Time for the final stop of my trip - Amsterdam.  It is the one city that I really hated that I didn't go to while I lived in London, but that whole stolen passport thing got in the way of my plans.  After a 3 hour train ride from Cologne, I was finally there.  Why did I think I would like Amsterdam?  Just look at this map of the city.  Who doesn't like old buildings, culture and water? 

 

 

As soon as I stepped out of the Central train station (pictured below), I realized that I had entered a different world.  One that would surpass my expectations. 

 

 

This is the view across the canal.  Yep, another gray day for a bit anyway. 

 

This was the city for walking and exploring.  I loved all the old buildings lining the concentric canals.  After a couple days here, I think I walked every ring, just exploring.  I also believe I still have the ringing in my ears from all the bike bells.  But this city has the transportation figured out.  It was amazing.  Also, this is Easter weekend.  The city was packed!

 

My hotel room was nice and quaint, but it was all about the location...

 

 

I was here for culture and I decided to stay right by the Rijksmuseum, the national Dutch museum.  It was about 1.5 miles from the train station, but who cares, I needed to walk.

 

 

 

I am standing at the front of the museum and looking west, my hotel is right behind this building.

 

So on into the inside of the Museum.  This museum is insanely good and you could spend days looking at everything inside.  (Their online site is very good also).  The main hall is a who's who of great artists. 

 

 

Vermeer's Milkmaid

 

Beautiful landscapes by Jacob van Ruisdael

 

 

And a lot of pieces that show the Netherlands great history on the sea.  These are by Willem van de Velde.  You can probably tell that I was fighting a crowd to even get a decent picture. 

 

 

Then some Rembrants - The Syndics

 

 

Militia Company of District VIII by Bartholomeus van der Helst

 

With the ending room housing Rembrant's  The Night Watch.  (What a pitiful picture of a masterpiece, guess I need to slow down, but this room was elbow to elbow). 

 

 

So here is what I found most 'interesting' or something.  There are 3 works in this hall by Anish Kapoor that made of resin, but appear like big meat sculptures.  I am open minded as the next, but um, I was feeling these, especially right across from the Rembrandt's.  They were getting some conversation though.

 

 

Again this museum is stunning.  I loved all the furniture.  Just stupendous really.

 

 

 

Even a section on coins, ha.  I do find it funny that I have a couple of them that were displayed in the museum.  Not the same grade though...

 

Or displayed in a room like this.  Damn!.  I need a room like this though.

 

There was period where dollhouses had a little more of art feel than Barbie does now a days.

 

Just insane at how great these pieces are and I didn't capture many of them at all.  Well worth spending a day at this place and I guess I did spend the better part of a day here, because it is dark now.

 

 

 

But I still had time for a brewery tour.  I can't say I am a Heineken guy, but I do like seeing the different brewery tours.  I may have mistakenly ate McDonalds though for the first time in 20 years though, gulp.  I didn't see a wrapper, so I am not admitting that I did. 

 

 

On back out into the city.  What an absolutely gorgeous place.  It may have been the smell in the air.  Hmmm.  Seems like their coffee shops had a different smell than our Starbucks...

 

 

On other Amsterdam topics.  Here is the edge of the Red Light District.  The red lights are the 'window displays' of scantly clad women.  It was more touristy than I thought it would have been.  Tour groups with children passing by these windows with guides explaining the history of the area.  I should have taken a picture of the area around the min church square.  What appeared to be elegant dining venues, right next to red light windows.  What an interesting city!

 

and no, I didn't go in one.  On to tomorrow.