Post: Bernie: March 29, 2011Note: To follow our trip to Amsterdam from beginning to end, choose The plans are made from the index at right.
Today we shopped... that is we visited two outdoor markets.
The first one was in Waterlooplein that had used and it seemed a lot of surplus and hand made items. It also had its share of India items, leather goods and vintage clothing, tops and recorded media. We did come across a painter doing drawings and miniatures. Also hand painted tile interpretations of traditional well known tiles. I bought one that was used in taverns of a man who seems to be ready for anything but has already had a bit too much of something. I think it the perfect souvenir from Amsterdam!
Abby we bought something that rings for you! Something that here in Amsterdam you don't get on two wheels without! Can you guess what it is?
Off we went then to Albert Cuyp Market on Albert Cuypstraat where there is a larger outdoor market that has mostly it seems all new things from buttons to fish heads, bolts of cloth to frilly dresses...
From here we made our way back to Museumplein to the Rijks Museum to see Rembrandt and friends.
On the way there we walked by Frederiksplein (remember plein is a square) where there was a stump of a tree that had been struck by lightning with the stump on one side of a wall and the rest of the tree on the other side. Both the stump and the fallen tree were burned black. Ok, now the amazing part is not that they left the tree and stump all burnt and charred but that when they built (or was it during a restoration) they laid the brick paving stones around the branches that were embedded into the earth when the tree was struck down during that thunder and lightning storm.
So it looks like the branches are coming out of the brickwork pavers! We noticed this same tendency to leave fallen trees because yesterday in Vondelpark, we saw a few huge fallen trees now playgrounds with kids climbing all over them. What a wonderful thing to let certain things that have fallen into a beautiful pose, alone.
Once we made it to Museumplein where the Rijks Museum and the Van Gogh Museums are located we were ready for a rest and refreshment. So we sat in the sun and had two White Biers with lemon, a salad, fries (everything comes with fries and mayo here) and an elongated version of Bitterballen, a favorite afternoon snack of the Dutch.
The Rijks Museum is undergoing a renovation so we only saw a small portion of their collection. What we did see was great. It took us through Dutch history and through Rembrandt and his friends.
There was a very impressive modern work though. This clock that you can watch time go by on as the artist erases and redraws the traveling hand of time. Fabulous piece!
We relaxed a bit on Museumplein before setting off to a brewery located next to the nearest walkable windmill in Amsterdam. It wasn't that near...
The brewery's the Brouwerij 't IJ at the end of Sarphatistraat (or at least it felt like the end of the earth from the Museumplein) where we had a five course beer sampler and then ordered our personal favorites.
Then a walk back along the Entrepotdok canal by newer town houses, by the "crying tower" Montelbaans Toren (we heard about this local name for this tower "the crying tower" from a local we stopped to talk to.
The tower is so named for the women who would climb the tower to unsuccessfully search for their men returning from voyages at sea) then up to St. Nicolaaskerk then down Zeedijk into Nieuwmarkt and into an Irish Pub called Temple Bar where we are currently having a few pints.
Next: On our last day (then home to New Amsterdam) [READ NEXT AMSTERDAM POST]
Today we shopped... that is we visited two outdoor markets.
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| We walked by the Rembrandt House on the way. |
Off we went then to Albert Cuyp Market on Albert Cuypstraat where there is a larger outdoor market that has mostly it seems all new things from buttons to fish heads, bolts of cloth to frilly dresses...
From here we made our way back to Museumplein to the Rijks Museum to see Rembrandt and friends.
On the way there we walked by Frederiksplein (remember plein is a square) where there was a stump of a tree that had been struck by lightning with the stump on one side of a wall and the rest of the tree on the other side. Both the stump and the fallen tree were burned black. Ok, now the amazing part is not that they left the tree and stump all burnt and charred but that when they built (or was it during a restoration) they laid the brick paving stones around the branches that were embedded into the earth when the tree was struck down during that thunder and lightning storm.
Once we made it to Museumplein where the Rijks Museum and the Van Gogh Museums are located we were ready for a rest and refreshment. So we sat in the sun and had two White Biers with lemon, a salad, fries (everything comes with fries and mayo here) and an elongated version of Bitterballen, a favorite afternoon snack of the Dutch.
 |
| Like my new hat! |
There was a very impressive modern work though. This clock that you can watch time go by on as the artist erases and redraws the traveling hand of time. Fabulous piece!
We relaxed a bit on Museumplein before setting off to a brewery located next to the nearest walkable windmill in Amsterdam. It wasn't that near...
The brewery's the Brouwerij 't IJ at the end of Sarphatistraat (or at least it felt like the end of the earth from the Museumplein) where we had a five course beer sampler and then ordered our personal favorites.
Then a walk back along the Entrepotdok canal by newer town houses, by the "crying tower" Montelbaans Toren (we heard about this local name for this tower "the crying tower" from a local we stopped to talk to.
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| The "Crying Tower". |
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| Along the Entrepotdok canal. |
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| Nemo as seen from shore. |
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