  Though it may be the next one.

Look at the width of this grand house.

There are all sorts of house boats in the canals in different sorts of repair.

Our ship was due to sail from Amsterdam at 1 pm though our tour guide thought it was to be later.  We were a bit late.  The ship waited for us.

Amsterdam Museum Park

I know my title isn't the correct name for the area in Amsterdam where so many museums are sited.  I mentioned it in my last post as the spot where our guide left us to explore on our own for over an hour.  What I neglected to do was share the photos of that area.

The major draw is this sculpture.

Then there is this kiosk selling prints.

But the park area is large and you can see what gray weather we had.

Here's the Van Gogh Museum along one side.

Another look at the Rijks Museum from a distance.

Here's the concert hall opposite the Rijks.

The modern art museum.  See that hill.  School children were having such a good laugh rolling down that hill like they'd never seen one before.  Is Amsterdam that flat?

A close up of the Concert- Gebouw.

This Banksy art work was removed from a wall in London, I believe, that was going to be demolished.  The purchaser was from Amsterdam.

Still more to come.  Stay tuned!

Rijks Museum - Amsterdam

Our guided tour of Amsterdam from our ship brought us to the plaza fronted by lots of museums and the famous concert hall.

With the hour or less we had we went to the Rijks Museum to see the famous Rembrandt painting "Night Watch".

A lot of the visitors were more interested in taking their own photos on the I Amsterdam sculpture.

It is a huge museum as you can see and we had time to see a fraction of what was there.

We paid our entrance fee and headed to the Rembrandt floor.  This stained glass caught my eye.

Here's Dan getting his bearings.

And here's the painting with a class sitting in front of it.

But first to the other paintings in this gallery.  Rembrandt's self portrait.  We learned later he died in poverty.

Many other massive paintings on the walls.

Back to Night Watch and there's a crowd in front now.

Look to the right and there's this huge painting.

Finally I get a closer look at Night Watch.

Dan has told me that one of the figures in this painting has the same last name as my son in law.  He doesn't know which one.  I guess it could be one of these.

Or one of these.

Or these?

Unlikely to be her.

From Rembrandt we went in search of Vermeer.  The one below was my favorite.

There's no mention of her being pregnant.

The galleries were beautiful and very crowded.

Dan took time to study the perspective in this painting.  As he did the gallery attendant kept watching him and then moved closer to see what he was up to when he held up the brochure to compare the lines.  He didn't touch the painting but she couldn't see that from where she was.

We learned later from our guide that a very quick acting attendant who just happened to have a bottle of water with him saved the Night Watch from an acid attack by throwing water on the acid thrown on the painting.  Now all the attendants carry water.

Next stop was the Van Gogh exhibit on another floor.  There is an entire museum in Amsterdam devoted to him but you need to purchase tickets ahead of time on line.

One more glance into another gallery and it was time to meet up with the guide again and go on a canal boat tour.