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Published: August 26th 2009
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· The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. - Saint Augustine
July 22, 2009, Wednesday, Gaasper Camping, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
The Metro is less than 300 meters from the CG, and the last stop on #53 is Central Station, Amsterdam. A stop at a very crowded Information Center was a disappointment, the ticket we got showed we needed to wait for 60 other people to be waited on. So with map in hand, we decided to brave it and look for the Stop/Go bus on our own. Amsterdam is a bustling city with train, trams, buses, taxis, and metros taking people to and from. The bus we are on, is equipped with a large computer screen showing a map of the city with “our little bus” on it. So one can see where we are, as well as what is coming up next, it is a most efficient system. We were enjoying the canal sights and decided to go all the way to the opera house, and visit the market. The outdoor markets sell everything imaginable.
Then we began walking, it is a big city to walk! One needs to be careful not only of vehicular traffic, but the bike traffic…it is a “killer”. The
number of bikes stagger the mind, walking the sidewalk is a challenge too, because so many bikes are “parked” there.
We found our way to Heineken Brewery and took the tour for a whooping fee of $15E!
It was a marketing program all the way. It seems Heineken is marketing its new zero degree beer and we are the victims, they should have paid us for the advertising.
Well time to find the Metro and go home, and our crock-pot has dinner ready!
July 23, 2009, Thursday, Gaasper Camping, The Netherlands.
We are learning about the Metro, we got off before the Central Station and began walking toward the museums. We are back in a market area. We have under estimated the walking and after 2 hours… finally found the Rijks and Van Gogh Museums. It is raining… so the lines are long. and, of course, Rembrandt’s, “ Night Watch”. The Rijksmuseum is a familiar Amsterdam landmark and possesses an unrivalled collection of Dutch art and, of course we stopped at Rembrandt’s, “ Night Watch”.
Then we noticed a ticket office of the VVV and purchased tickets for the Van Gogh Museum and
passed the waiting lines, right into the museum. Knowledge is a powerful thing. Van Gogh’s life and works and tragic ending, are sad and yet marvelous. Like so many painters, he never, in his lifetime, received recognition as a great artist. The museum is a wonderful collection of his works and history of his life. Van Gogh suffered nervous crisis and depression. During the last 70 days of his life, he painted 70 canvases! He finally shot himself and died two days later. Maureen’s favorite, “The Shoes’ was in storage so she didn’t get a chance to view it again.
We found a tram back to Central Station and started home.
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