Amsterdam 2017
My Amsterdam Adventure Following our Rhine River cruise, I stayed on in Amsterdam for four days. The city was easy to navigate on foot… the Dutch were delightful and helpful to this perpetually lost tourist… and I explored a great deal of this remarkable city. A canal boat tour, the Museumplein, Vondelpark and Leidesplein areas. A classical guitar concert in the Royal Concertgebouw. Seeing Sinterklaas arrive by canal and talking with a sweet family who befriended me and shared stories of Christmas traditions. Walking the beautiful Jordaan area and eating at a traditional brown café. Spending an entire day at the Rijksmuseum with many of my favorite artists. The Royal Palace and Anne Frank museum. A rijsttafel meal at Sama-Sebo Indonesian restaurant. And on my last night, a walk through a portion of Vondelpark which was my view from my cozy third-floor room at Hotel Piet Hein. Cover: Westerkerk; Rijksmuseum; canal in Jordaan. Above: Sinterklaas on slate in the House Boat Museum.
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My cozy room on the third floor of Hotel Piet Hein overlooked Vondelpark and was near Museumplein, an ideal location. Right: Canalboat ride.
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Left: Seafood Bar staff was wonderful. Dave was my favorite. Above: Classical guitar concert at Royal Concertgebouw: Rovshan Mamedkuliev. I sat next to Keiko.
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Sinterklaas arrives from Spain and comes down the Amstel River into the canals with much fanfare. This delightful family enthusiastically shared their stories.
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Left: After the Sinterklaas Parade. Children wore Sinterklaas capes and caps. Above: The Flower Market
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Left: Flowermarket and Blauwbrug bridge over the Amstel River near Rembrandtplein. Above: The Jordaan along Prinsengracht.
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Left: A “Brown Café,” Café ’t Smalle. Right: Inviting doorways in the Jordaan.
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Above and Right: The Houseboat Museum. Right: Boats and houseboats along the canals.
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RIJKSMUSEUM! Vermeer, Rembrandt, Claesz, Kalf, Coorte, Hals, de Hooch… I was one of the first in and among the last to leave that day.
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My special purchase at the museum gift shop was a roemer. So many paintings featured this beautiful drinking glass.
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Sama-Sebo: Indonesian restaurant. Rijsttafel is a sampler of many spicy dishes with rice or noodles.
The Dutch Royal Palace overlooking Dam Square.
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Anne Frank House and the Jordaan
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Amsterdam