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Published: July 13th 2018
Up at 8 am. Decent buffet breakfast at the hotel. Now, last night we had made reservations at the Van Gogh Museum for 11:45. That museum is located in the same museum quarter we visited yesterday. We decide to make our way there early and see what else we can see. It's a dreary day, so museums seem a sensible choice. Single tram stop and some walking.
A word about bicycles in Amsterdam. As I may have said earlier, there are not only more bicycles than cars in Amsterdam, there are more bicycles than people. And bicycles appear to have the right of way over both pedestrians and motorized vehicles. Major streets have a bicycle lane in the middle of the sidewalk. Pedestrians are supposed to walk on either side and leave the centre free. This can obviously make it challenging for pedestrians to move towards a doorway or cross the street. And the challenge is compounded by the fact that bicycles do not feel obliged to follow the rules and drive everywhere: on sidewalks, roads, tram tracks, whatever. What's worse, about half the bicyclists we see have earbuds stuffed in their ears, or, even worse, are trying to text
as they zoom along. But the truth is that you quickly adapt to the circumstances, and it isn't long before both of us are always checking both ways for bikes before we deviate course.
When we arrive at the Museum Quarter, we gauge that we have enough time to tour the Diamond Museum first. The Diamond Museum is interesting. I had not fully appreciated Amsterdam's historical reputation first for diamond-cutting and later for diamond brokering. At one time 90% of the world's diamonds moved through Amsterdam. That tradition, already in decline, was basically ended by WWII when the Jews were systematically eliminated from the city, a chapter in history we spent much of yesterday exploring. There are many diamond-studded or diamond-encrusted objects on display, some of them authentic with real diamonds and some reproductions. You probably know that I like trivia and I learned two interesting factoids: 1. Kimberlite, the igneous rock in which diamonds are found, was named for Kimberly, South Africa; and 2. The word "carat" the common unit of diamond weight, was derived from "carob" because seeds from the carob trees that grow in South Africa are remarkably consistent in weight and were traditionally used on
a scale to weigh diamonds.
Up next is the Van Gogh Museum. Van Gogh was born in the Netherlands and is regarded by the Dutch as a national treasure. Now I don't know whether you love Van Gogh's works as we do, or whether you belong to the club that considers him vastly overrated, but if you're in the former camp, your mind will be blown by this museum. It houses the largest collection in the world of Van Gogh's paintings and other artifacts. There are probably a hundred paintings in there that we have never seen or heard of before, many of them breathtaking. Four floors of exhibits about Van Gogh. The whole thing is organized more or less chronologically, so we learn about his early life, his decision to become a painter, his influences, his years in Paris, his exile to Arles, his descent into madness, his untimely and unfortunate demise, and his legacy. A special exhibit explores the influence of Japanese art on the development of Van Gogh's style.
The museum has no fewer than three gift shops. Anything you can think of that can be imprinted or decorated with a Van Gogh painting is
Royal Concertgebouw
Amsterdam, Netherlandsavailable: not only the usual things like apparel, scarves and handbags, but also water bottles, phone protectors, reading glasses, paper clips (shaped like little sunflowers), pencil sharpeners, day planners, and on and on. The most creative packaging award goes to Van Gogh potato chips in a bag featuring his painting "The Potato Eaters."
We spend over three hours in the Van Gogh museum until we are Vincented right out. Upon exiting, I see that also in the Museum Quarter is the Royal Concertgebouw, one of the most famed concert halls in the world. Oh well, another time perhaps. It's now almost 3 pm and we are starving. TripAdvisor finds us a well-reviewed seafood restaurant just up Van Baerlestr, prosaically named the Seafood Grill. As we enter we are astonished at the groaning plates of fresh-cooked seafood being delivered to tables. We want in! The local pilsner is a life-saver, and our order, a combination dish of salmon, scallops, calamari and white fish with fries and salad, is absolutely fantastic, probably the best seafood we've eaten since Lisbon.
The weather has by now cleared up and the sun is starting to challenge the clouds. Now thoroughly stuffed, we decide
that we should cash in our canal cruise while the weather is in a good mood. So we make our way by crowded tram (rush hour has started) down to Central Station at the waterfront, from whence the majority of the tourist cruise boats depart. We pick a line called Lovers Canal Cruise because, after all, we're married. The one-hour excursion takes us along and around the main waterways of the city. There is both a canned commentary from earbuds and additional, often humorous observations from the jovial captain. Amsterdam is truly a city of canals and bridges. The nickname "Venice of the North" is well-deserved. The city is probably at its prettiest viewed from the canals.
The ship has to negotiate some tricky 90ยบ turns as it makes it way under the many bridges. The clearance is small. I'm standing in the rear of the boat to get some good pictures and I have to duck my head as we pass under most of the bridges. There is an energetic little girl about 5 years old playing at the back. As we approach one bridge, she is standing on a platform with her head high above the boat.
Inside the love boat
Amsterdam, Netherlands Mom doesn't seem to notice, so I touch her arm and motion that we both have to duck our heads. She grins and complies. Mom finally realizes what just happened and gives me a thank-you smile.
Our canal cruise completed, we decide that we are pretty much done for the day, so we tram and walk back to the hotel. Violet informs me that it is my job to find something to eat and bring it back. I opt for an Italian restaurant down the street that we have passed several times and that always seems busy, a good sign. I choose a salad with cured beef and tuna plus an order of gnocchi. Hits the spot. We veg the rest of the evening watching FIFA World Cup soccer on the TV, Russia vs. Egypt. If you squint just right, it looks like hockey.
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