Finally back on solid ground in Amsterdam – and what a wonderful way to end this journey!  This is a beautiful city that was thoroughly enjoyed and begs us to return;-)

It doesn’t take long, here, to find your way around.  Even though our hotel was a bit north of “Old Town” in what appeared to be a new hip ‘fashion district’, the bus came to the corner to get us to the Central Station, where we could catch anything we wanted – bus, tram, train – to get us anywhere we wanted to go.  So, morning one – with 48 hour transportation pass in hand – we were off to the Museum Quarter.

 

 

A walk out the doors of Central Station and there is Amsterdam – just as pictured in one’s mind;-)  Canals everywhere – lined with boats of every nature (including LOTS of houseboats) and the banks lined with buildings from the 1600 and 1700’s leaning against one another for support.  Oh yes – AND BIKES!!!

 

 

The Museum Quarter is an exquisite area (literally – as their ‘Rodeo Drive’ is the northern boundary!).  An inviting park – Museumplein – is bordered by the Concert Gebouw at one end and the Rijksmuseum on the other end.  Between are the Van Gogh and Stedelijk Museums.  This park provides a very inviting open space to enjoy the buildings before one enters to enjoy the art;-)

 

One of the three ‘must see’ items was next up on the itinerary – the Van Gogh Museum.  This was our favorite and not to be missed.  Van Gogh’s nephew was instrumental in creating this museum, which tells the story of the artist’s life through the 200 paintings of his works which are featured.   It is so hard to believe Van Gogh created this body of work by the age of 37 (he killed himself at this age in 1890).  Included works are Sunflowers, The Bedroom, The Potato Eaters – and several butterfly pictures (which just happened to be E’s favs and had to ‘sneak’ the pics).

 

 

 

Second of the ‘must see’ items is the Rijksmuseum, which was built to house the nation’s great art.  It owns several thousand paintings, including an incomparable collection of 17th century Dutch Masters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer.  The museum building itself just went through a renovation to make the experience here even more enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

And – number three on the ‘must see’ list is the Anne Frank House.  Also a favorite of ours and not to be missed,  but an entirely different feel – almost haunting – than the prior museums.  Anne, her family and four others spent a little more than two years in a ‘Secret Annex’ in the upper floors of this building, which had been her father’s business.  While in hiding, the 13 year-old Anne kept a diary chronicling her extraordinary experience.  Her father, the only of her family to survive the concentration camps, returned many years later and was given the writings of Anne’s that had been ‘saved’ by one of the employees who helped hide the family for the two years.  The house as shown creates a feeling of the true bleakness that must have been felt during that time.  A very emotional experience – even now as writing this.

 

Moving to a little lighter experience – back out on the canals.  One can get a real feel for Amsterdam on a canal tour, much as it looked in the 1600’s when it was the world’s richest city.  It was an international sea-trading port and the cradle of capitalism.  Wealthy, democratic burghers built a city upon millions of pilings, creating a wonderland of canals lined with trees and townhouses topped with fancy gables.

 

 

 

 

 

A few more quick sights in Amsterdam (including a walk through the Red Light District – but no pictures there), and – – – –

 

 

 

– – – – – – it was time to have one last drink and say good-bye to our traveling companions, Rheta and Tom – – –

– – – – – and have one last dinner out on ‘our’ pier – – –

– – – – – – and it was time for us to say good-bye to Amsterdam and the wonderful cruise we had through the Baltics.  Loved it all – –

 

So ended our three-week adventure.  Many wonderful sights, great moments with friends and the making of hundreds of memories;-)

E & G feeling VERY fortunate and VERY happy!!