Weather fine and sunny. Warren healthy. All's right with the world.
Took photos of the entrance to the campsite so you can see how automated it all is. The down-side of it is that each new arrival sits parked in the entrance -- which is also the only exit — while they work out how to use the self-check-in!
We decided that, because the I amsterdam card only gives you €2.50 discount into the Rijksmuseum, we wouldn't activate our cards today, but use them for places where it's worth between €12 and €22, over the next three days. (The Euro is currently running at about 1.61 Australian Dollars - or €5 = $8.)
So in we went, taking the tram from the station down to Museumplein, home of the two main museums we wish to visit — the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. Don't even think that you can do even one of these justice in a full day — there is just so much to take in!
Museumplein is very popular place. There is a large I amsterdam that is forever invaded by tourists posing for photos.
The Rijksmuseum has a wonderful website through which you are free to explore the whole collection for yourself. The collection itself is gob-smacking!
The pride of the collection is Rembrandt's painting The Night Watch This painting is at the end of a long hall lined with paintings no less magnificent. The Night Watch we now see has been cut down in 1715 to fit the space it was being moved to in the guild hall. We know this because of a much smaller copy made before this happened, and which the museum has hanging nearby.
Nearby are other paintings by Rembrandt, including his self-portrait as the apostle Paul, and what may be the first real modern painting, The Conspiracy of the Batavians under Claudius Civilis, which is painted in a raw, almost unfinished style, to reflect the barbarity of the protagonists in the painting — it was rejected by the client! (Does this remind you of what happened with the Impressionists about two centuries later?)
Rembrandt. Portrait of Johannes Wtenbogaert
Rembrandt. Portrait of Johannes Wtenbogaert
Another painter of note is Vermeer. Apparently there are only 35 of his paintings still in existence. There are two of them, side by side, in the Rijksmuseum -- The Love Letter and The Milkmaid.
We were rather taken by the large painting, "Fishing for Souls" by Adriaen van de Venne, a satire on the Protestants' and the Catholics' struggles for souls when the Dutch threw over the Catholic Church in the seventeenth century.
The Rijksmuseum also has a wonderful collection of Asian art -- remember, the Dutch had a huge presence in the area with its Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (the Dutch East India Company).
17th century Indian Ganesha, who brings success
12th century Shiva Nataraja (Shiva as the King of Dancers)
A 16th century Japanese Buddha Amida Nyorai
(the Buddha of Infinite Light)
— backed by two temple demons!
17th century Indian Ganesha, who brings success
12th century Shiva Nataraja (Shiva as the King of Dancers)
A 16th century Japanese Buddha Amida Nyorai
(the Buddha of Infinite Light)
— backed by two temple demons!
There's also a large exhibition documenting with artifacts, models, prints and paintings the sea might of the Dutch over time.
And we have a bit of an interest in dolls' houses -- and the Rijksmuseum has some beautiful old ones!
And here are a few more of the wonderful treasures in the museum...
A simple box cunningly folds out into a table-top harpsichord
Dirck van Rijswijk. Panel with Pyramus and Thisbe
(Lydian stone, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and marble)
A simple box cunningly folds out into a table-top harpsichord
Dirck van Rijswijk. Panel with Pyramus and Thisbe
(Lydian stone, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and marble)
And there is a magnificent old research library within the museum. Don't know why, but they are particularly proud of the old iron spiral staircase that winds up from the reading floor to the top of the stacks.
As we said, a day is not enough to do the Rijksmuseum justice. We did our best. Coming outside, we found the tourists still decorating I amsterdam with their bodies. We took the ferry back across the IJ, past the Filmmuseum, and retired to the van, exhausted but exhilarated, for the night.
The Eye, the modern film museum
on the banks of the IJ (pronounced the same!)
The Eye, the modern film museum
on the banks of the IJ (pronounced the same!)
Distance driven — today, nil; to date, 29,021 miles ( 46,705 km )
for 23.4.5 Sorry Warren ill. Hope feeling better by now. Glad you had a go where the mood takes me day too Suze. Does you good I am going to St Arnaud in the V-line with David and ? Sophie if she wants at the end the.end of week sometime. Shouldn't, but himself wants me to go-sheep are not my favourite animals in anyway, however, they gave us a life. Will save the Rijksmuseum and no doubt the huge 'The night watch' for later when all together. Sent Willl and Hans a long email yesterday to try to help them both. No reply so will have to ring to see if I have upset the two strong minded noddies. I feel all their misery and pain is being brought about by the little stabs and cuts the Goneril and Regan daughters give them both and it's time to let them go to enable the little bitches and to enjoy what life they have left. I love them dearly, but Geez Louise. Life is for living not pain gloom and doom all the time. Good people are scarce. It is time they realised they are good people and have a right to a good life. Oh well, Have fun tiptoeing through the tulipds. Love you, C
ReplyDeleteWhat a great day. Isn't there some dispute over the Shiva (dancer) having been stolen and that it should should be returned to some ancient mud brick temple in India somewhere? I think the one we had here in Australia had to be with great loss of money to us. Returned the form re my health to the eyeclinc. Op next month. Must MUST get this thing out of the way by then. I realise I have been looking at politics of management and intervention literature rather than what the poarticipants think and there is only a total of 7% qualitative lit re opinions, ideas, experiences feelings and stories of obese women in ante natal clinics overall and many not from our culture at all but the developing world.which I am not using because of cultural differences and not knowing what their clinical practices in antenatal really are,in the whole lot. Anyway feeling more positive. am going to St Arnaud sheeping for a 3 day break as ordered by Dr David. Haven't the time, but he wants it. i guess he's afraid he might fall over again-god knows. If Sophie comes with us she'll get more of an idea about whether she will attend the Ag college she wants to a bit more anyway-Urrbrae is a very good college and she will have dozens of different learning opportunities there than she would anywhere else in SA. She's decided she wants to do something with animals anyway so we'll see. At present Merri is the one who cares for the animals. Sophie just loves them. She loved her birthday and birthday tea and presents she told us. The whole family is saving up for an Ipad for her for next Christmas (2016) with Merri's approval! Jay said he'd like one too, but we told him he could jolly well get himself a job, any job, and earn one for himself! I told him he gets the tough love from now on and Brydie, Sophie and Astral get the inner sprung type. Glad the weather and warren are better. Love C.
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