Tuesday 29 September 2015
Museum Day
Wake-up call at 6:30 a.m. Delicious breakfast at 7:00, and off to the Van Gogh Museum at 8:30. We prepurchased our tickets so got in as soon as the museum opened. We visited the main museum then noticed that an exhibition was on in an annex - a comparison of Van Gogh and Edvard Munch. Many of Van Gogh's works were in this exhibition including Starry Night, Sunflowers, and several stunners of wheat fields. There even was the famous Munch painting, The Scream, which we didn't get to see in Norway. We spent 2 hours enjoying the art here.
We then proceeded to the Rijks Museum where we were grateful for our prepurchased tickets and for the app we downloaded before we left that offered several different tours of the massive collection. We took one 90 minute tour and two 45 minute tours that guided us to the highlights. We previewed all the other tours but decided we were
"Museumed-out". We ate a light lunch courtesy of our hotel in the gardens of the Rijks before heading over to a tour of a Diamond Factory. What a waste of time. A brief explanation of how diamonds are cut then herded into a store selling uninspiring jewelry. Exit stage left. We went back to the hotel to pick up our tickets for a Canal House tour and a very brief respite. The museum was close to the hotel and the tour was very interesting and informative. We enjoyed getting to see the inside of one of the homes that we have admired so much from the outside.
It was only 5:30 but we decided that rather than going back to the hotel and going out again, that we would eat on the way home at an Indonesian restaurant that the concierge recommended. Food was excellent and now that we are back here, glad we don't have to go out again. Now to spend some time enjoying that luxurious bathroom! Tomorrow, we plan to explore Amsterdam a little more before catching a cab to our ship. We are both looking forward to the sea day on Thursday. Norma tells me that we walked 19,000 steps today.
We then proceeded to the Rijks Museum where we were grateful for our prepurchased tickets and for the app we downloaded before we left that offered several different tours of the massive collection. We took one 90 minute tour and two 45 minute tours that guided us to the highlights. We previewed all the other tours but decided we were
"Museumed-out". We ate a light lunch courtesy of our hotel in the gardens of the Rijks before heading over to a tour of a Diamond Factory. What a waste of time. A brief explanation of how diamonds are cut then herded into a store selling uninspiring jewelry. Exit stage left. We went back to the hotel to pick up our tickets for a Canal House tour and a very brief respite. The museum was close to the hotel and the tour was very interesting and informative. We enjoyed getting to see the inside of one of the homes that we have admired so much from the outside.
It was only 5:30 but we decided that rather than going back to the hotel and going out again, that we would eat on the way home at an Indonesian restaurant that the concierge recommended. Food was excellent and now that we are back here, glad we don't have to go out again. Now to spend some time enjoying that luxurious bathroom! Tomorrow, we plan to explore Amsterdam a little more before catching a cab to our ship. We are both looking forward to the sea day on Thursday. Norma tells me that we walked 19,000 steps today.
Monday 28 September 2015
Our First Day. Part 2
The beds were enticing but we left to explore the city. Norma tells me we walked 16,000 steps. She brought her "good luck" amber beads so the weather has been perfect for exploring the city on foot. We were warned about the bicyclists ignoring all the rules of the road (I think they must be the same the world over). We wandered the canals, checked out some of the oldest areas of the city, admired the architecture, and ventured into the red light district where we were treated to women in various stages of undress displaying their wares in windows that faced the narrow street. We wondered why the street was so crowded and everyone was walking so slowly!
We returned to the hotel for a bit of a break and headed out again. The concierge directed us to a quiet residential area and we walked for another hour.
Back at the hotel again for a shower (me) and a bath (Norma). Am about to order room service and plan an early night for our Museum day tomorrow.
Pictures of Amsterdam to follow.
We returned to the hotel for a bit of a break and headed out again. The concierge directed us to a quiet residential area and we walked for another hour.
Back at the hotel again for a shower (me) and a bath (Norma). Am about to order room service and plan an early night for our Museum day tomorrow.
Pictures of Amsterdam to follow.
Our First Day
After two very smooth flights, we arrived in Amsterdam very tired despite managing a few hours of sleep on the plane. We took an illegal cab (we got suckered in by a smooth talker) to our hotel. We were told that we were being upgraded from a deluxe room to a super deluxe room and that it would be ready in 40 minutes rather than the 3 hours we expeccted. Music to our ears! This is the message that greeted us on the screen of the TV in our room.
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